Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-02-27
ANOTHER BOARD.

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demorahzed by tornsdo.
The last board proposed to be sawed
out of such timber, wet or dry, green.
seasoned or rotten, as the governor
may happen to pick upon, is the state
board of agriculture. Such = board is
proposed to be created by assembly bill
No. sol. It provides for the creation
of S board consisting of five members to
be selected and appointed by the COVER
nor. They are to have a secretary
with an office in the capital and dlp
at the stationery and postage and q
salary of 81, 500 per annum. The
members of the board are to be paid
$3.50 per diem for SO days in each
year and their expenses for travelling
to and lingering around the capitol
during the interesting times IN the
campaign, such as political conven-
tons and senatorial elections.
The duties of this board are defined
by the bill, and they are chiefly TO
meet aud discuss. The great maSs of
mankind are quite willing to discuss,
without being paid for it, such matters
as they are interested in, but the mem
bers of this board arc to discuss
at the rate of S. per day and found.
1t is not required that they shall know
anything about the matter under dis
cussion. The less they know about
ii the longer time it will take for
them to discuss a topic, and the more
time they put in the more five dollar
bills will pass from the state treasury
into their pockets
Another feature Of this bill opens
a wide door for a great deal of expense
with small returns. The presidents
of the county agricultural associa
tens, the state farmer, professors of
agriculture and the presidents of all
other societies of pomelogy horticul
ture, stock growing and SO forth are
made honorary members and can at
tend the meetings and discussions Of
TIE board and have their travelling ex-
penses paid out ot the state treasury
This beerd is placed IN charge OF the
agricultural institutes, to be held in
the various counties, but their func-
tion seems TO extend TO appointing
expert agents to conduct such insti
tutes. As the sum of S., 0oO only is APP
priated TO expend on these Institutes,
ii would seem hardly necessary to
summon five able bodied FIVE dollar
per diemiters from the several corners
Of the state to appoint an agent who
knows enough to conduct an msti
tute. 1t might cost the state as much
indirectly 10 get the agents appointed
as TO hold the institutes The board
are by the bill made a kind Of cen.
sor of the matter that shall be printed
in their reports. If in their dis
cussion or the discussion at their
meetings any anti-tariH or ether o5
jectionablS doctrine, according to the
notions of the board, or any ideas
which run counter TO their pre-
judices or partisan feeling, they
can keep them frem the pubic. La
short, by this Dill the beard are made
a sort Of committee on political and
agricultural orthodoxy TO decide what
farmers shall and shall not be fur
nished to read
II is very PLAIN TO be seen that there
is no earthly use for such board.
The farming interest has no more need
of it than toad has for side pocket.
Il is device to furnish few more
soft seats on the government wagon
for the tax payers TO haul over the
rough sledding of hard times 1t calls
fora india rubber appropriation that
will run up to from thirty to fifty
thousand dollars; and it will not add
SO much as blade of grass nor pea
to the agricultural productions Of the
state; nor give assurance OF single
valuable idea added to the fund OF
agricultural kno wledge.
1t is equally plain tLat the aim of
this bill IS to break down the state ag
ricultural society and its non paI tisan
influence, and 10 replace its machinery
with an attachment of the political
machine. The meetings Of this board
of salaried discussers is aimed to cut
out and displace the convention held
by the state agricultural society. A
free convention and open discussion
under the auspicess of the society is
to be displaced by an exclusive party
to come at state expense, and talk
under censorship.
The farmers free convention now
held every winter which this bill
seeks to displace by meeting OF spe-
clal, salarled fayorItes-ls far better
and more profitable than the packed
gathering which this bill proposes.
The present system costs the state
nothing. This scheme proposes to tax
the state thousands of dollars for less
interesting asse mblage
The state has board Of agriculture
Intimately better than the bill can
give. 1t is so non-partisan that no
one ever thinks of the politics of its
members, for politics cuts no figure in
its composition or management. But
1t is Jealous and effective IN the work
so far ac such board can be of
advancing the agricultural interests Of
the state.
TUE Washington c0rreguOndeIat