The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-03-07
Peop'e's Department.

ps al al 1o1'
ough, 70 read Gov. Vance's speech on
.uch tarif-D on .n article used ~ far
meys Onh't
Wei ruw.-it il V. known that the
arge majority of bvth Houses OF the
Legislature favored a change In the De
partnenl, when they came here, fresh
from che PEOPLE. But after eight weeks
If argument, and lobbying, aud prayers,
aud appeals, the Political Machine man
aged To change this determination in =
measure though enough of the Legs
lato-s stood firm, to force a ReorganiLa
ton VI the Department, transferring II
To a Farmer Board. 1t meets IN
april and numbers Is.
10 put the whole matter on Record.
,a give a sketch of the till from the date
u us introduction by Senator Farmer.
First, Referred to the Committee Oh
Agriculture, who sat night after night for
weeks hearing arguments by the Govern
or, Ia member Of the Board, Col. Holt,
"a member Of the Boardl, Maj. Evans,
ia member OF the Board, Mr.. McGehee,
Commissioner Of the Board), aud others,
defending the course o the Board during
the past six years, spending nearly $780,
900. The committee weighed the mat
ter, and voted unanimously for a change.
Another lengthy pause during which
the friends Of the present Board were
busy as bcavers), and the Senate took up
the bill, and passed it by 30 to 6,
The State Press, with a few exceptions,
endorsed the act. We have printed ex-
tracts from the Wilson papers, Franklin
7,mes, s%mith4eld, Herald, AIamance
Cleaner, Oxford T5rchltght; Arson pa
pers, Concord papers, Stanly Observer,
Gastonia Gazette. Asheville Citizen, New
ton Enterprise, Hickory I'droiiniun, WASH
ington, IN. c. Gazette, Elizabeth City
F,aicon Montgomery Star. and other
papers, all endorsing the Farmer and
Mechanic's view that the six years fruits
of the old Board, with its $40 600 a year
are not what they ought 20 be and that
a Reorganization is absolutely necessary f!
IN H HOUSE,
the committee, twelve in number, voted
for the change, by a vote of i to | only
adding the Governor. ep QdiciO, just as he
is &c oDicio Chairman of the ~Penitentiary,
and University, and Lunatic Asylum
Boards.
When the bill came up in the House,
Col. Thomas Nj. Holt Ia member of the
old Board) moved a substitute to add tc
the New Board the leading members Of
the old Board. Afer long discussion,
the Bill, with these additions, was REFER
ed a second time to the Committee, {
very unusual proceeding having the eff
feet to delay action. A friend wrote III
from Washington, The plan as VIC
learn here. is to get the Bill postponed tc
the last days of the session, and then load
it with all sorts of amendments, so tina,
it will fail to get through, and thus give
them two years longer to operate the De-
partment."
Col Holt, Col. w. f. Green, Col.
Polk, and others were invited to come
before the Committee to give their views.
Col. Holt spoke several times, and a gen.
tleman (who was not 4 member Of til,
Cemmittee, our informant states made Z
motion to adopt Col. Holt amendment
Four voted yea, three voted nay, and
several did not vote. A Minority Re.
port was then drawn, and ten members %
the COMMITTEE signed it, so that it be
came virtually the majority report; only
, refusing to sign it. This report when
it came up in the House was advocated
by Messrs. Bennett. Johnson, Forbis.
McLoud, Hayes, Frazier, ct al. Col.
Holt made a strong personal appeal.
saying that if the report went out to the
State that the old Board (Col. Holt.
President Battle, etc. } were left off the
New Board it, would be construed as
"a reflection" etc. Mr.. johnson said
there was no such design, and he intro
duced a resolution saying there was NO
intent to reflect, etc. Colt. Holt still
argued that it would look SO said he
had done a great deal for the State. etc.
Messrs. Bum, Overman, Sheriff., Nc
Allister, Barrett arose to explain that
in view OF Col. Hollis personal explana-
tons they must vote with him. SO the
Bill was defeated by As to 43.-the in
Guiding Messrs. Barrett independent
of Pitt county, and McAliister of Ca
barrus, who had signed the report. but
changed for the reasons above stated.
Col. S. Mcdowell Tate then offered a
clause appropriating $500, of the De-
partment'S money TO help the Negro
Fair at Raleigh. 1t does not include
the negro Fairs" at W~adesboro. Will
mington. or elsewhere. We regret to
add that when the State Tobacco Fair.
at Durham, which is meant to encour-
age an industry which already paws a
large proportion of the public taxes
asked for a small sum. it was refused
There are also fairs at Weldon. Fay-
etteville. Wadesboro, Tarboro. Rocky
Mount, Clinton, etc.,-all OF them in the
cotton section, which buys the fertilizer
which feeds the Department. they
also to have $500? Not much. But
the BIZ is now very popular with the
negro legislators.
Col. Hollis Bill. as it now stands. has
left Oft the only two farmers put on the
cid Board, to represent the farmers. 1t
also gives a central influence that is OBJ
nOxious to many people in our State.
Governor. President of the University.
and President of the Agricultural Socie-
ty, living in and near Raleigh. Estate
| Geologist will also live lere) pivinp tbe