466 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



retained for our use. The fines are not handled by the department at all 

 but are paid directly into the state school fund by the courts which 

 assess them, while the license fees are turned over to the state treasurer. 

 The salaries and expense monies of the department are approved by the 

 legislature and can not be changed no matter how actively other funds are 

 collected. 



Another misunderstanding which should be corrected is the impression 

 held by a few that there is unnecessary duplication of work done by the 

 department inspectors. Criticism is sometimes made that the same terri- 

 tory is covered by two or three inspectors when one would suffice. State- 

 ments of this kind are made without a true knowledge of the facts. While 

 it is true that as many as two inspectors made the same territory, their 

 work is entirely different. The inspectors of this department are special- 

 ists and each man is by training fitted to do a certain kind of work. I 

 believe that men of this type will get far better results than men who are 

 veritable "jacks of all trades." Since, as is brought out in another part 

 of this report, the functions of this department are educational, as well 

 as law enforcing, it will readily be seen that a man to be of any assistance 

 to Iowa's industries must be fully informed in his own field. In other 

 words, I believe that a trained dairy specialist, for example, can be of 

 greater assistance to a creamery than an inspector whose knowledge is so 

 general in its nature that lack of time prevents him from knowing any 

 one subject well. This executive plan merely follows that in best com- 

 mercial practice. Iowa cities frequently see as many as four or five sales- 

 men from one company calling upon the same trade. Surely this must be 

 done vfith a purpose, for no one is foolish enough to believe that any com- 

 mercial house can afford to practice such methods merely for the purpose 

 of creating positions for their friends. It is obvious, of course, that these 

 men are specialists in a particular line and that these companies have 

 foiind it more economical to operate under a system of this kind than to 

 send out one salesman with superfiuous knowledge of all departments and 

 a specific understanding of none. It will readily be seen that this same 

 logic applies to a state department of this kind. 



Attention might well be called, at this time, to the work of the various 

 state organizations. The past year has seen a rapid growth in both 

 membership and infiuence of these bodies and a recognition of their 

 possibilities become general. Among them might be mentioned the State 

 Dairy Council and the Iowa Retail Merchants' Association. These two 

 organizations, in particular, have enjoyed a very rapid growth and are 

 doing much to better conditions in their respective fields. There is room 

 for a great amount of educational work on the part of both of these organ- 

 izations and I believe that their influence for good will be tremendous. 



A third movement, which while affecting this department less directly, 

 is nevertheless one in which we take the keenest interest. It is the forma- 

 tion of the Farm Bureau Federation. Problems and possibilities confront- 

 ing this great Federation are almost numberless, but with the loyal sup- 

 port, which its members are giving their officers and the able manner in 

 which these officers are conducting the affairs of the Federation, there is 

 every reason to believe that these problems will, eventually, be solved. 



