The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-07-09
CONGRESS TO PUSH
INVESTIGATION OF
FARM COSTS
Increased Appropriation to
Aid Cost Accounting of
Farmers

| WASHlNGION, July B, (Speclal
CONGRATULATIONS in control
Of the committee on Agriculture OF
the Senate and House, of which
Senator AISLE j. Gronna of North
Dakota, and Representative Gilbert
N. Haugen of Iowa, are the respec-
tive chalrmen, are agreed that from
now on it will be their intention chat
more money will be appropriated anc
more time devoted to the investiga-
ton of farm life conditions, with en-
phasis on the question of costs. This
policy is demonstrated by the fact
that with the passage Of the Agric>
ulture bill, the Office of Farm Man
agement has been changed to the
Bureau of Farm Management and
Home Economics, carrying with it
an appropriation of 100000 with
which to assist the farmer in arriv-
ing at an accurate cost of produc-
ton.
The appropriation is an increase
over the amount previously allowed
this office and was made possible and
consistent with the present economy
policies by cutting away unnecessary
appropriations elsewhere in the bill.
1t has been pointed out by those
closely related to the work of this
bureau that the farmer has never
been able to set price on his pro-
ducts because he did not know the
cost of production. The main effort
of the bureau will be exerted to get
the farmer to keep books" so that
he will be able to ascertain the real
cost. There is no intention to enable
the farmer to dictate his price but the
training from the bureau will enable
the public to know what the actual
cost is and thereby bring about bet
ter conditions on all sides, both for
the producer and the consumer.
Mr.. W. j. Spillman, former head
of the Office of Farm Management,
tried to start this work in a small
way with limited help and encourage
ment. His work was confined to a
few farmers and the experiment was
tried with wheat. But the cost of
the wheat found to be so great that
the Department of Agriculture did
not think it best to send out the
information. The practical work
which will be undertaken by this
section of the Department of Agric
ulture has been made possible by the
present Agriculture committees, the
Office of Farm Management having
obtained but little help or encourage
ment previous to the present Con-
gress.
Previous to February, 1919, COM
mittee was appointed by Secretary
Houston to consider a plan of or
ganization and scope of work for the
Bureau of Farm Management, look
ing forward to legislation with which
to carry out the plans. The commit
tee found that the limited work of
the Office had proved of assistance to
the farmers but that the work should .
be expanded and the Office made a
Bureau to include the work of Home
This recommendation
was adopted. The work Of the Bur
eau will be divided into three parts;
the first that of the business office;
second, the Research Work which in
cludes cost of production, farm or
farm finance, farm labor,
history and geography, 4
land utilization and farm land stud
les; and third, the extension work
which will be divided into four bran
ches, namely, the publications and
material, farm manage
ment demonstrations, farm labor sup
ply and other farm economics de-
"That work to be DONE" said one
member of the Senate Committee, "ls
50 enormous that it is staggering.
The most important thing in the in
crest of the farmer is to get him to
keep books so that he will be able
% ascertain for himself the real cost
IF production. When he can do this
conditions generally should improve
o a very large extent"