Pullman herald. [volume], April 11, 1919, Page 9, Image 9

About Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989

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Friday. April 11. 1010
lUSLEY ANSWERS
[ SPILLMAN CHARGES
■
Having published the charges
,rought by Dr. W. J. Spillman
gainst Secretary of Agriculture
Houston, It Is only fair to publish
lie answer to the charges, which is
ontained In the following letter,
written by Clarence Ousley, assist
ant Secretary of Agriculture:
Sir. E. E. Miller,' Editor, Southern
' Agriculturist, Nashville, Term.
j «l
Dear Sir:
Eln your letter of February 26 you
refer to a statement by W. J. Spill
man, and ask whether certain views
which he attributes to the Secretari
of Agrieuture are held by him or not:
Of course they are not.
Secretary Houston has declined to
make reply to statements by this
former officer of the Department,
whose recitals and affirmations are
go far from the truth as to amazt
those who know the facts. Since you
have been sufficiently Impressed by
his statements to raise an Inquiry I
take the liberty of replying to your
letter. I have heard Mr. Spillman
make a public address and I have
read others he has made concerning
the Secretary and the Department,
! and I have taken the pains to Inform
myself concerning his chief affirma
i tions and insinuations. Insofar as
they impeach the good faith or the
correct deportment or the Intel 11
and sympathetic interest of Secretary
Houston in farm management prob
lems they are false. Mr. Spillman
seems to have lost the capacity to
distinguish between truth and error.
Some of his statements are gross ex
aggerations, some are insinuations
without evidence, and others appear
to be downright inventions. It al
most seems that Mr. Spillman has the
mental habit of some children who
imagine dramatic episodes and then
describe them until they believe them
to be true.
I have observed Mr. Spillman's
work here for a year and a half, and
I believe 1 am competent to pass
judgment upon it. I have known
Secretary Houston for 15 years or
more; I was associated with him in
educational undertakings in Texas,
and I have been officially and inti
mately associated with him as As
sistant Secretary of Agriculture
since June, 1917. Therefore. I feel
qualified to appraise both his char
acter and his public service. Allow
me to say, in this connection, that "1
am under no obligations to the Sec
retary except the obligations of court
esy and appreciation, because I ac
cepted appointment under him as a
matter of duty In order to perform a
war task, and at my request I am
about to be relieved of my duties In
order to return to Texas. In the
matter about which you inquire, a
fair-minded man who knows the facts
is compelled to reach the conclusion
that Secretary Houston has been
over-Indulgent with Mr. Spillman's
frailties and shortcomings, and that
Mr. Spillman, after the manner of
many ambitious and disappointed
men who can not have their way, has
resorted to unworthy methods of re
venge. Those of Mr. Spillman's
friends and former admirers who
know the facts are shocked at his
misconduct. The Secretary and his
associates, like myself, would have
preferred to let the misrepresenta
tions pass, hut since Mr. Spillman
persists and Is misleading many good
men it is proper that I make a state
ment of some of the facts which, as
you will observe, utterly discredit
Mr. Spillman's whole contention. I
shall take up some of his leading
statements and make comments on
each.
, l. That the Secretary from the
first objected to cost of production
studies, that he said there was noth
ing in such studies, and that farmers
were not entitled to information on
cost of production.
The records of this office show
these statements to be false. From
his first contract with the Depart
ment, Secretary Houston expressed
his Interest in farm management
studies, including studies of cost of
Production. In his annual report for
1914, in discussing the work, the
Secretary said:
"The business of the student of
farm management is to make an an
alysis of the operations of the farm,
to study the proper adaptation ef the
type of farming to local conditions,
«uch as soil and climate, the size of
the market, market demand and
transportation, the quality of the
farm business, its diversity, Its or
t-anlzatlon, the distribution of farm
enterprises, and the cost of each sort
of Product. The investigations of the
Office of Farm Management are yet
"n their infancy and there Is much
to learn in this branch of agricultural
VSSSSfs' but the Inquiries thus far
Pursued furnish a deeper Insight into
the causea of success and failure In
arming and give promise of helpful
results in the Increase of production
on a profitable basis."
The Secretary has never opposed
cost of production studies. What he
objected to were inadequate studies
and misleading data. In fact, the
Secretary has approved the publica
tion of the resufs of a number of cost
of production studies.
2. That the Secretary did not make
to Mr. Spillman, as he stated in his
letter to the senate of November 7,
this statement:
"I indicated to him (Spillman) my
desire that careful consideration be
given the whole matter and that a
system of Inquiry and Interpretation
be devised which would be regarded
by competent students of farm eco
nomics as sound, and which would
furnish results reasonably reliable
and creditable to the Department."
