30 ANNUAL KEPOKTS OF DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The solution of these difficulties involves a better system of ware- 

 houses, with receipts which will be acceptable as collateral ; the estab- 

 lishment of standards and grades of grain and cotton and other 

 staple crops; the trading in the market upon standard types or 

 grades, ascertaine'd and fixed by the Government, with such supervi- 

 sion and control over the operation of exchanges as may be essential 

 to secure justice for the producer, the consumer, and the intermediary. 



For the accomplishment of these ends it seems desirable that 

 the cotton-futures act, which has been in operation about a year, 

 should be supplemented by a Federal permissive warehouse act, a 

 cotton-standards act, a grain-grades act, and a land-mortgage bank- 

 ing act which shall inject business methods into the handling of farm 

 finance and place upon the market in a responsible way reliable farm 

 securities. 



The Office of Markets and Rural Organization has definitely 

 planned to keep in close touch with individuals and associations 

 dealing with particular marketing problems over specific sections of 

 the Union. Conferences with groups of producers interested in the 

 same problems have been held and others will follow as occasion 

 warrants, and it is believed that the establishment of advisory rela- 

 tions will have important results. 



For a detailed account of the investigations and of the results of 

 the activities of the Office of Markets and Rural Organization ref- 

 erence is made to its annual report. I shall touch upon only a few 

 phases of the work. 



MARKET NEWS SERVICE. 



Shippers and distributors of perishable products long have felt the 

 need of accurate information concerning the quantities arriving in the 

 large markets. Reliable records of shipments have been wholly lack- 

 ing; and it has been practically impossible to obtain accurate and 

 comprehensive reports of current wholesale and jobbing prices. 



The feasibility of securing and disseminating information of this 

 character through a public market news service was tested during 

 the year. The results point to the conclusion that a larger and better 

 supported service should be given a trial. Several methods of secur- 

 ing market reports were tried out and their limits of usefulness 

 established. Special telegraphic connections were secured, and rep- 

 resentatives of the department in important shipping areas and in 

 the larger markets kept both producers and dealers supplied by 



