408 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



We put on two men over four years ago so that we might know 

 from experience whether there was any advantage either by reason 

 of saving in expense or efficiency in handling the work. If we only 

 had the enforcement of a few laws the plan would be quite accept- 

 able and in certain territories it works fairly well, even with the 

 enforcement of the twelve diiferent laws. In other sections of the 

 state, we find it practically impossible to handle the work in this 

 way. We have found that the work of an inspector, if properly 

 looked after, is a "real man's job," and that this is especially true 

 since the sanitary and weight and measure laws have been added. 

 There is no saving in expense under this plan, and as we all know 

 that this is an age of specialists in all lines, we do not know why 

 it should not apply in a measure to work in this Department. If 

 houses like Marshall Field & Company and Hibbard, Spencer, Bart- 

 lett & Company, find it necessary to employ from two to five men 

 who visit Des Moines and other large cities in the state, representing 

 the different lines of merchandise they have put on the market, 

 they do it because these men are specialists in the various lines. In 

 the memory of many middle aged people, the doctor acted as sur- 

 geon, dentist, eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist, veterinarian, etc. 

 Today, specialists in these lines do this work and the man who 

 claims to make good in all these various lines is generally sized 

 up as a fraud. 



NEW OFFICE BUILDING MUCH NEEDED. 



Since the enforcement of the Weight and Measure Law has been 

 placed in this department and about $2,000.00 worth of equipment 

 has been added for this purpose, there is more reason than ever 

 for a move on the part of the incoming legislature to provide better 

 quarters for this and several other departments. The law reads 

 as follows: 



"The State Sealer shall take charge of the standards 

 of the state, causing them to be kept at the Capitol in a 

 fire proof building, belonging to the state." 



Besides this, we have about $8,000.00 worth of laboratory and 

 other equipment, making in all $10,000.00 worth of property be- 

 longing to the State. The records of the department since it was 