The Secretary did make this state
men i to Mr. Spillman. There ■_
written evidence of it. A conference
was held by the Secretary with Mr.
Spillman in the latter part of October
1917. in a draft of a memorandum
to Mr. Spillman, written a few days
later, the Secretary specifically mdii
cated that, in his opinion, the gen
eral studies then under way should
be deferred "until the whole matter
can be thoroughly considered and the
services of an expert with the proper
economic training can be secured."
The same expression occurs in the
final draft of the memorandum re
garding the projects of the Office of
Farm Management which was un
signed and which was referred to
Mr. Spillman for consideration aud
comment. A short time after this
memorandum was written, Mr. Spill
man revised the projects of the office
and submitted a sample to the Sec
retary for consideration. The Secre
tary promptly indicated his approval
of It. On January 8, 1918, a note
was received from Mr. Spillman,
reading as follows:
"I am pleas id to receive .your note
stating that the Secretary has ap
proved th" revision of our cost of
production projects along the line of
the sample submitted. I am very
much gratified at this, for I feel it
will permit our work to go on, so far
as its essential features are con
cerned, without interruption. The
modification required is one that is
easily made and is one which will not
materially decrease the value of the
results. We are having all these
projects revised on this basis end
will submit them as soon as the work
is finished."
The projects were revised in the
manner outlined by Mr. Spillman and
were later Incorporated in the Pro
gram of Work for 1918. Further
more, in a memorandum dated Janu
ary 19, 1918, which the Secretary
requested his assistant to send to Mr.
Spillman, this expression occurs:
"In suggesting that the coot of pro
duction studies should be deferred
until an expert with the prpper eco
nomic training could be secured to
take charge of them * * * "
3, That the Secretary heid up the
investigations under way for the
Federal Trade Commission; that Mr.
Spillman called his attention to the
fact; thai no reply was received; and
that he had to desist from the
studies.
It is true that the studies for the
Federal Trade Commission were held
up tor a timer but this was due sole
ly indicated by the memorandum of
Secretary had In mind. This is clear
y indicated by the memorandum of
January 19, 1918, already referred
to, in which the following statements
were made:
"The Secretary had no knowledge
whatever that you had discontinued
any of your investigations designed
to furnish information needed by the
Bureau of Markets in the work which
it is conducting in co-operating with
the Federal Trade Commission.
* * * He had no intention what
ever that you should discontinue the
co-operative work with tin' Bureau
of Markets. In the circumstances, he
suggests that you immediately get in
touch with Mr. Brand and arrange to
secure the data he needs in the prose
cution of the work which his bureau
has under way In co-operation with
the. Federal Trade Commission."
These statements show very clear
ly that the Secretary did talk to Mr.
Spillman; that ho was not opposed to
reliable cost studies; that he merely
suggested that the general studies
on the cost of producing farm pro
ducts shoud be deferred "until an
expert with the proper economic
training could be secured to take
charge of them"; and, furthermore,
that he did not know that the co
operative studies with the Federal
Trade Commission had been discon
tinued. The attitude of the Amer
ican National Live Stock Association,
of which Mr. Pryor was president
until after Its meeting in Denver
January 21-23, 1919. in reference to
the live stock studies, is sufficiently
indicated in the resolution adopted
by the association at that meeting,
over which Mr. Pryor presided. The
resolution reads as follows:
"Resolved, That the American
The New Victory Model
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Over One Hundred Improvements
Fifty Per Cent Added Strength
The wheelbase is 120 inches, Compare that with other 5-pass
e nger Sixes.
The six-cylinder-motor—cylinders 3*4 x5 —has beet devel
oped to yield 40 horsepower.
The gear strength is increased 25 per cent, and a new hard
ening process insures uniformity.
Hear axle strength is increased 50 per cent. Brake efficiency
i. increased 75 per cent. Frame strength is increased 50 per
cent by adding iv inches depth.
The new crank shafts show 35 per cent increased tensile
strength and 25 per cent greater hardness. They are twice bal
anced on new-type balancing machines. The hearings are
large, and are finished in a manner which adds immensely to
the smoothness of the motor.
The steering gear is 10 per cent stronger ami fitted with bail
bearings, It does away with jerks and jars and never tires
the driver.
There's a new-type disc clutch.
We attain perfect-fitting, smooth-walled cylinders by new
and costly methods, saving much waste power.
