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The Commoner
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VOL. 17, Ko. 5
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Mr. Bryan's Proffer
of Service
Acknowledging Mr. Bryan's proffer of service
to aid in tlio movement to increase the nation's
food supply, Secretary Houston sent the follow
ing letter, accompanied by a memorandum
briefly outlining some of the work of the
United States department of agriculture is un
dertaking in behalf of the people. The letter
and memorandum follow:
Department of Agriculture,
Washington, April 24, 1917.
Dear Mr. Dryan:
First lot me again express my great appre
ciation "of your proffer of service to this depart
ment in accomplishing the purposes tho govern
ment has in view through its activities in this
emergency.
I am onclosing a copy of my statement to the
senate, marked "A." This statement contains
tho suggestion of tho department of lines of
.activity and of legislation which seem necessary
to deal adequately with the problem of food,
production, distribution and conservation. I
would especially ask you to read carefully what
Is said about organization, handling of tho labor
situation, and distribution. In reference to
price-fixing, it should be especially noted that
all wo ask for now is that the government have
power to deal with this matter so that it may
act as the emergency may require. Farmers
should clearly understand that a minimum
price does not mean the lowest possible price,
but a price to producers which will give them a
reasonable return. The object of this is to stim
ulate pr'oduction and to remove from the. mind
of the farmer tho apprehension that he will lose
it conditions should change. Whether it will
bb necessary or not to fix such a minimum price,
of course, I can not now say. It probably would
not be necessary to fix a minimum price except
for a very few staples, such as for Instance,
wheat or potatoes. It is not suggested that a
maximum price bo fixed to producers of farm
products. The suggestion regarding a max
imum price has reference to the possibility of
"corners" and unwarranted speculation. The
authority would enable the government to pre
vent this to some extent.
You will note al3o the suggestion that the
department be given authority to get facts
about the food supply at any particular time, to
know tho amount, its location, and its owner
ship. It is essential for the nation to have this
information in this emergency and it would be
well for it to have power to got it in normal
times as well. We are increasingly giving out
Information to the farmers through the Market
News Service, and it is highly desirable that it
should be accurate. At present we have no
power to check the returns. What ive get is
, given voluntarily. This is good as far as it
goes, but it does not go far enough. It is also
important to have this information in order that
we may judge whether or not individuals are
manipulating the market. It would include
full and accurate returns from packors, ele
vators, storages, rind so forth.
You will also notice the suggestion that the
department be given power to license and su
pervise agencies handling foodstuffs. This
would be an additional aid to the department
in promoting orderly and economical distribu
tion and in preventing manipulation.
I cito these matters especially to show that
the government recognizes the bearing of just
distribution on production and to Indicate its
determination to improve distribution.
The department is emphasizing tho wisdom
and morality of economy and is calling partic
ular attention to the great part that women can
play not only in producing something (this
would apply especially to the women in rural
districts), but also, especially among the well-to-do
in conserving food through household
methods, preserving, drying, and canning fruits,
and so forth, and in the elimination 0f waste.
Boys and g'Tls also can render great service.
You know that we now have an army of 300,000
in the different clubs poultry, pig, canning,
etc. and this army could be greatly increased.
The need of organization and co-operation
among farmers in the different communities can
not be too strongly emphasized. This spirit and
course we have persistently urged for four
years. I regard co-operative action among
farmers in different areas as essential for the
solution not only of many problems of produc
tion, but also of distribution. The co-operation
should center upon a few special problems con
fronting tho farmers. They may co-operate to
produce particular types or standards of prod
ucts In their communities, to promote economy
in the purchase of supplies, In securing market
news which enables them to ship to advantage,
in the handling and packing of their products,
and in securing reasonable transportation rates
through shipments In carload or broken car
load lots. I am simply suggesting these things
by way of illustration. The individual farmer
is at a great disadvantage in these matters. The
average farm Is conducted on a very small scale.
The average farm In the United States is only
a little over seventy acres, and in some parts of
the country, especially in the south, not over
thirty-five acres. Clearly, if the nation is to
have the benefit of satisfactory and economical
production and distribution of farm products,
there must be organization along these lines.
The present emergency emphasizes the need
of promoting effective organizations for such
purposes. At this time particular consideration
should be given by such bodies to the selection
of seed, especially to the securing of seed stocks
for next year, and to making sure that the labor
remaining on the farms in any given district is
fully utilized and that any deficits in one area
may be made up by surpluses from another.
Even in a given community the load comes at
different times on different farms, and co-operation
might be useful in labor direction in very
small areas.
I am also sending you some memoranda
marked "B," which may be useful to you,,
With highest regards,
Cordially and faithfully yours,
D. F. HOUSTON, Secretary.
Mr. W. J. Bryan, . ,
Lincoln, Neb.
