FIFTY-SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION 79 



drop their own estimates and take the federal estimates 

 because they know they are the best; and when a man 

 stands up before you and tells you the Federal-State Co- 

 operative Crop Estimate is for the benefit of the speculator 

 you can set it down in your account book that he doesn't 

 know what he is talking about. It is handled absolutely 

 honestly by the United States Government. 



It was my privilege last summer to go over their sys- 

 tem with them, and I never saw a system which safeguarded 

 information like that system does. It is released so that 

 every one gets it, and if the farmer will pay attention to 

 it, if he will use the information that it gives to him, it 

 places him on a basis so far as information is concerned, 

 with the man who is speculating on the market, and it is 

 this information as to conditions covering practically the 

 entire United States which gives the farmer an opportunity 

 to market intelligently; and when we find it or when there 

 is found a method, a theory or a system for the correcting 

 of the agricultural marketing evil, I do not know what 

 that system will be, but I do know that if such a system is 

 ever inaugurated, the basis for that system will be the 

 Federal-State Co-operative Crop Estimates, because it is 

 the only source of information that we have that is honest, 

 that we are sure is as near correct as it can be. 



Now let us pass on and speak next of the division of 

 animal industry. When that division is mentioned we im- 

 mediately think of tubercular testing. In the minds of the 

 people of the state that is the function of the division, but 

 it has some other functions which are just about as im- 

 portant as the testing of cattle for bovine tuberculosis, but 

 we will handle that subject first. It is of great importance 

 now. It is in the minds of the people now. Every one is 

 thinking about tuberculin testing, partly because of the 

 order and partly because of the Health Commissioner of 

 Chicago, and third, because of such great consternation 

 and because of the misinterpretation of the tubercular milk 

 situation by the Chicago daily press. 



Very few true statements have appeared in the Chi- 

 cafiTo newspapers regarding this situation. A sample of 



