Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-03-08
BELOW fs given the report of the
committee appointed by the Legis-
lature to Investigate the Bureau of
Agriculture, Statistics and Mipes !:

appointed Dy the Legs
lature to investigate the Bureau of
Agriculture, Statistics and Mipes
AIolnt resolution of the General Assembly
OF the State of Tennessee to investigate the
Bureau of Agriculture. Statistics and Mines,
having been adopted, the undersigned were
appointed TO carry that resolution into effect,
and, after a most careful examination, last
ing several days, and the introduction of
about thirty witnesses from various parts of
tbs state, beg leave to offer the following re-
we lind that the law creating the Depart
ment pl 3vided that the accounts OF the Com
missioner are required to be submitted to the
Governor for his inspection quarterly, and
that these accounts must be approved before
any additional amounts can be drawn nom
the Treasury by the Commissioned, and the
Governor is required to audithis accounts.
In regard to the oath of office, though not
required by law, the COmmissi Oner has COM
piled with the usage among public offlcers,
by taking and filing his oath with the Sec
rotary OF state for the faithful performance
We ind that during March and April, 1875,
no Clerk was employed by the Commits
sioner for the reasons as stated by him that
there was no necessity at that time for one.
We find further that during the months ct
May, June and July, Daniel Lee was en-
rloyed, at a salary of S66.66 per month. as
shown by vouchers, the remainder Of the
Clerks salary, as also shown by vouchers
was paid to DIT. Jarnigan, OF Messy sree9S'
Tenn, for assistance in getting up ana pol
ishing specimens OF marble, and part was
paid for occasional assistance in the office,
for all of which expenditures there are
From September, 1875, up to the present
time q Clerk has been employed. Every
one of these persons so employed testified
before this committee that they had eceived
their salary of Sl00 per month regularly. Mr..
III. N. Doak, Mr.. Paul Jones, Mr.. I'll. n.
plOyed successfully in the Office, and all
testified to this point.
We find also by an inspection of the books
hot fSciO n n
stance, discounted his salary at the same
rates at which warrants were discounted.
BY reference to the deposition Of Thomas :.
Mari, Il will be seen that the rate of discount
varied from TO IA per cent. until the spring
of 1876 The testimony of DR.. Morrow, 10
which we refer, will show that the Commits
Eioner was paid in warrants by reason of the
provisions of the funding bill, which re-
Quired all revenue to be set apart to meet
the interest on our public obligations.
We failed, after diligent and careful in
vestigation of the books, to find a single ex-
penditure not authorized by law, sad in
every case voucher showed for what sucn
expenditure was made, and to whom paid.
As to travelling expenses, we find full
statement kept by the Commissioner, as
also itemized accounts Ofthe trips We also
had i'm proof that during the first two years
he travelled from twenty TO twenty-five days
of every month, frequently with an assist
ant for the purpose, as directed by law, of
collecting specimens and of surveying and
mapping the mineral district of the State.
Yet the travelling expenses OF these two
years amounted to only about $50 to S55 per
! month, which, by the testimony of compe-
| tent witnesses, is about one-half the usual
/ expense for such travelling. The commits
! sioner explains this by saying he was furn-
/ iShed free passes by most OF the railroads, a
| few, however, not granting such facilities.
| Taking the four years during which period
4 he has held the position of Commissioner,
/ we find that, although he could draw $500
per year for travelling expenses, he, in fact,
| expended only q little over half that amount,
I or 1852 SO per year, on an average, using the
/ remainder on the legitimate work of the Of
| fee. We find, also, he has made and pub,
| lished maps on the following counties end
! sections: Little Sequafchie coal field, Marion
county, Grundy county, Hickman county,
| four maps on the counties on the CIncln-
| gion, map ofJohnson county, Carter county,
| three maps of the OcOee and Hiwassee min
| eraI district, map of the mineral district OF
! the Knoxville & Ohio railroad, map of the
| copper region, diagrams of the principal
| coal mines, one large mineral and agricultu-
/ raj map of the State. OF these two 20 four
! thousand copies each were issued. Besides
| these, there is a general large map OF the
! State, prepared with great care, ana after
| many surveys to determine county Iocal1-
| ties.
The following publications have been
issued from the office: Report on the Oeoee
| and Hiwassee Mineral District Report on
| Agricultural and Mineral Wealth of Tonnes
! see: Report on the Region Of Country Lying
| on the Cincinnati Southern, Knoxville &
| port on the Oil Regions of the state; Work
on Wheat Culture; Work on Sheep Hus-
Grasses, Cereals and Forage Plants of Ten
| nessee; New Edition of Agricultural and
| Mineral Wealth of Tennessee. From two 10
four thousand copies each of these works
have been issued and distributed, and the
! works themselves will aggregate about 1000
pages. Besides these publications, Crop Re-
ports have been issued every month, during
the growing season, in pamphlets varying
from l6 to - pages, a so about 1900 circulars,
on every subject affecting the agricultural
and manufacturing interest. These circu-
| lars have been carefully compiled and CON-
| prise within them full statistics of ship
| mentS, use of fertilizers, accounts OF insects
Injurious TO vegetation, and all other mat
! tiers required to be performed by law.
Proof was made that the Commissioner
| received from twenty to forty letters per
day, and thes. did not include those received
/ by the Assistant Commissioner of 1mmi-
grafton, which were probably hall as many
( more.
In order to answer the vast bulk of CORE
spondence, additional help in the Office be-
came necessary, and the proof shows that
the Commissioner paid for this additional
help out of his own salary, amounting TO
about S600.
appended it is seen that about 5000 emil
| grants have been introduced into the State
and that 81, $4,000 of British capital and
81, 100000 of Northern capital have been adj
ded to the State; add to this the value of all
adult citizens, estimated by political econo-
mists at $500 per capita, amounting to 70 49,
OO0 and we have the grand aggregate OF
the amount brought into the State of Sl5,-
O26 90. To bring about this vast result there
was expended in 1873, 1876, 1871 and 1870, OF
for four years, $40, 1892. During the first
two years s2,Si3,T8 were unexpended and
covered back into the Treasury.
We and, further, as to the diligence with
which the duties of the office have been dis
! charged thatthe proof shows the Commits
sioner has devoted his whole time, resting AT
no time when his action was required.
The publications of the Bureau have re-
ceived the consideration of the press not
only in this country but in Europe.
With this report we beg to submit 81
pages of testimony taken before the commit
tee rs well as five pages of a statement
made by Col. Killebrew, both being too vol
luminous to embody in this report, but we
recommend that they be printed, as We be-
lieve they would not only be interesting but
of mnch value to the State. All of which
is respectfully submitted.
(signed1 r. X. BYRD, Chm'n.
G. n. ORDWAY,