The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-04-02
AGAINST
HOUSTON MADE
q SpilEman Alleges Rotteness
II the Management of the
Department of Agriculture
SECRETARY NOT IN
SYMPATHY WITH FARMERS

Bureau Of Markets Announced
House Resolution.
aisor Daily Item:
am illcIosing you copy of House
Resolution 81 providing for investi-
CATION OF the charges OF Dr.. Splllnan
eoneerniag the Secretary of Agricuf-
i'll mans address was de-
s3ivered before the national Board OF
arm Organizations February II and
is set forth in the document I ann
Inciesing. think your readers will
sbe greatly interested in the revela-
tiens set forth by DR.. Spillman Of
some Of the inner history Of the
Department Of Agriculture.
am particularly interested be-
cause it shows why the bureau Of
markets which was the direct result
sof nay collaboration with Mr.. Lever
an January 1913, utterly failed dur
fngthat year to even start the great
work we expected. In September OF
that year at the instance Of the Nat
souai Farmers Union was sent to
washington as chairman of q COM
saittee TO interview Secretary Hous-
onand urge him to make the Bureau
people. It was then that / came to
ne cenclision thar Secretary Hous-
ten Was totally out Of sympathy with
the farmers, and should be removed
9ronn Office It is a sad commentary
on the lack OF organization Of the
Farmers that such a man should re-
main at the head Of the Department
gric culture for SIX years, and will
probably stay on TO the end Of Pres
Saent ~ ilsen' n'ssasInainistration. s pro-j
tested SIX years ago: When in WASH
mgtou last week { was told that in /
view of DR.. Spiilman's revelations, a
movement to have Houston removed
had started. 4 doubt if it amounts to /
thing Lever has said to me on
more than one occasion that he re-
garded Houston as the brains of the
asfrninistration I never could under-l
stand how ssfr Lever had been SO de-
:cesved III Houston I trust you will |
give space to the publication Of DR.. /
Spilitylan,s address, even if you have !
tosd so in insta.llnents. I am sure !:
yo,r readers will appreciate 1t. 1
Yours truly,
E. w Dabbs.
" Whereas at the semiannual confer
e5se OF the National Board of Farm
orraaizations, on February eleventh.
nninetasa hundred ard nineteen. TIE !
following statements and charges gon-.II
earning the. United States Depart
r.e,it OF Agriculture We're glade. by
Doctor ". j.. Spillman; fecsner Chief
Of the Office of Farm Management in
said department:
Why Data on Cost OF Production arc
NO. Reliable
After ten years OF patient study the
Office of Farm Management felt that
by The summer Of ni-leteen hundred
and seventeen it had worked out
satisfactory methods for determin-
ing the cost of producing prac-
tieally all kinds Of farm products
In these studies vast quantities Of data
had been collected, and several bulle-
tins on the cost Of producing various
products had been published. What
was mainly needed 70 enable the ex-
perts of the office to state current costs
OF most products was knowledge OF
current wages and prices of materials.
Il happened that just at this time
the President directed the Federal |
Trade Commission to undertake GER
tan studies OF food production and
distribution with G view 10 determln-
ing cost az various stages and of as
certainin;. Whether unfair practices
prevailed IN the trades based on food
products The Federal Trade Com
mission took up With the Bureau Of
Markets Of the Department Of Asri
culture the matter Of ascertaininG cost
of production of farm products.
Arrangements were made for the
Office Of Farm Management 10
have charge of this work IN
cooperation with the Bureau Of Mar
kets.
AS Chief Of the Office of Farm Man
agement, ] requested letters OF auth
orhaticn for the purpose Of sending
thirteen experts from that office to the
FIELD TO collect the data necessary for
determining current costs. This was
early III October, nineteen hundred
and seventeen. Since the money avail
able for this would lapse on July first.
ninteen hundred and eighteen. it was
planned 10 finish the work by that
time.
Secretary Houston refused to grant
these letters and called me to his
Office for a consultation. This is the
conference referred to by Secretary
OF agriculture in his letter to the Sen
ate Of November seventh. nineteel
: hundred and eighteen, in which he
says: Il indicated to him (Spillman)
my desire that careful consideration
be given the waole matter and that 4
system of inquiry and Interpretation
be devised which would be regarded
by competent students of farm econo-
mics as sound and Which would fur
nish results reasonably reliable ana
creditable to the department.
Every word Of that statement is
deliberate faisehood. Secretary Hous-
ton made no such suggestion 10 me at
IL y