The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-08-05
Fer the rAkMER A<p MxCsaSrc.
a Prominent Wake County Farmer
on the Agricultural Board.

VIZ. Editor. ! see from your paper Of tho
Goth Of July, tina, the Board of Com mis-
| sioners at It's last meeting did not FL
the vacancy of commissioner, caused BIZ the
resignation of Col. Polk. more than two
months ago. At this | am not disposed 10
complain, as does the charlotte Ohscrrr.
| think a few of the board have alre ady
deemed it, that the department without =
a head is just about As efficient a. thought i,
had both commissioner, and Secretary, for
one office or the other Is superfiuous, and
should be dispensed with. | think the
COMMISSIONS can do the office work of the
entire department without an assistant. The
department Is now run at \ cost of about
$50, ~ a yeas TO some one, either to the
manufacturers of commercial fertilizers or TO
the consumers of those fertilizers, Now
who is 1t that is payingt this tax? Why the con
sumers are, whetherthey believe il or not, and
that is a monopoly of the large manufactures
who have secured a trade in the State for
their fertilizers 10 the exclusion of many OF
the smaller, and | might add some OF the
best fertilizers that have ever beer sold in
the State, and now debarred BY this unjust
$500 tax. | say levy a per ton tax, which
will exclude none, but will give a healthy
competition to all brands properly protected
by a standard of analysis by our State
Chemist when we shall have one and that
Chemist should be with mis- laboratory To-
Gated in Raleigh.
But Mr.. Editor, to return to the Com
mlsslonership. If the same reasons are 10
govern the board in ~electing a commissioner,
as IN choosing the present secretary.
| doubted Mr.. Editor the realization of
such influences, but am waiting TO see.
Though some time ago on hearing a very
peculiar and sound around one
Of your street corners, | fancied that ii was
the dulcet sound of the long looked fer
highland Scotch Bag Pipe, but to my sup
prise | found the sound to be nothing but
the whistle OF a peanut rooster, and nary
ScOtchman has been whistled up yet, though
Mr.. Fall tells Us he is doing a mighty deal
of talking over there, at the tune Of 81 200
per year at the expense of the department.
So goes the money, wrung from the poor
farmer by indirect taxation, In which he has
no voice. 60 on gentlemen commissioners
of the department and as the fund increases
multiply more offices at big salaries not to
be filled by farmers however, and once in a
while create a newspaper out OF the funds
| by way of diversity.
| am OF decided opinion that non action
would be the best policy just now. Let the
board wait until the meeting of the next
legislature and let that body reorganize the
board. AS now composed 1T is a wheel
within a wheel [ want but one wheel, and
let that wheel be the great wheel Of %agricuI-
ture without any spokes IN 1t, free and I'M
incumbered from political influences, and
all other dead wood. | would ask in all
candor why should our Governor, our Presi-
dent Of the State University, and our State
Geologist be placed on this board? Have
they not duties sufficient to perform with
an eye single to those duties? | think so,
and a large portion of the agricultural peo-
pie of this State think so, too. Y. 9.