November 30, 1917] 



SCIENCE 



529 



able record for achievements already to its 

 credit. It has enlisted in its ranks men of 

 wide experience, fine spirit, and high ideals, 

 many of whom are gladly volunteering their 

 services for the common cause. I refer to 

 the Food Administration under the direction 

 of Mr. Hoover. 



The relation between this agency and the 

 other organized agricultural forces of the 

 nation is intimate And fundamental. It is 

 impossible completely ito disassociate them and 

 it would be imdesirable to do so. 



The problem in part is a common one, and 

 it is of the first importance that the work 

 be done in the closest cooperation and -with 

 an eye single for the public good. There is 

 no need for undue duplication of effort and 

 no causes of friction which can not be re- 

 moved through an intelligent conception by 

 each agency of the powers and purposes of all 

 and by a spirit of mutual accommodation. In 

 a broad way it is agreed that the prime func- 

 tion of the Department of Agriculture shall 

 be the stimulation of production, the con- 

 servation of products on the farm through 

 all the normal and approved processes, the 

 promotion of better marketing and distribu- 

 tion of products from the farms to the 

 markets, the prosecution of the work in home 

 economics along usual lines, the dissemina- 

 tion of information, and the extension of aU 

 these activities as authorized by law. In a 

 similar way the principal function of the 

 Food Administration is the control and 

 regulation of commercial distribution of 

 foods; that is, of products which have reached 

 the markets, are in the channels of distribu- 

 tion or in the hands of consumers, their con- 

 servation by consumera, the elimination of 

 waste, and the handling of foods and feeds 

 in the market by legal means through its 

 regular officials as well as through its volun- 

 teer agencies. 



In the main the Department of Agriculture 

 deals with all the processes of farming up 

 to the time products reach the market until 

 they are in the requisite form for consimip- 

 tion and are available for the purpose. At 



this point the Food Administration enters 

 and exercises its wide powers of regulation, 

 direction, and suggestion. Where the Food 

 Administration through its powers can be 

 of assistance to the Deparament of Agricul- 

 ture in its field, it is at liberty freely to 

 make suggestion, and, when necessary, to co- 

 operate in execution; and the same relation 

 obtains as to the department's participation 

 in Food Administration matters in which it 

 has a vital interest and toward the promo- 

 tion of which it can be of assistance. This is 

 the substance of the agreement originally 

 entered into between the Food Administra- 

 tion and the Department of Agriculture, and 

 wiU be more satisfactorily observed as the 

 agents and divisions of the two departments 

 familiarize themselves more fully with their 

 tasks and with the prescribed lines of ejQEort. 

 Obviously the making of a program for 

 the agricultural activities of the nation did 

 not end with the St. Louis conference. 

 Thought, action, and cooperation between the 

 members of this association and other state 

 agencies on the one hand and the federal 

 department on the other have been continu- 

 ous. Attention has been given without cessa- 

 tion to problems in the field of labor. It was 

 obvious that difficulties would be presented 

 and that apprehension would run beyond the 

 actual condition. An army could not be 

 raised without taking men from every field 

 of activity; and it would have been unfair 

 to any class of workers in the community 

 to have proposed its exemption. It was im- 

 possible in the haste of the first draft satis- 

 factorily to work out in detail the principle 

 of selective service; but, nevertheless, under 

 the regulations, consideration was given 

 throughout by exemption boards and by the 

 officers of the War Department to the needs 

 of agriculture. With ampler time at its dis- 

 posal, the War Department has worked out a 

 system of classification which gives due re- 

 gard to the necessity of retaining skilled 

 farmers and expert agricultural leadere on the 

 farms and ranches and in the educational and 

 administrative services. 



