The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-06-23

mast and future taxatlous NC se"~es
charter.bllI wss then prepared Dy me snu
explained before the committees OF sne
House and Senate, and on the itIn .,
March, 1877, II wss passed ana approved
by the Governor.
Ia rather broad--to the effect that he carried
,hs deh,s n the Society on bis own en-
Snr.emeut. and whilst be had to pay per
cent. for money be only charged the Society
ner cent. thus paying the difference out
HE own pocket. This Ia only true In re-
spect TO a debt Of $4,000 for money borrow.
| ed OF w. A. Thomas; for the balance OF
| the debt, about e4.500, was carried by par
| ties who never asked or received more than
8 per cent.
Socisfv's Transactions Is the next suDlect
! on which the Major touches. He should re-
member that during my administration this
subject was repeatedly urged by me and
discussed, and BY authority OF the commit
tee applied for aid from the State, and OBJ
tanned the passage OF bill by the Sem
ate appropriatipg $1,000 per annum for the
purpose. but the bill failed In the House for
| the want Of a constitutional majority. Des-
pairing OF aid from the State, resolution
was offered by Mr.. Fickiin at the ApriI
meeting OF the committee In 1878, charging
the president, secretary, and Local Commit.
tee with the duty OF inquiriDg into The pest
form for the publication and making re-
port at the next August meeting. IL was
decided that q monthly publication, EN-
bracing few miscellaneous articles on gen.
eral agricultural topics and lew pages OF
appropriate advertisements, ana Iurhishce
| 70 subscribers at moderate price, would
1 A. a.. gnr ha putllcqtiOu- 'Ehen
acting az secretary, was Instructed Dy the
committee TO obtain bids for the printing,
psper. and other expenses OF such publ
cation. This was done, after full confer.
ence with printers, and detailed report
was made and signed by President Drewry
and other members OF the Local Commit
tse. in which It was shown that the
publication would be selfsustainiDg, and
by proper efforts on the part OF the indi-
yj,I,lal members OF the Executive Commit
| tee in their respective localities might bring
a good revenue to the Society. This report
when presented at the August meeting was
conspicuously objected to by one or two
members on the ground that the estimates
might not be realized, and that the Society
would be involved In great expense. Ii was
evident that aptagonizng interests were at
work and had obtained some Influence in
the committee; but still the order was en-
tered that the secretary should issue a pros
pectus Tor the publication, to commence on
the 1st OF January, 1870. After this
there was no convenient opportunity
for the subject to be considered by
the Executive Committee until the meet
| ing in January, 1879, after the first No.
OF the journal had issued. The subject
| OF loss or profit was again discussed, IN
which attempted to verify my estimates,
but the banter came from ene who opposed
the publication to give me the profits OF the
publication # l would assume the expense.
| To this replied that rather than the publ.
cation OF the Society's transactions should
be defeated, would assume the proposed
responsibility for one year as test OF my
sincerity but at the same time protested
against the principle. ii the publication
should bring profit the Society should have
| il; and II loss, il should sustain IL; but in
this latter respect 1t occupied safe ground,
because II, after the experience OF few
would occur, the publication could
be discontinued. Under these crcum-
stances the publication was forced upon me,
all OF which Major Drewry had full oppor.
tunty TO know and remember, so that bis
remarks iu this connection might have been
omitted, at least to the extent they imply
lack of confidence on my part when the
publication was suspended. The suspen-
sion occurred in the manner by which the
opponents to the Journal and TO me per-
sonaliy in the Executive Committee desired
| to bring it about, and the quasi support OF
Major Drewry made an easy victory for
these opponents. / had, however, CON-
piled with all my undertakings, and at the
close Of the year 1879, during which the
Journal was published, addressed circu-
lar letter to each member OF the committee,
stating that the publication had been self
sustaining, and its further publication
| would depend on their action. The Journal
then died, and 1t will be for the life-m mem.
bers OF the Society and It's other friends to
say how far contributed to its death.
have thought that this paper during its
short existence accomplished good results
for the Society, mainly by keeping its work
| and objects before the public and by
awakening an interest in its affairs.
MajOr Drewry has occasion to appreciate
this fact. His last fair QS79) was saved
from financial loss by it. The steam. cars
that year, for the first time, ceased to run
on Broad street, By which the usual attend
ance Of visitors residing in the city was re-
duced one half. There was, however, a
largely.increased attendance from the coun-
try, and these visitors found some way TO
get to the grounds il they had to walk. The
gate.fees for 1878 were 5000 %, and for
1879 $7,972 %. There can be no question
as to the fact that the large attendance OF
farmers from the country was induced by a
free circulation Of the Journal. How aud
to what extent was this done? | had Sc
cured about 800 subscribers and advertise
ments sufficient to pay for monthly edi-
ti0n OF 1000 copies, and this number was
regularly printed. l had then, after sup
plying the subscribers and keeping a small
reserve, about 1850 copies monthly for
free distribution, and these were regularly
mailed, with postage prepaid, to life
members OF the Society and farmers re-
siding in every county. The cost of
printing and paper was .fUe cents per
copy, so that l was distributing at
my own expense S75 per month OF printed
matter in aid Of the Society. This will he
some offset 10 Major Drewery's 800 paid for
interest.
My sixth note on Major Drewry's letter
has reference to his vote OF thanks at the
close Of his administration and his state
ment that the debt had been considerably
educed. As to thanks, we are even on that
score, as each got them alike, and it gives
me pleasure TO state that they were richly
deserved On his part. worked faithfully
In support OF his administration, and no
one had better opportunity to know the
faithfulness OF bis labors. II seems childish
now, after our iabors, so far as our respective
administrations are concerned have passed
| into history, that We should be combating
| each other, but he has east the stone and /
| am forced to return 1t. As to the reduction
| OF the debtdnring his administration, think
he makes some mistake In using the word
considerable instead Of the word ssight. On