REMARKS OF D. F. HOUSTON 



SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 

 At Conference of Editors of Agricultural Journals 



WASHINGTON, D. C, NOVEMBER 20, 1918 



I greatly appreciate your full response to my request and I would 

 be untrue to myself if I were not also at this time, on behalf of the 

 Department and the Government, to tell you how much the coopera- 

 tion of the Agricultural editors of the Union has been valued by the 

 Department and the Government and how much it has contributed 

 to the campaigns for the increased production of foods and feedstuffs 

 and, therefore, to the successful prosecution of the war. The Depart- 

 ment has long recognized that the farm papers are perhaps the most 

 effective printed mediums for reaching the millions of people living 

 in the rural districts. We arrived at this conclusion a number of 

 years ago after a very careful survey. I know of nothing that the 

 better agricultural papers of the Union have omitted to influence 

 thinking along right lines and to further the purposes of the Govern- 

 ment. 



I had two thoughts in asking for this conference. In the first place, 

 I earnestly desire your advice, suggestions and criticisms as to the 

 activities of the Department — past, present, and prospective. There 

 is nothing which can be shown to be of value that the Department 

 is not willing to undertake, within the limits of its powers and funds, 

 to help the agriculture of the Nation. There is nothing that it is now 

 doing which it is not willing to curtail or to eliminate if such action 

 seems wise. Of course, the Department is not perfect. If it thought 

 it were perfect, it would fail to do its duty effectively. For my part, I 

 seek in my work here, as I hope I shall always do, to preserve an open 

 mind and to receive every responsible suggestion and to give it the 

 most earnest consideration. 



CLEAR AND CALM THINKING NEEDED. 



In the second place, I desire to canvass with you the conditions 

 through which we are now passing, to assess them as fully as possible, 

 to see what direction our further thinking should take, and to unfold 

 to you our thoughts and plans. Unquestionably, there is need of very 

 clear and calm thinking and of discovering as fully as possible the 



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