1917J EDITORIAL. 605 



cial work from time to time. Some of these phases were discussed 

 by others in considerable detail. 



For instance, President Pearson, of Iowa, took up the cooperation 

 of the extension service with State councils of defense and other 

 public and private organizations. Vice-director M. C. Burritt, of 

 New York, and Director John T. Caine, of Utah, discussed forms 

 of organization required in the county before funds are available for 

 the employment of emergency food agents ; and Director C. A. Kcffer, 

 of Tennessee, and Miss Florence E. Ward, of the States Relations 

 Service, described the correlation of men and women agents. Under 

 the general subject of Methods of Meeting the Farm Labor Shortage, 

 Director C. W. Pugsley, of Nebraska, discussed the Organization of 

 Farm Labor Bureaus, and Director William D. Hurd, of Massachu- 

 setts, the Utilization of Nonproductive or Partially Nonproductive 

 Labor, such as the boys' working reserve and similar agencies. 



An important problem as regards extension publications was re- 

 ferred to in the report of the bibliographer, which dealt with agri- 

 cultural literature and the war. The vitally significant change in 

 the character of this literature during the year has been, as Dr. 

 True stated, the tremendous output of popular emergency material 

 of a new sort, "exhortation and precept cast into pictorial, mimeo- 

 graphed, or printed form, bulletins, posters, circular letters, and 

 what not." This material has been distinguished alike "by its 

 endless variety in form of presentation and its endless repetition 

 of subject matter." 



Much of the duplication has been of course unavoidable under 

 the circumstances, but as Dr. True maintained, " the situation no 

 longer justifies the same degree of duplication of eflfort or breath- 

 less haste of issue and distribution. It is now possible to foresee, 

 for a sufficiently extended period, the subjects which will claim at- 

 tention, and it will, therefore, be possible carefully and thoughtfully 

 to plan for the advantageous use of existing and available mate- 

 rial, as well as for the preparation of such new matter as may be 

 needed. The variety in form and subject of what has been issued 

 gives ample opportunity for matured, well-considered selection of 

 suitable forms of presentation, and will be valuable as a guide to 

 the formulation of more definite principles by which future activi- 

 ties may be guided." 



The discussion of the part which th« experiment stations should 

 play in the war program has already been referred to. Interest 

 in this topic was decidedly keen, and the strong desire of station 

 workers to bring their work into close relations with the emergency 

 conditions was much in evidence. It was recognized that the funda- 

 mental character of the stations as research institutions must be 



