St. Johnsbury Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-1920, 1920-05-05

all commodities. especially tain pric-
6. will be lower this year than last.
This may or may not prove TO be true
hut the farmers know that the slump
III livestock prices since last July has
cost them several hundred million dol
lars. They are now faced with the
problem Of deciding whether to pay
high prices for I'LL the things they
have to buy-falm labor. equipment
seed. fertilizers, clot hing and sup
plic>-an | the investment of Il large
part OF the cost of production in the
early spring months. with the pros
pcct that after harvest, when they
come to market their crops, they viii
be compelled to accept lower prices
for everything they have to sell: or.
whether they shall cut down the mi
tlal expense Of production by invest
ing less capital in equipment, supplies
and hired labor by reducing acreage
and numbers OF live stock The latter
course means smaller production. As
business men what would YOU do in
, the same circumstances" Ii is Il mat
ter that concerns evc!N business man
and every consumer. The food stu',-
ton during the next II months will
depend upon what answer the farm
cr> give to this difficult problem.
at is universally agreed that the
prosperity of the business interests
and the welfare of the entire popula-
ton is dependent upon or greatly in
lluenced by the relative prosperity Of
agriculture" 1t is not equally obvious
that agriculture rs an industry ean
not prosper and that farm produc-
ton can not be maintained or incrca,-
cd to keep pace with the grown::
population unless the business OF
| farming, individually and collective.
~, is profitable one year with another
1.-THE proiitablcness of the farm
business depends upon three things
ample production, minimum cost of
production land adequate prices. AIDE.
quate production at minimum cost IL
wolves more efficient methods @nd
economical operations. Factors in
this are better utilization of the soil,
more intelligent use of fertilizers, the
use of better seed, the growing of
more productive strains and varieties,
better methods of preventing soil
i erosion, more effective methods of
combating insect pests, plant and ami
NAL diseases, the production of more
and better grades of live stock, better
utilization of forage and roughagc
and waste materials on the farms,
better maintenance of soil fertility by
, conserving soil moisture and manure
and greater use Of lcgumes in rota-
tions and as companion OF intcr-till4d
crops; the greater use of machinery
and practical mechanical power on
farms.
"Thc problem Of securing for the
farmer prices which will enable him
to maintain production is more dit
ticult one. Attention must be given
to better and more economical meth
dds of grading, storing, marketing
and distributing farm products. The
Department Of Agriculture is organic
eel to develop each of these essential
factors for making the business of
farming more profitable by making
production and marketing more eff
cient and economical.
81 know it is Il perfectly natural
thing for all Of us, when a party 9TH
or than the one to which we belong
is in control, to take the ammunition
furnished by the complancrs, put it
in our campaign guns and fire it at
our own governmental institutions.
But it is a temptation that, as good
Americans, we ought to resist. We
are all interested, | know, in having
the Department of Agriculture, for
example, give the most efficient scr
vice to as great Il number Of the pco-
pie of this country as possible, re-
CARELESS of what political party may
be in power in national affairs.
am simply trying to point out to you
that, by unwarIantcd and destructive
criticism, we may contribute to I'M
pairing its efficiency, or the efficiency
of any other department, in the hand,
of either party. Sometimes we forget
for the moment that parties are dc.
signed to help the Government, and
act as though we were perfectly jus
tilted in tearing down the Government
Or any particular dcpartment-if in
doing so we help our own party or
shake the faith of the people in the
opposition party.
"I want to tell you in all serious
ness that there is no politics in tho
Department Of Agriculture. The
only persons in the department at
present who are not in the civil scr
vice are myself and the chief of the
Weather Bureau. The two assistant
secretaryships arc not under civil
service, but both of them at this time
are vacant. 1t is my desire to see one
of those places filled by Democrat
and the other by Republican, so
that, no matter which way the forth
coming election, goes, there will be at
least ono administrative official in the
department who has had contact with
the work Of all the different branches.
every member of the department
heartily welcomes constructive criti
cism of his work. But we realize that,
with the exception of myself, th:
II