The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-03-07
THE STATE no. ARD OF AGRICULTURE
AND IT'S Il nBARRAssMETs.

The Indiana state board of agriculture |
was, as we learn from the official report for
1876, created by special law in 1851. |
The opinion that has prevailed to some
extent, and that may still be entertained by
some persons, that the organization is a
joint stock association in the interest of
individuals, is entirely erroneous. In the
Introductory remarks of the report of the
officers of the board for the year 1876
the matter Of proprietorship is explicitly
set forth as follows: "The board is virtually
"a state institution, not a department of state,
but bureau of agriculture, controlled by del
'egates who represent the county and district
agricultural societies of the state. The leg
'islature has provided an annual appropria-
'tion of 81, 800 for the use of the board in
promoting the interests of agriculture. The
property of the board is exempt from taxa
'tion, and in case of the board being dis
banded the property would revert to the
state. The board having been created by
act of the general assembly is, therefore,
subject to the will of the people"
In carrying forward legitimate enterprises
the board, il seems, has become involved
to the extent of S40,000-for which the
holders of the obligations of the board have
a mortgage on its entire prcperty-which, in
fact, is the property OF the state, and in
which the people are directly and vitality in
terested.
In this connection II is eminently proper
to show the value of this property which,
unless the legislature interposes, will be
sacrificed and lost to the state. We copy
from the official report as follows:
ASSETS OF THE SOCIETY.
Thirty-six acres, fair 900
Three acres for railroad switch 1900
buildings, cost sl5O,OO0, estimated. 100000
Library and movable property. $500
500
Admitting however, that, considering the
general business prostration, the above
estimate is too high, the fact is on record
that number of gentlemen eminently
qualified to judge. and whose opinions are
entitled to the highest respect, have, at a
more recent date, placed the value of the
property at $4,000, sum which will
doubtless be regarded by the legislature as a
''hard pan" valuation.
This entire property is now in danger of
being swept away for the comparatively pal
try sum of SAC, 900, resulting in an absolute
loss to the people of $40 900 in money. But
the money loss is the smallest item in
the calculation, for the abandonment of
the purposes and objects which the
board Of agriculture was created to
promote will be direct and severe
blow in the face of Indiana's progress
as an agricultural state, and that, too, at a
time when by her energy and intelligent en-
terprise she has placed herself in the front
rank of the agricultural commonwealth of
the country. The property of the state
board of agriculture, situated as it is on the
margin of the capital city of the state, with
growth and wealth and progress all around
il, must, in the nature of things, at very
early day. become immensely valuable.
Already it is being environed by the city,
which in its growth will at no distant
day make it as central as the Circle, and in
the very heart of wealth and business. To
permit it to be sacrificed will be suicidal
policy as much so as to permit the state
house square to be sold for song Indiana
is too populous, too rich to permit this to be
done, and we have faith that the legislature
will devise means by which so great wrong
to the people will be prevented.