The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-01-14

partment is run III their interest. and not
conilne himself 10 merely clerical work
which c5tn be done by nan who has not
a third of Mr. McGehee's capacity
There y almost universal complaint
among the farmers that the Department
does them no good. Ii this they are mis-
taken but if the Commi siouer would 90 in
every county IN the State once d year and
make an address to the farmers on the
work, the complaint would soon die and
the people would favor the Department,
economically administered. In addition
to the Commissioner a Secretary at a sal
AIRY of 81 200, is employed Mr. Peter NJ
Wilson is the present Secretary He was
allowed $3.50 last year in addition to his
salary on account Of his services at the
New Orleans Exposition. 1t is true that
he had extra work TO do III shipping
and packing the exhibits, but the other
part OF the tin G he was in New Orleans
enjoying what most men would call a
pleasant vacation, Will just enough work
to give him good appetite. Why, then,
should he be paid more that the contract
when his duties We're not more eXactng,
but much more pleasant. But it was the
peoples money and it 5 a we'll known
practice that there is nol so great neces-
sIty in being economical with these funds,
as when one is handling lis own money!
In addition TO receiving 81 - in cash extra,
Mr. Wilson'S expenses, including sleeping
car fare, etc, We're pald by the State.
When III Raleigh he pays hi: own board
at New Orleans his board was paid by the
State. That was a saving to him and vet
he was paid $3.50 extra Suchunnecessary
expenditures ought not to be Dlerated
\ $50 in the Commissioners office a ne
or * at lar nf tyra ty
five dollars Il month. His duties are to
make fire, sweep up, and wit on the
Commissioner and Secretary. That's IA
prett. good salary, but the nego is edu
cate and is said to be very usefu There
is also employed by the Commissioner an
Inspector of fertilizers This of1cer re-
ccived 800 last year and worked, we be-
lieve, about four or five months. While
Mr. Wilson was at New Orleans he assisted
Mr. McGthee, as did alsr Mr. MoGehee's
son, both being paid out of the Dpart-
ment 1t is wonderfully surprising how
much money is required for incideltals,
such as postage, express, freights, station
airy, etc, and the telegraph bills are sim
ply enormous. Why they should COS so
much, if proper directions are given agents
of the Department, this deponent sayth
not. Some money was also eXpenGd
help business, in all, amounts to 10
little during the year although enOu9
men are employed, it seems to a care
ful observer, to do all the work need
ed. But then, you know, there's forty
thousand dollars to he spent and it would
never do to have Il surplus.
THE EXPERIMENT STATION.
If there is one branch of the Depart
Experiment Station of which DR.. G. W
Dabney, Jr., Phi. F., is Director. This de
partment is necessity, because the reve
nue. derived to run the whole establish
mennt comes from a tax on fertilizers, ant
license cannot be granted to sell the
guano until competent chemist pro
nounces it valuable.
DR.. Dabney was glad to show us the re
cord of his work and the details Of III:
mode Of working Everything here il
neatness and we could but admire tn
methOdical arrangement of his letters, re
suits Of analyses, and other business pa
pers. Here not five cents is spent for
| cake of soap (and they use lots of it, agree
| ing with the learned Prof. Winston that
| man ought never to ecOnOmlze IN soap. 20
| twenty-five cents expended for wAls
| brush (why should the state pay for
whisp brush Is it one of the chemicals.
| or any other item, without receipt bein
filed in book kept for that purpose.
History OF the Station.
When first organized the EXpermen
Station was located at the University
Here some work was done but the rumo
was that the Director and most of his as
sistants spent good portion OF their tim
hunting Nevertheless in two years 1877
II, Il ybo
first class chemist and has made q youn
fortune since he left North Carolina b
assay work, 37S specimens were analyzet
and the cost of the Station with three a.
sistants was $3,S35.31 per year see repol
of Experiment Station for 1879. In NJ
vember 1880, the present Director Wa
elected at salary of So 900 a year. In o.
| tOber 1881 the Office was moved to Raleigh
Before moving there were four assistant
who were paid SO, 500, $3.50, and s:
per month respectively.
| When the Office was moved to Raleig
the salaries of the assistants were increa
ed to $S3.;33, SS3.33, $50, and $50 respe
lively The total expenditure from Apr
, 1, 81 to April /, So was Sc, 122 .33, and tn
number of alalyses was 450. In 1889, IL
salaries of the two $50 a month men, WEI
increased to $15, and a negro man emp.o
} The total expenses from April 50 to App
SO was s., ,S31 90 The number of anaiys
: 459. From April 80 to Jan. 81, the G
f penses were S5, $50. Dr. Dabney's sala
: was increased to 81, 500 which salary
still receives. By act of Legislature {
servants were paid one dollar a day az
the negro's salary was raised to S2S p
!, month. From Jan. 'S4 to Jan. 50 Il
: expenses were Sl1 1913, of which amou
$2,713 was expended for the phospha
survey in the Eastern part OF the STAT
In this survey II beds were explored, al
, 139 examined and samples drawn and .
, spected. Number analyses Gag,
, During the year 1885, from Jan. 1st
! Dec. 31st inclusive, $7,S39.05 was t
, ton. The number of analyses were $50.
5 Comparison of Work Done.
i Under the management before Dr. Da
/ ney took charge (the first years of the ST
, tom from April 10Th 1877 to Dec.
G 1880, only 1000 analyses were made. F
e the two years, April 1877 to April 49,
/ 1870 was the amount expended; and
these two years the number of analys
t were 319, making EACH analysis cost t
! State a fraction over $40. Three ASST
s ants were then employed at salaries
e Ss49. SO, $562. so, and $40 respectively
/ two years work The Director receiv
9 81, 200 year.
5. From April /, 81 to April /, 'sa, und
: DR.. Da5ney, 450 analysis We're made a
Q total cost of So, 122 80, an average cost
t. $500 per analyses. The next year t
e total expenditure was 81, ,S31. 90, an av
o age cost of S17.06 per analysis. FRI