The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-03-30
MEREDITH ADDRESSES
FARMERS OF STATE
Discusses Activities Of United States
Department of Agricuiture-Make
Experiments to Check Weevii.

Inc STATE.
This is the first time since assunl-
ing my Official duties that have had
an opportunity TO address gathering
of farmers" said E. T. Meredith
secretary of the department Of agri-
culture of the United States, in an
address delivered yesterday at the
automobile show to an audience com.
posed largely Of members Of the
American Cotton association, whose
guest Mr.. Meredith was during the
day.
''It is needless to say that ] am
happy at this opportunity of speak
ing to you," he continued. Il am
a sales manager. Sales manager of
the department of agriculture, and
what l am trying to sell your is SER
vice. / want to acquaint you briefly
with some of the work which the de-
partment is doing, and / want you
to know what service it can render
you. You hear much in these days
about department officials having an
easy time of it; they have been called
inehicients and slackers. Sometimes
you hear objection made to appro-
priation for farm demonstration
agents on the ground that they wear
white collars, that they never take
off their coats, that they are shod in
patent leather and that they never
get off the sidewalk. I want to tell
you some of the things the depart
ment is trying to do-and this per-
sonal contact will give me the op-
portunity / desire"
Mr.. Meredith was speaking under
considerable disadvantage. Tractor
motors were hunming outside; a
phonograph was running merrily in
distant exhibit; automobiles were
sounding horns in the nearby street
and a pair of airplanes zoomed over
head. But despite these distractions,
the intense earnestness of the man,
his absolutely lack of self conscious
ness and the vigor with which he
spoke held the attention of the audi
ence for more than half hour. He
is man of commanding appearance,
is heavily built and has clear voice
that carried to the utmost corners of
the tent. He attempted no flights of
eloquence, and spoke, as he claimed
to be as salesman, his line being
Service
Department Big Affair.
After speaking of the difficulties he
had in leaving Washington, he said:
81 want you to think of the depart
ment as great factory. We employ
a force of 1000 persons in Washing
ton and have 21 600 employees in the
United States. And we produce a
commodity as tangible as a plow. AS
the superintendent of that factory of
yours ask that you use it's product.
Eighty billions of dollars are invest
ed in agriculture in this country; the
revenue from this industry last
year was s25, 600, 100000, an amount
about equal to the present national
debt. So the department Of agri-
culture is no small affair.
'To repopulate the farms and to
check the drift to the cities, life on
the farm must be made as attractive
as life in the city, and the. farmer
must be compensated on an equal
basis with the man in the town. Mr..
Meredith then gave many statistics
showing the increase in the number
of men on farms and the amount of
farm produce raised per man in 1880
as compared with today. He said
that more land was in cultivation, a
greater production was being realized
from each acre, and that the produc-
ton per man had also increased, all
Of which goes to snow, ne SAID, lhat
the farmer is doing his part in feed
ing the country. In 1919 the value
of the crops raised in the South
alone was equal to the value of the
entire crops raised in this country IN
1909. he said.
Mr.. Meredith gave many instances
in which the department of agrlcul-
ture mas saved large sums Of money
to the farmers of the country. He
told of the development Of long
staple cotton, of Durham wheat which
increases the yield 50,000,0O0 bushels
per year, the development of which
cost the country only 100000, OF
uses being made of Gull lemons, of
California rice, of date cultivation IN
America, of the fight against wheat
rust in the west and Of experiments
IL II