The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, October 01, 1916, Page 11, Image 11
. . . . ' The Commoner OCTOBER, 1916 ii favor are essputial to. the preservation o( a gov-, ornment of laws as distinguished, from a goy ornment of men. THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE The democratic party has generously shown its appreciation of the importance of agriculture. The year before it assumed charge qf the gov ernment the aggregate of all the appropriations for the activities of the federal government in relation "to agriculture was $24,077,000. The amount appropriated for the fiscal year 1917 for similar purposes is approximately $30129, 000, an increase of over 50 per cent; and two of the laws enacted during the last three years, the Co-operative Agricultural Extension act and the Federal Aid Road act, invoLve largo annual increases, the, former of $500,000 a year until 1922-23, and the latter of $5,000,000 annually for four years, each necessitating contributions of equal amounts from the states working in co-operation with the federal government. Particular pains have been taken to foster production through every promising approach. Greatly increased provision has been made for improving cultural methods, for increasing va rieties of staple crops and Introducing new ones, for encouraging standardization, for in troducing drought and insect-resisting plants, and especially for eradicating and controlling plant and animal diseases. Careful thought has been given to the matter of increasing the meat supply of the nation. But it was obvious that no less important than the securing of additional information for farm ers was the problem of conveying it to them and of inducing them to apply it, and that it was little short of criminal to spend millions of dol lars to acquire valuable information and not to use every possible efficient agency available for placing it at the disposal of the rural popu ation as promptly as possible. Therefore, im mediately the department of agriculture at tacked this problem. The printed matter of the. department was thoroughly revised and made more practical and Useful and the office of in formation' was organized. AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION ACT Furthermore, it was recognized that the printed page is not the most efficient education al medium but that personal contact is requis ite; that the demonstration method is the most effective way of reaching the farmer. This Idea was embodied in the co-operative agricultural extension act, approved May 8, 1914. This piece of legislation is one of the most significant and far reaching measures for the education of adults ever adopted by any government. Its aim is to take the results, of the latest research and best practice in agriculture and home econ omics directly to the farmer and his family. One of its purposes was to prevent friction, jealousy, duplication of work, and waste; and two years of admin .ration of 'the act justifies the asser tion that it is accomplishing its purposes. When the act is in full operation, there will be ex pended for the education of the rural population in agriculture and home economics from eleven to fourteen millions of dollars annually. This sum will be sufficient to place in each of the 2, 850 x rural counties of the Union "v'o farm demonstrators and specialists who will assist the demonstrators in the more difficult problems confronting them. While the problems of production continue to be vital and important, it was clear that fur ther production In many directions waited on better distribution and that in this field were involved fundamental problems of justice and injustice which demanded solution. No system atic attention, had been given by any agency or individuals to the pressing 'problems in the field of the economics of agriculture. In the first place, provision was made promptly for the creation of an office of markets and rural or ganization. Beginning 'with a modest sum, the appropriations fo? this office, including those for enforcing new laws designed to promote better marketing, have increased to $1,200,000. Quickly an effective organization was developed and has been engaged in making market sur veys, studying methods and costs, transportation and storage problems, city marketing and dis tribution, the establishment and promulgation of market grades and standards, and co-operation in production, marketing, and finance. Since the problems of those engaged in producing and marketing perishables were especially ur gent, plana were formulated to assist these pro ducers through- a market iiowb service. The democratic congress has mado available for this undertaking the sum of $137,000. Effective assistance has been given to groups of producers in many areas. A similar service for live stock Will bo inaugurated during the year, an appro priation of $65,000 having been mado available for the purpose. FEDERAL FARM LOAN ACT It was recognized that even though the indi vidual farmers wero thoroughly ofllclent and community co-operation were established, the problems of production and marketing could not be solved adequately and justly becauso of con ditions over which neither the individual nor the community had the requisite control. It wub obvious to them that these conditions could be established only by legislation. The neces sary measures have been devised to meet these conditions. The Federal Reserve act authorized national banks to lend money on farm mort gages and recognized the peculiar needs of tho farmer by giving his papor a period of maturity of six months. But this action did not place him in a position of equality with tho merchant, manufacturer, or other citizen in urban com munities and in the field of industry. It was essential that banking machinery bo devised which would reach intimately into the rural dis tricts, that it should operate on terms suited to ''the farmer's needs, and should bo under sym pathetic management. Tho need was for ma chinery which should introduce business meth ods into farm finance, bring order out of chaos, reduce the cost of handling farm loans, place upon the market mortgages which would be a safe investment for private funds, attract into agricultural operations a fair share of tho cap ital of the nation, and lead to a reduction of in terest. These needs and these ideals have been met by the enactment of the Federal Farm Loan act, approved July 17, 1916. At tho same time the problem of establishing standards on which producprs of farm products might trade, or supervising tho trading in staple crops and the operations on futures exchanges, and of developing a better