The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-01-15
THE LAWS OF THE STATE.
Acts Passed by the Legislature at the Late
Session.

An ACT to create Department of Agri-
culture and defining its purposes and
duties, and charging it with inspection
of Phosphates and regulation of sale of
Commercial Fertilizers.
Be il enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the State Of South
Carolina, now met and sitting in General
Assembly, and by the authority of the
same:
SECTION l. That Department of Ag-
riculture is hereby created and estab-
lished, which shall be under the control
and supervision of a board, which shall
be constituted as follows, to wit: The
Governor, who shall be er-offcio chair
man, the Master of the State Grange of
Patrons of Husbandry, the President of
the State Agricultural and Mechanical
Society for the time being, and two other
persons to be elected by the General As
sembly, who shall hold their Office for
two years, and until their successors are
elected and qualified.
Sec. 2. The Board shall meet for the
transaction of business in the city of CO.
lumbia as often as they may deem expe-
dient, but at least twice in each year; (;
they shall receive no compensation, but
shall be allowed, except the Governor,
the sum of three dollars per diem and
five cents per mile actually travelled
while engaged in the duties of the Board,
not exceeding fifteen days in any one
year.
SEC. 8. There shall be commissioner
of Agriculture, who shall be an agricul-
turist. He shall be elected by the Gen
eral Assembly and shall hold his Office
for term of two years, and until his sue
cessor shall be elected and qualify; he
shall be paid salary of twenty-one hun
dred dollars per annum, payable month
ly, and shall give bond with sureties con-
ditioned for the faithful discharge of the
duties of his Office, in the sum of So, 900,
to be approved and filed in like manner
as the bonds of State officers. he shall
be empowered to employ an efficient
clerk whose salary shall be $1,000 per
annum, payable monthly.
Sec. 4. The Board shall prescribe the
duties of the commissioner, and said
commissioner shall observe all rules pre-
scribed and execute all orders issued by
said Board not inconsistent with law.
SEC. 5. The Board shall be empowered
to hold in trust and exercise control over
donations or bequests made to them for
the purpose of promoting the interests
and purposes of this Act.
Sec. 6. The Board may prescribe forms
for and regulate the returns of such
County Agricultural Societies as may be
chartered by this State, and furnish such
blanks as may be necessary to secure
uniform aud reliable statistics of their
operations.
SEC. 7. The Board shall have power,
and it shall be their duty, to prescribe
blanks and have them issued, through
the Commissioner, to the Auditors of the
various counties, with complete instruc-
tions for the collection Of agricultural
statistics and information; and it shall
be, and is hereby, made the duty of the
County Auditors to fill all such blanks in
accordance with instructions sent and re.
turn the blanks, when filled, promptly to
the Commissioner of Agriculture.
SEC. g.. The Board shall Investigate
such subjects relating to the improve
ment of agriculture and for the induce
ment of immigration and capital as they
may think proper, including sheep hus-
bandry, diseases of cattle and other do
mestic animals and their cures, the raw
ages of insects and remedies to abate the
same, fences, reductions of cost of same,
&c.
Sec. 9. The Board shall have power in
cases of contagious disease among any
kind of stock or animals to quarantine or
have the same killed and burned.
Sec. 10. The Commissioner of Agri-
culture shall prepare and keep in the De-
partment books of registry, wherein any
person may have entered, upon payment
of registry fee of one dollar for each tract
or lot, any real estate for sale, with terms,
and file in the Office any plats, descrip.
tive papers, &C., desired; also, books in
which may be entered the wants of la
borers seeking employment or of EN-.
ployees* seeking labor, the registry fee of
one dollar to be paid by the person max
ing it, and the books open to the inspec-
tion of all persons free of charge.
Sec. IL. The Commissioner of Agri-
culture shall communicate, correspond
and cooperate with the Commissioner of
Agriculture of the United States, and re-
ceive from him and distribute most ad-
vantageously all seeds, plants, docu-
ments and information.
Sec. II. 1t shall be the duty of the
Commissioner to collect specimens of
wood, suitable for manufacturing pur-
poses, agricultural, mineral and phos.
phatic deposits of the State, and deposit
the same in his room at the Capitol, and
cause correct analyses of such as may be
deemed expedient to be made and re-
corded in substantial book to be kept
for the purpose.
SEC. l3. The Board and Commissioner
shall make an annual report of all the
proceedings of the Department to the
General Assembly.
Sec. IA. The Commissioner of Agri-
culture shall be er o6fcio Fish Commits
sioner of this State, and be charged with
all the duties and invested with all the
powers of Fish Commissioners. He shall
appoint two or more fish wardens in
every county of the State, who shall aid
in the detection and prosecution of all
offenders against the fishing laws, and
they shall receive one-half of the penalty
recovered and paid in for any offence
against said laws dircctedf by them.
Sec. Is. The Board provided for in the
first Section of this Act shall have super
vision over the fish interest and Commits
sioner of this State, and with the super
vision and enforcement of the laws and
regulations which are or may be enacted
in this State for the sale of commercial
fertilizers and seeds.
Sec. l6. That the Office of Phosphate
Inspector and that of Phosphate Agent
be, and the same are hereby, abolished,
and that the Agricultural Bureau are
charged with all the duties deyolving
upon said Offices necessary for the pro-
lection of the rights and interest of the
State in the phosphate rock and phos-