The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-15
Moving Bliildly.

The reasons why the changes in
the present organization Of the de.
partmcut Of agriculture asked for in
the memorial Of the late Farmers S
Convention, are unnecessary and
should not be made, have been set
forth at length in previous article.
No developments have been made
nor reasons given to cause any
change of opinion on this point.
We on y desire to call the attention
Of our lawmakers to what seems to
us noteworthy fact, the marked dis
agreement between the views OF the
farmers convention, as expressed in
their memorial to the General AS.
sembly, and the views Of the lobby.
ing committee appointed by that CON
vention, assuming, naturally, the bills
presented in the House by promi.
nent membcr Of tho convention to
cmbody such views.
The memorial, as far as il relates
TO the department. in question, urges.
for the purpose Of divorcing the adj
ministration Of our agricultural in
ccrests from "politics and politicians"
and obtaining q board "at once eff.
cicnt. jealous and representative"
that the farmers association alone
should select the board Of agricul
turc, instead Of their being appointed,
er o0cto, or elected by the Legisla
Lure.
The committee does not seem to
agree with the convention as to the
propriety Of this request. The first
bill presented in the House gave, it
is true, the nomination Of the men,
bcrs Of the board to the farmers as
soci"tion, but it also required that
the General Assembly should confirm
such nominations, and that if any
nominee shoUid prove unsatisfactory
his place should hc supplied by ne
General Assembly. The committee,
though more conservative in this par.
ticnlar than the body it was appcint-
CT to represent. in other respects
went beyond the requests OF l,at
body. proposed to drgraj;' ti,c
department OF agriculture fro.a the
cmlncnuy proper position Of a dc
parImcnt OF the State government TO
that Of a mere corporate body; it pro-
posed further to take away from tie
General Assembly the election Of the
Commissioner, q bonded and com
mssioned officer, and place il in the
hands Of the board.
Nowhere does tile bill offer sue-
gcstion Of any value for the improve
mcnt Of the administration of our
agricultural affairs. The committee
seems TO have realized the manifest
impcrfections ofthe measure referred
to, and have cndcavorcd to obviatc
its certain defeat by procuring the
introduction Of a bill to amend the
act creating the present department,
the amendments proposed being the
substitution Of the title "rhc South
Carolina Board Of Agriculture" for
that of "Thc Department Of Agricul-
tnre,' the election Of the members of
thc board-all TO be agriculturists--
10y the Legislature, without the inter.
vcntion Of the farmers association,
WIZ >iSSo'oii vi Viz lSSlOlcr DN
tho board after the expiration Of the
term Of the present commissioner,
and a crumo thrown to the hundreds
OF members Of the State Grange and
State Agricultural and Mechanical
Society by allowing them five repre-.
scntatives each at the annual farm.
crs' convention to be held under the
auspices Of the board. This project
has been made the special order for
to-day, and will be submitted, unless
some further change occurs to the
minds Of the committee. which may
enable them either to attain their
views III Il still more Indirect manner
or TO give them up entirely and sub.
stitutc others therefor.
Will the General Assembly forget
that this committee is rot setting
forth even the views of the convcn.
tlon it was appointed to represent,
and that it has suggested nothing to
improve but probably much to impair
the efficiency Of our agricultural adj
mlnlstration? - Cot"nbi" Register,
Dec / lh