TEE DISEASE AND TEE REMEDY 453 



the people of that section would be much more interested in securing 

 instruction for its extermination than the New Englander. Manu- 

 facturing interests in the state of Ehode Island would demand in 

 many respects very different treatment from the coal mining sections 

 of Pennsylvania, and each of these would fluctuate in local and general 

 interest. 



In short, the Department of Public Betterment should not only 

 stand ready to answer rightly questions of public interest, but, further, 

 take an active part in their just solution and adjustment. 



In view of these considerations it would be unwise to keep a fixed 

 number of lecturers constantly employed, but secure, as the demand 

 developed, the men necessary for the work. 



It may be urged that the daily press in a measure already does the 

 work aimed at. In reply to this contention, it should only be neces- 

 sary to call attention to the growing distrust prevalent regarding the 

 reliability of newspaper science and sociology. Moreover, from the 

 earliest times, the instruction given by word of mouth has always been 

 more eagerly sought after, and has proved more fruitful in results than 

 the printed page. 



The objection may be raised that political preferment and intrigue 

 will soon permeate, and finally paralyze, the department's activities. 

 In answer to this, we need but call attention to the United States 

 Supreme Court, against which similar prophecies have been made, only 

 to be unfulfilled. No intelligent person has ever entertained a sus- 

 picion that political evil ever invaded the sanctity of that august body. 

 If, as is entirely practicable, the same great care be exercised regarding 

 the selection of the members of this board, and the preservation of its 

 political isolation, no anxiety need be felt with regard to its integrity, 

 and the efficient and impartial exercise of its functions. 



It should be the duty of the Department of Public Betterment to 

 make a careful study of the needs of the people, and supply them with 

 necessary information whereby they may secure their own betterment. 

 This is now done in a limited way for certain classes. For example, 

 the Department of Agriculture, the annual expense of maintaining 

 which is about $6,000,000, has experiment stations scattered through 

 the land which investigate the special needs of the farmers of different 

 sections, and as rapidly as information is secured it is printed and given 

 as wide distribution among agricultural and similar interests as its 

 character warrants. It is well known that this policy has not only 

 saved to the individual farmer the expense of personal experimentation, 

 but has been the means of enriching him, and has incidentally de- 

 veloped the productiveness and increased the acreage of farm lands 

 of this continent, reduced the price of foodstuffs, and put many 

 millions into the public treasury. Why should not this same thing be 



