540 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



limit tliQ supervision, aUhough it had had an obviously good effect on 

 the industry. 



At the beginning of the fiscal year the curtailed appropriations 

 made it necessary to close eleven field offices and later in the year 

 work was discontinued at four other places. During most of the 

 year, however, supervisors were maintained at Boston, Philadelphia, 

 New York, Chicago, Omaha, Kansas City, National Stock Yards 

 (Illinois), and St. Paul. 



Three hundred and thirty-two licenses were issued to traders, order 

 buyers, commission men, and others during the year, and five licenses 

 were canceled for various reasons. 



In the report for the last fiscal year mention was made of the dis- 

 covery and proof that certain firms had been guilty of overcharging 

 shippers for feed. In order to safeguard the public interest several 

 licensees were notified that it appeared that they had been guilty of 

 this practice and were given an opportunity to refund the over- 

 charges. Six of the licensees so notified, however, sought and ob- 

 tained from the district court at Chicago an order restraining the 

 Secretary of Agriculture and his subordinates from revoking their 

 licenses. These cases are still pending, and further action on all 

 other cases involving overcharges for feed has necessarily been 

 deferred awaiting their final decision. 



From time to time adjustments have been made at various markets 

 through which objectionable practices and irregularities have been 

 eliminated. One such adjustment resulted in the settlement of a dis- 

 pute between a stock yard company and live stock traders which had 

 resulted in serious congestion in the yards and in consequent loss to 

 shippers. In another case, where all dead stock arriving with ship- 

 ments automatically became the property of the city in which the 

 yard was located, an arrangement was effected whereby it was agreed 

 that the shipper of such stock should receive for it prevailing dead- 

 stock prices. These two instances are mentioned for purposes of 

 illustration only. The great benefit resulting from this work is ob- 

 vious, but much of it can never be measured, because the mere exist- 

 ence of the supervisory machinery prevented innumerable irregulari- 

 ties and inefficient and dishonest practices. 



DIVISION OF DAIRY AND POULTRY PRODUCTS. 



The work of the Division of Dairy and Poultry Products included 

 the following activities and was directed by ISIr. R. C. Potts : 

 Investigations concerning the marketing of dairy products. 

 Market news service on dairy and poultry products. 

 Butter inspection service. 



MARKETING DAIRY PRODUCTS. 



During the fiscal year the attention of the workers on the market- 

 ing of dairy products was directed principally to developing and 

 perfecting the monthly fluid milk market report, to compiling 

 statistics regarding the dairy industry, and to investigating the prob- 

 lems involved in the business management of milk distributing 

 plants. Through questionnaires and personal visits, definite and 

 complete information regarding market conditions and the basis of 



