The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-02
MUST Be UNIFORM
Kansas Agricultural Secretary
Speaker at Chicago Meet.
Tells Secretaries of Other States
Value of Crop Reports.

Chicago. Dec. 2.-Adoption of uni
form method of crop reporting based
on an actual acreage census, rather
than estimates as is now the case in
many states, was urged by ]. C. Moh-
Ter, secretary of the Kansas board of
agriculture, addressing the National
Association of State Commissioners
and Secretaries of Agriculture here to-
day. Kansas has a nationwide repu-
tation for its crop reports, according
TO agricultural experts.
Crop reporting Is the balance wheel
OF business" said Secretary Mohler.
This accounts for the perennial
anxiety shown from year to year as
to. conditions and prospects. The i'm
portance of and universal interest in.
the agricultural outlook is well indi-
Gated by the generous space regularly
devoted to crop news in the. press
everywhere.
Must Be Accurate.
"Chief among the principles UNDER
lying crop reporting are accuracy.
thoroness, timelineSs and QuicknesS of
dissemination. A fundamental require
ment is a correst basis, and that basis
is acreage. If the acreage in crops is
not accurately determined, the whole
on false foundation. While our gov
Iernment's crop reporting service rates
deservedly high in public esteem, it is
weak at a vital point and that point is
found in its acreage figures. The gov
ernment's reports on acreages are esti-
doubts and uncertainty. Once in ten
years, to be sure, the United States
census affords a belated check.
From the official records of the
United States department of agricul-
ture itself many examples may be cited
as to the INDEPENDENTLY of acreage
estimates. In Kansas, where an an
nual acreage census has been taken
for nearly fifty years, thru house to
house canvass by assessors, the acre
age estimates of the government are
found. to be at wide variance with the
state returns for many crops in many
years -
Acreage Census Vital.
Preference is made to these discrep-
Iancies as revealed by the federal and
state censuses simply to emphasize
that the vital thing in crop reporting
is an annual acreage census. 1t is the
one thing the government needs to
make it's crop reporting well nigh LETT
ter perfect. An annual acreage census
is something the government does not
take. but a number of the states do
and others are preparing for it. The
results of these state censuSeS should
be made available to the government
as QUICKLY as possible e<#cn year uuOcI
an equitable cooperative plan. This
would mean greater accuracy and in
creased efficiency, but If properly ex-
tended one state report would take
the place of two as at present in some
states, thus avoiding conflict, confu-
sion and duplication, as well as saving
a considerable expense. The public de-
mands the best service that can be
rendered, and present methods may
be greatly improved by operating un-
der fair and equitable plan of CO.
operation between the states and the
government" ~
Secretary Mohler said number OF
states which take an annual acreage
census have recently entered into a
Ico-operative agreement with the
United States bureau of crop estimates,
but he declared it was quite apparent
that the agreement would need to be
somewhat modified ito conserve GER
tain state rights which the government
| is showing a decided tendency to
lusurp."
The secretary recommended that the
association urge all states to enact
flaws providing for annual acreage and
| livestock censuses and that q policy
be adopted calculated to place the crop
reporting work of the states on a uni
form basis. =