system of warehouses was attacked. ' The farmers have been in a po sition singularly different from the producers of other products. Among tho difficulties con fronting them in the distribution of their prod ucts have been the lack ofgenerally known or accepted standards for staple crops on which to trade, the absence of a system for ascertain ing commercial differences actually prevailing in the markets, the inadequacy of storage facili ties, and the difficulty of securing storage cer tificates easily available as collateral for loans. These difficulties will be overcome in large measure through the operation of the Federal Farm Loan act, the Cotton Futures act, the United States Grain Standards act, and the United States Warehouse act. Under the Cot ton Futures act, standards for cotton have been established, the operations of the futures ex changes have been supervised, and .the sale of cotton has been put upon a firmer basis. The United States Grain Standards act aims to bring about uniformity in the grading of grain, and to enable the farmer to obtain fairer prices for his product and afford him financial Incentive to raise better grades of grain. The United States Warehouse act will enable the depart ment of agriculture to license bonded ware houses in the various states It will make pos sible the issuance of reliable warehouse receipts ''which will be widely and easily negotiable and will promote the standardizing of storages and of marketing processes. FEDERAL AID ROAD ACT Of no less importance for agriculture and for the national development is the Federal Aid Road Act, approved July 11, 1916. This meas ure will conduce tb the establishment of more effective highway machinery in each state, strongly influence the development of good road building along right lines, stimulate larger pro duction and better marketing, promote a fuller and more attractive rural life, add greatly to the convenience and economic welfare of all the people and strengthen the national foundations. This bill meets the requisites of sound legis lation and practice. It provides for co-operation between the federal rind state gbvernment and gives the people the advantage of the best thought of the experts of both jurisdictions. It contemplates the expendJiuxe within five years from fcdoral and states sources of $16O,OOO,p0O in the country at largo and dfr $10,000,000 addi tional out of tho fcdoral treasury In tho national forest3. It will develop tho requisite machinery for safeguarding tho oxpondlturo of every dol lar already provided by tho pooplo of tho nation. It is estimated that at present the equivalent ofe $225,000,000 is boing oxpended for roads and It Is also stated that perhaps fifty per cent of this is uneconomlcally oxpended. It may bo confi dently predicted that, as a result of tho act, vast improvements will bo mado in tho expenditure of funds for roads and that tho nation will have moro ample guaranty that it will get Us full value in this direction. THE NAVV UNDER THE WJLSOX AUMINI& TUATION For genuine results tho navy under Wilson's administration has moro than measured up to expectations, oven tho abnormal expectation that prevail as a result of unsettled political conditions tho world ovor. Theao accomplish ments have been real. They are the result of persistent and laborious effort with but one aim in view an efficient navy, adequate for tho de fence of our coasts against any possible onomy. Worthy of first montion is tho policy of a continuing building program, the first in the his tory of the American navy, adopted by the Slxtyw fourth congress, which provides 157 new war ships within three years, ships of a class that will give tho navy a poise and balance that it has heretofore lacked due to the customary hap hazard plan of yearly construction programs. This policy complies for tho first timo with the recommendations of tho general board made in 1903 for a comprehensive and continuing bulld ing'program, and will under existing conditions give us a navy second only to that of England. Of these 157 ships ton aro to bo dreadnaughts and six battle cruisers. This administration hag a record of thirteen capital ships authorized in the first three years of its existence. Tho on listed personnel has been increased by authority of congress from 51,500 to 79,000 in peaco and to 87,000 in emergency. Tho navy wfls left short of officers and men by procoding admin istrations. The -Sixty-third congress extended tho lapsed law providing for two midshipmen to bo appointed by each member of congress, by means of which 300 midshipmen were enabled to enter the naval academy during tho past two years. The Sixty-fourth congress increased tho number of midshipmen to he appointed by each congressman and senator from two to three, making 531 additional appointments immedi ately available, or a total of more than 800 ad ditional midshipmen provided for in tho first three years of the present administration. Sufficient officers and monare now assured to man all the ships built or, provided for in tho continuing program. PROMOTIONS FOR ENLISTED MEN A new spirit has been instilled Into the en listed personnel by opening doors for their pro motion. A law has been enacted providing for the appointment by the secretary of the navy of 25 enlisted men annually to Annapolis, upon their passing the required examinations. Al ready 28 have been appointed under this au thority, and the indications are that more will pass the required examinations than it will bo possible to appoint. Thirteen enlisted men have been promoted to ensigns during Wilson's three years as against only three In Taft's four years, after having passed the required examinations. Fifteen have been appointed assistant pay masters and 64 to the position of pay clerk, which grade numbering ov6r 200 will from now on be filled exclusively by appointments from the ranks of enlisted men. These promotions of enlisted men are due largely to the increased, facilities for study provided by the present ad ministration both on shore and aboard ships. In addition enlisted men are eligible to appoint ment in the aviation corps. The attractiveness of the naval service has been so enhanced In the past three years that instead of a deficit in the number of enlisted personnel that existed in the former administration, there has at times been a waiting list of eliglbles for enlistment. There is more inducement now for young men to en ter the navy. Of men honorably discharged 85 per cent are now re-enlisting as compared witk 52 per cent under Taft's administration, and de sertions have fallen off from 21G to less "tha 90 per montti. The corps of chaplains had not t,MiJ '