Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1922-04-07
Where Your
Taxes Go
How Uncle Sam Spends
Your Money in Conduct.
ins Your Business
., EDWARD O. LOWRY
.v..,,rs,,, Cioss-Ups, /" "Baahs sa1
sn.,J s,stsuss," ses CentIpatcr Political
En'eSs ~ Slsaonis Articles 70 Lssdfns Periodicals
sae T,,tsr Of nsscanised Autho.ity - ~
Ss..s.si oor.rnmsnt's Busfssss hsthsds.
HIST KEPT GROWING
a, EDWARD O. LOWRY
.s..ssst. M,,..ra Nsvspep.. Uaie.

rns origins Of these antiquated, cum
,.,ooms costly. ineflicient pieces Of the
ss,,on,l machinery that we call the
.-.cu,Iye departments show how any
.-,ohIshment II well wstered with
..vornment money will expand and
So,d together, no matter how conflict
n. and incongruous Its functions.
rsrdly one Of these great business es-
..hl,hments-for that is what they
s,s--was planned. AS they are today
Hey fist happened.
Tsss the Department Of Agriculture,
~ example, one Of the greatest and
..os, complex and widespreading Of all
~ departments. It Is in closer touch
s.d more directly affects the greatest
sumber Of people in the United States
,h.n any other branch Of the govern
mi with the possible exception OF
~ most Office. 1t began in 1880 with
an appropriation Of $1,000. taken from
A. patent funds for the distribu-
~ Of free seeds and the collection
4 AGRICULTURAL statistics by the patent
sn,ce. then q bureau In the State de-
psrtment. Now look at the darned
ming. It is all over the place.
The title of the department indicates
ID most important field Of activities. but
\, functions have been extended to In
Aude the whole range Of rural Indus
IN and some branches Of administra-
uon only very indirectly related to
agricultural interests. For about 60
yesrs subsequent to the Revolution the
general interests Of agriculture were
hft almost entirely to individual initia-
1--WE, Federal activity was confined to
relatively narrow limits and was mere
b sporadic. Soon after the national
eovenment was organized some at
tenpts we're made to establish board
Of agriculture but neither the first
proposal in 1798 nor second effort In
1877 was successful.
Shortly after the Revolution, follow
hg the example Of Benjamin Frank
In while In England, as agent Of the
colony Of Pennsylvania during the
years 1894 to IT'S, American consuls
and naval officers began the practice
q sending home foreign seeds and cut
tngs for new crops, and Of aiding In
he Introduction into the United States
4 new breeds of domestic animals.
Even such small governmental partici-
patton was, In the beginning, rather
extra. official.
In 1886 the commissioner of pat
entS, one II. l.. Ellsworth, began the
dlstrihution " considerable quantities
Of seeds and plants received from gov
ernmeni representatives in foreign
countries, and three years later
through his influence I'm appropriation
Of $1,000 was made for the purpose Of
procuring and distributing seeds Of
new plants, carrying agricultural in
vestications and collecting agricultural
statistics. This WAS the historic be-
ginning Of the much-talked-about free
seed distribution.
BY al act of congress in May, 1852,
unce generally called the organic act,
the activities of the government affect
Ing agriculture were placed under q
separate and distinct organization
known ms the Department of Agricul-
sure, In charge of commissioner of
agriculture. 1t did not rank, how
ever. with the other executive depart
mehlN, nnd the commissioner was not