A thermostat controls the temperature of air, liquids and
gases.
The carburetor intake is heated twice better than before.
Low-grade gasoline is completely vaporized, so all of it enters
into combustion.
These changes have* cut gasoline and oil cost 25 per cent.
The instrument hoard is new.
CHAS. WINTERER, Agent
PHONE 2783 PULLMAN, WASHINGTON
Live Stock Asoclatlon commend the
activities which are in prograss, un
der the direction of the Secretary of
Agriculture, to obtain thoroughly re
liable and comprehensive data on
the cost of production of live stock;
and we urge that these data be care
fully and adequately Interpreted, and
that the findings therefrom be pub
lished at as early a date as practic
able."
Mr. Spillman represents himself
as talking very boldy over the tele
phone to the Secretary's assistant,
and as asking him to tell the Secre
tary that "If he values his job, he
will sign that telegram." This state
ment bears on its face the evidence
of its untruth. Obviously, no officer
of the Department could make such
a statement and remain in it. No
man in the Department who knows
Mr. Spillman and Secretary Houston
will believe that Mr. Bpillman ever
PULLMAN HERALD
sent such a message.
4. As stated, the Secretary ob
jected only to the inadequacy of cer
tain cost studies, particularly those
on wheat. There is convincing ex
pert testimony that they were Inade
quate and misleading. In the Secre
tary's letter to the senate he had the
wheat studies especially In mind, in
reference to them, he did not rely on
his own judgment. He called in a
committee of very reputable and
competent gentlemen. He did no'
see these gentlemen until after their
report was made. The report speaks
for itself. It is as follows:
Washington, D. C ,
October 31, 1918.
The Honorable
The Secretary of Agriculture.
Dear Mr. Secretary:
"Your committee, meeting in the
city of Washington October 29 to No
vember 1, 1918, to consider the ma
-1
We use body-frame material which costs twice the usual, to
make the bodies staunch.
We use interlaced hair in the upholstery, because it stays
in place.
We use four coats of finishing varnish, instead of the
usual two. This makes the finish enduring.
The car is built heavier, because experience shows that Light
Sixes have been too light.
We' are using a wealth of Chrome-Vanadium steel, also of
Chrome-Nickel.
There are 123 drop forging*.
The tires are 34x4.
About the only major feature which has tied been changed
is our long cantilever rear springs. They have made the
Mitchell the most comfortable Six in the world. And, used on
40,000 cars, not one of these springs has broken. Thai record
as never been equaled.
Modern machines have been installed for testing motors,
axles and transmissions before they go into the chassis. Then
for testing the chassis complete.
We employ 135 trained inspectors who never let a fault get
by. They analyze our steels, inspect every detail and conduct,
all our countless tests. We are thus applying to these new
Mitchells Government inspection methods.
Our engineers figure that the car strength lias been increased
50 per cent, the endurance 75 per cent, the economy 25 per cent.
and the comfort and beauty at least 20 per cent.
terlal collected by the Office of Farm
Management and submitted to us for
examination in the form of two un
published manuscripts entitled "Cost
of Producing Wheat in the Winter
Wheat Area East of the Rocky Moun
tains — Part I, by J. H. Arnold and
Frank Montgomery, Office of Farm
Management, 1918." and "Cost of
Producing Barley and Wheat in Cali
fornia—Cost of Producing Wilder
Wheat and Spring Wheat in the Pa
cific Northwest — Part 11, by Byron
Hunter and S. O. Jayne, Offlca of
Farm Management, 1918." together
with the statements of Mr. Arnold
and. Mr. Hunter, the authors, who
appeared before the committee, find
this material to be wholly Inadequate
upon which to bare a conclusion as to
the true cost of producing the 1918
wheat crop, for the following princi
pal reasons:
(1) That the areas chosen repre
sent only three out of the six major
winter wheat areas, and furthermore
(2) That the seven counties se
lected in the winter wheat area east
of the Rocky Mountains are not suf
ficiently representative.
(3) That tho number of farms in
vestigated (about 158 for the wheat
area east of the Rocky mountains,
and 115 for the Pacific and North
west wheat areas) was small; but of
more importance even than this, that
the data secured therefrom were veiy
Incomplete.
(4) That the manuscripts appear
to be more largely based upon the
author's general knowledge of the
Items of cost of production than apon
the specific data collected in the sur
veys made in the spring of 1918.
Respectfully submitttd,
W. M. Jardlne, chairman, president.
Kansas State Agricultural Col
lege.
Page nine