Exhibit "A," referred to in Secretary Hous
ton's letter, Is published in another part of The
Commoner, under the title, "Food Production
Report Submitted to Senate." President Wil
son's appeal to the people of the United States,
referred to in Exhibit "B," was printed in the
April issue. The "Program for Food Produc
tion and Conservation," as developed at the
meeting held in St. Louis, Mo., is published on
another page of this issue. Ed.
EXHIBIT "B" MEMORANDUM
The work of the department of agriculture is
now so far-reaching that it will be somewhat
difficult to condense its activities in its relations
to the people in any very compact way, It might
be said that, broadly speaking, the functions of
the department, aside from its regulatory ac
tivities, are two-fold: First, to secure or acquire,
by all practical means, information . that will be
useful and valuable to the people of the whole
country, and especially to the farmers of the
nation, and second, to apply this information in
the broadest possible way, with the' intent of
eventually reaching the last man on the land.
Under the terms of the Smith-Lever Act, com
monly known as the "Extension Act," tho de
partment has direct and close relationships
with all the states in the Union, operating
through the state agricultural colleges and ex
periment stations. Through an elaborate sys
tem of articulated effort the department is now
able to carry direct messages to the farmers
everywhere, and these messages can be aug
mented and supplemented by lecai facts "coming
directly from the local agencies, namely, the
agricultural colleges and the experiment sta
tions. In addition to the agencies inn ted in the
q states, the department has established very
close and, direct relations with the people in
many other ways.
It must be constantly borne in mind that the
department's functions extend not. only to those
who live in the open country, but ts activities
reach in many ways into tho b, of nearly
all of our people, As the constructive work of
the department has proceeded and nrr
it has more and more come to bfloSSRSJ
as the proper agency for carrying out verv r
reaching regulatory laws. Thus, out Z f"
work of the department on animal product
the prevention of diseases of animate and &
of live stock through various agencies;
gradually developed a sentiment which nS
crystallized In a very elaborate system of S
inspection which is now in operation and S
affects the entire country. There have 2
developed many other lines of work Involving
regulatory functions, such as the Cotton Future
Act, the U. S. Grain Standards Act, tho U s
Warehouse Act, and the Federal Road Act in
all these matters the department has come to
be more closely tied to the people, so that it i3
now looked upon as the chief agency in all mat
ters relating to food supply, food distribution"
s.food marketing and handling, and food con
servation. It will be Impracticable to give even a baro
outline of the activities of the department on
these matters In. this memoradum. Attention
is especially directed to certain exhibits which
will give yo some data for use In your
effort to focus the attention of the country on
the need for greater food production In this
emergency.
First there is submitted thp appeal made by
the President to the- people of the United States.
Attention is particularly called to the parts ad
dressed to farmers. At a recent meeting held
in St. Louis, Missouri, where thirty-two states
were represented by sixty-five officials, state and
federal, an elaborate program for food produc
tion and conservation was developed. A copy
of this pro grace 1 attached. Special attention
is directed to the material under the headings
of "Increasing the Food Supply"; "The Survey
of the Food Supply"? and "Increased Economies
in tho Home."
A copy of a letter to the president of the sen
ate, indicating somewhat in detail the plans of
the department for stimulating production, imV
proving distribution, and promoting conserva
tion of food supplies, also is attached.
Accompanying the above memorandum were
the following extracts .covering different topics
of importance as set forth in President Wilson's
Appeal and in statements sent out by the de
partment of agriculture:
NEED FOR MORE FOOD
"We must supply abundant food for ourselves
and for our armies and our seamen not only, but
also for a large part of the nations with whom
we have now made common cause, in whose sup
port and by whose sides we shall be fighting."
(President Wilson's Appeal .
"It is obvious that the greatest and most im
portant service that is required of our agricul
' ture, under existing circumstances, is an en
larged production of the staple food crops."
(Secretary Houston's statement, April 7.)
"The world's food reserve is very low. Not
only our own consumers but much of the world
at large must rely more completely than ever
before on the American farmer." (St. Louis
program for food production and conservation.)
"The American farmer has long shown his
ability to produce more food per man and at
lower cost per unit than any other farmer in the
world, but he has never had to do his best. He
needs to do his best now." (St. Louis program
for food producton and conservation.)
NO FEAR OF OVERPRODUCTION
"Because of the worlds shortage of food it
is scarcely possible that the production of staple
crops by the farmers of the United States can
be too great this year. There is every reason
to bel'eve that a generous price will be paid for
the harvest of their fields." (St. Louis pro
gram for food production and conservation.)
"There is no risk in the near future of exces
sive production, such as sometimes has resultea
in unremunerative prices to producers. This i
part'cularly true of the cereals and of peaa,
beans, cowpeas, soy beans and buckwheat.
(Secretary TTodston, April 7.)
INCREASED ACREAGE
"The most effective step that may be taken to
incrcape the production of these crops (stap
food crops) is to enlarge the acreage devoteu i
,thor in th-.regions where they aro grown.,niVg
itually This expansion of acreage snouia