Evening star., 1925-03-29
THE JARDINE RECORD
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

If experience ever qualified a man
for job, William Marion Jardine
will fit into his new post as Secre-
tary of Agriculture as IL it had
been made for him. or he for It.
Born on an Idaho ranch some 40
years ago, DIR. Jardne has been a
ranchman. surveyor, farmer, farm
manager. and an Investigator in dry
farming: he has been a student,
graduate, instructor and professor in
agricultural schools. and for seven
years president of the Kansas State
College: and, by no means to be
disregarded, he has been humble
subordinate in the great governmental
department he now heads.
He is author of numerous papers
and bulletins on dry farming and
crop production; he was a member
and chairman of the agricultural
production committee of the Kansas
State Council of Defense; he is a
fellow of the American Association
Of the Academy of Science; he was
president of the International Dry
Farming Congress and Soil Products
Exposition and of the American
Society of Agronomy a few years
ago; he served as a member OF the
executive board of the National Re-
search Council, and of the advisory
council agricultural commission of
the American Bankers Association.
To top off that record II may be
added that DR.. Jardine is Republi-
can, a Congregationalist, Mason, a
Rotarian and a member of five Greek
letter NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Xi, Beta
Theta Pi, Alpha Zeta, Phi Kappa
Phi and Gamma Sigma Delta.
y x Z: x
Thus it appears that the new Secre-
tary has had practically every ex-
uerience pertaining to agriculture,
save serving an apprenticeship In
farm implement factory and selling
lightning rods He has lived In
Idaho, Montana, Utah, Illinois, Kansas
and the District of Columbia, he has
Travelled in most OF the other States and,
as one of his predecessors, former Sec
retary E. T. Meredith, says: He brings
to the position OF Secretary OF Agri-
culture a cross-section view of Amer
lean farming which will be of i'm
mense value to his new work. he
is a typically American product and
will appeal alike to the farmer with
a small acreage and to the men with
cattle on a thousand hills.
x 4 j: i
In directing the interests Of the
Jardine has stated that he will advo-
| cate a policy of co-operation-co-
operation not only among the farm-
| ers themselves, but between them and
! the rest of the people. He views
! the farmer as a. business man who
| needs to do what every other Dusl-
| ness man needs to do-improve his
product, increase his production,
| lower his production costs and im-
| III st ri button.
| in lettering distribution of his
| products" he says, the farmer Will
| find cooperation Of great value. Each
of the 100000 farms in the United
| States should not attempt to handle
| the marketing individually. but or
| ganiZations, under the direction OF
the farmers themselves, should be
! formed. These cannot only do eff
| cient marketing, but can give the
/ farmers sound information from time
| to time as to demand for various
| products, thus enabling the individual
! farmer to adapt his production to
] world needs.
| The need is not for higher prices
| to consumers Consumers will not
pay much more than they are paying
| now for farm products. What is
needed is to reduce the spread be-
| tween what the farmer gets and what
! the consumer pays.
1T is to the interest of the farmer
that the wheels of industry be kept
| turning and that men be employed
| at good wages. Otherwise the farm
er cannot sell what he produces. Con.
| versely, If agriculture Is depressed
| the market for manufactured products
| is bad. Farmers. are good buyers
| when they can afford to buy
| u x "
| DR.. Jardine's wide experience in
| and knowledge of agricultural mat
ters are supplemented or rounded out
by an engaging personality that will
help him over the bumps in Wash
ington-or enable him to avoid them
He is cordial, approachable and has
an ever-ready and infectious smile
He is a good mixer and a good hand
shaker, and makes an excellent
| speech.
In fact, this new figure from the
| West in; Washington officialdom pos
sesses many OF the qualities and abil-
titles that go to the making of a first
rate politician, and already there i,
interesting speculation here as to hi:
tu1uis, His section of the country