The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-20
CONGRESS CUTS
MERED|TH'S PLANS
Have Shaved S2,SOO,00O
From Department of Ag-
riculture Estimates
WILL HANDICAP
DEPARTMENTS WORK
New Secretary Learns the Uselessness of
Business Methods in Congress-Some
of the Work That Will Be Curtailed
This Season.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright by The Reformer.)

WASH1NGION, March 20. - Ed
ward T. Meredith, editor, advertising
man, promoter of large enterprises-in
a word successful business man-has
just had the enthusiasm with which he
took hold of the department of agri-
culture bankcted with the cold hand
of congress.
Nj. Meredith, who halls from Des-
Mcines, Iowa, and that part of the
United States where candor is re-
igion, thought that all he had to do
in dealing with congress was to tell
the members of the senate and house
exactly what sums of money were ac-
tually needed to carry on the extensive
work CT the department of agriculture
and that the interests of the farmer
would be sufficient TO stimulate mem
bera Of congress irrespective of poll
ties
But the house slaShed the estimates
Of the derar,men e agriculture, and
while the senate committee undid some
of the damage by raising the appro-
priatiCns somewhat, the secretary feels
that the net reduction is severe blow
to the agricultural interests of the
country. He IS now on the Job, in
tensely interested in managing the de-
partmeEt of agriculture On a business
like basis and is therefore disappoint-
ed. Here are some of the things which
he regretfully admits must now be dis,
mi ha 70
reefs the work of its agricultural com
mittee:
There must be big cut in the mar
ket service, one of the activities most
appreciated by growers and shippers
Dairy investigations consisting OF
valuable aid being given the dairy in
terests of the country in working out
better methods of preparing and utiliz
ing dairy products and the development
of American manufacture of ROGUE
| fort and Swiss cheese must be eur
| tailed
Appropriations for the investigation
of cereals have been reduced They re
late to the development of improved
varieties of cereals through breedin.
and selection, the working out of prac
/ teal methods for the control of i'm
portant cereal diseases.
Experiments now conducted indie
| pendently or operatively at eigh
field stations will have to be discon
| tinued and the work at others includ
ing those devoted wholly to rice inves
legations at Crowley, La, and Rigga
Calf, considerably decreased
Appropriations for the bureau o
| Mo hoT
duced exclusive of the item for con
gressional seed distribution which ha
/ been eliminated from the bill upon rec
ommendation of the department of az
riculture.
The fund for soil surveys has bee
stricken from the bill.
Funds for the bureau of entomolog
for combating insect pests which hav
caused enormous losses every yea
have been curtailed.
The efforts of the market bureau t
aid in bringing about a more system
attic and orderly distribution of far
products will be materially interfere
with because the appropriation ha
been cut by more than $230,000.
The item for color investigation ha
been cut SO that will handicap the d,
partment of agriculture in the deve
opment of the dye industry in tn
country which it had been hoped woul
make America Independent of Ge
many.
Important crop reports on apple
peaches, potatoes, and truck farmin
will have to be discontinued.
Insufficient funds have been proviC
| I'd 70 Emh ha Il
eases which kill cattle. If an epidem
breaks out while congress is not
session, the funds carried in the bi
would not be enough to cope with tt
situation.
Secretary Meredith insists that a
those things relate pretty closely
production and the cost of living. f
went through the estimates of his d
partment~with fine tooth comb al
cut them down himself by more tha
five million dollars. Although the SCI
late increased the amount of the hou
bill, there is still net deficit of Sc
100000 below what the department ca
culates are rock bottom needs.
these days of billion dollar expend
lures that looks like a trifing sum f
Mr.. Meredith to be worrying abou
but few thousand dollars cut fro
an item here and few thousand fro
- an item there can wreck the work
, an entire bureau and the best exper
in the department who have been the
for years are discouraged and are lea
ing to take up other jobs outside t
government.
Secretary Meredith went on reco
as opposing the appropriation of $25(
900, for the distribution of free see
but the house wouldn't heed his su
gestion The senate committee did al
took it from the bill. If the item go
back in conference, the country, in t
judgment of Mr.. Meredith, will ha
a splendid opportunity to determil
the good faith of a congress that
the one hand chops a quarter of m
o lion dollars from the most vital iteI