The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-02-21
Our Government
How It Operates
FACTS FOR FARMERS
By William Rruckars

hS called W0eful waste of money
In printed pamphlets and documents
for the information of agriculture
The senator, suddenly seized by a
desire for economy, selected a pam.
phlet which he described as "The
Love Life of Bullfrog," on which
to make his own play for publicity.
1t was true that the Department
of Agriculture had issued a pamphlet
concerning hullfrogs, although ]
failed to find in it any reference to
his love life, On the other hand
that document contained the results
of a study of that little friend of
man in order to show how greatly
he helped by his Unsuitable appetite
for certain kinds of insects, protect.
ing the health of the nation and
the. crops of the farmer.
obviously, it seems like a waste
of money until you know how far
reaching the Investigations of the
department prove to be. 1t is, how
ever, proper to point out that with,
out any of these scientific studies.
farming would not be what it has
proved to be, gigantic resource of
IL great nation. That statement is
made, Notwithstanding the recog
ognized fact that farmers, as every
nnt else, have suffered in the worst
depression of modern history. 1t
is my deliberate conclusion that
farmers would have been worse off
sept for the help of their gov
eminent In this connection.
There are not thousands, but mil
lions of these pamphlets, docu-
ments, books, leaflets and printed
material for newspaper publication
sent out each year by the depart
ment. If its work is to be Of aid
to those for whom it is intended,
thes must be made acquainted with
it. So it does seem that govern
ment expenditures of this kind are
Iastifiable up to a certain point !;
just as valuable, indeed, as are other
funds spent by the department in
the thousands of studies, researches.
experiments and administrative di
reetl0n of its work.
1t is readily Understandable how
agriculture gains from scientific
work that results in prevention of
cholera among hogs, hoof and mouth
disease among cattle, rust in wheat,
and others of that character. Like
! ;se, the experiment station in your
state, II you have happened to visit
it, gives you clear idea of results
10 be gained from doing things a
certain way, Dut IL is not so easy
for the person who has not traced
each operation through to its ulti-
mate conclusion to see where some
expenditures are justified.
All the while and in countless
ways, the scientists of the depart
ment are seeking to find facts, facts
of value to the farmer, and when
they have helped the farmer they
have likewise performed a service
for the man in the city, since ag.
riculture is fundamental In our eco
nomic life.
Thus We find in the Department
of Agriculture. bureaus of animal
industry, of agricultural economics
and home economics, one relating
TO plants and another relating to
control of foods and drugs In inter-
est of peoples health, to mention a
few of them. Each has its place and
purpose. Each has been created
by a congress that saw need for
the work that 1t was to do.
1t may seem strange, at first
thought, that the weather bureau
and the bureau OF public roads
should have been lodged in the De-
partment Of Agriculture. But the
functions they performed at the
time they were organized were more
intimately related to agriculture
than to any other economic effort.
The vast annual expenditures of
the federal government, In cooper
alton with the states, for construc-
ton Of public roads had their In.
ception from desire to enable farm
ers to reach markets. Right on top
OF this came the desire to en-
able farmers to receive mail through
the farflung system of rural mail
routes, and so that agency has gone
along. year after year. In develop.
ment of the greatest system OF pub
lie highways existing in any nation
on earth.
II was the same with the weather
bureau. Farmers, with perishable
crops. needed information as far in
advance as possible. and the gov.
eminent tried to arrange Il for them.
OF course, in later years, the
weather man" has come to be a
Sital factor in the life OF the air
pilot and in commercial and indus
trial efforts as well, but IL remains
in the Department OF Agriculture
for the good and sufficient reason
that il can be administered better
there than in any other branch Of
the government aud the purpose OF
its Inception remains as its funda.
mental basis Of operation.
G. 1852 Western Newspaper Uslsn-