The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-02-06
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union
JUST KEPT GROWING

tANNhlANt hNBAlA AAAAAhAo .aAANN INV any
establishment II well watered with
government money will expand and
hold together, no matter how conflict
ing and incongruous its functions
Hardly one Of these great business es-
tablishments--for that Is what they
are-was planned. AS they are today
they Just happened
Take the Department of Agriculture,
for example, one Of the greatest and
most complex and wldespreading Of all
the departments. 1t Is In closer touch
and more directly affects the greatest
number of people In the United States
than any other branch Of the govern
ment with the possible exception Of
the post Office. II began In 1899 with
an appropriation Of $1,000, taken from
the patent funds for the dIstrbu-
tion of free seeds and the collection
Of agricultural statistics by the patent
office, then bureau IN the State de-
partment. Now look at the darned
thing. II IS all over the place.
The title of the department indicates
its most important field Of activities but
its functions have been extended 10 In
cmde the whole range OF rural indus
try and some branches Of admlnlstra-
ton only very indirectly related to
agricultural interests. For about GO
years subsequent to the Revolution the
general interests OF agriculture were
left almost entirely to individual initla-
tive. Federal activity was confined 10
relatively narrow limits and was mere
ly sporadic. Soon after the national
government was organized some at
tempts were made to establish a board
Of agriculture; but neither the first
proposal in 1896 nor a second effort in
1917 was successful.
Shortly after the Revolution, follow
Ing the example OF Benjamin Frank
lin while in England, as agent OF the
colony Of Pennsylvania during the
years 1894 TO 1875, American consuls
and naval officers began the practice
OF sending home foreign seeds and cut
ungs for new crops and Of aiding in
the introduction into the United States
OF new breeds Of domestic animals.
Even such small governmental partici-
patton was, In the beginning, rather
extra-ofiicial.
In 1886 the commissioner Of pat
ents. one II. L. Ellsworth, began the
distribution Of considerable quantities
OF seeds and plants received from gov
eminent representatives in foreign
, countries; and three years later
through his influence an appropriation
Of $1,000 was made for the purpose Of
procuring and distributing seeds Of
new plants, carrying agricultural in
vestlgations and collecting agricultural
statistics. This was the historic be
ginning Of the Standardization free
seed distribution.
BY an act Of congress in May, 1902
since generally called the organic act,
the activities Of the government affect
Ing agriculture were placed under a
separate and distinct organization
known as the Department Of Agrlcul'
ture, IN charge Of a commissioner Of
agriculture. II did not rank, how
ever with the other executive depart
ments, and the commissioner was not
entitled to seat In the Presidents
cabinet. Isaac Newton. chief of the
agricultural section In the patent Office,
was appointed the first commissioner
of agriculture. other officers provided
by the organic act included a statIs-
ticlan. n chemist an entomologist and
superintendent Of the propagatlng
garden and experimental farm.
The chrysalls was now ready TO be
broken. In 1889 the Department Of Ag-
rlculture was elevated to the rank Of
the other executive departments and
its commissioner was made secretary
of agriculture with seat in the Presl-
dents cabinet. This was in Grover
Cleyeland's administration. In honor
of It's new rank a few more functions
were taken on,
But that's enough detail. It kept on
growing. Beginning with an appro-
priation of $1,000 and two or three
clerks, the department had, in 1910,
| employees to the number of l2,4S0, and
an appropriation OF S12095O36. Five
years later the appropriation had
grown to S19s05,sS2 and the EN-
ployees to 1923. The employees In
May, 1920, numbered 1s,09S and the
appropriation given by congress fol
the fiscal year 1927 was S3l ,475,36s
The department has increased It's
cost OF living In 50 years from a mere
/ S1,000-that Is, SS3,33 n month-to
more than S3l, 100000 a year-S2,62A
0l73s every month. That Shows as
clearly and as sharply as It can be
shown how the high cost OF govern
ment living affects your own cost OF
living.
We, you and I, paid out Of our saw.
lnes and earnings every red cent OF
that increase from 81 600 year to moro
\ than S3l 100000 It may have beer
well spent. We probably got a run
I for our money; but nobody knows, ex
ccpt IN a general way. We have a
\ right to know. It is simply fatheOded
ness on our part not to find out