The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-01-14
tGRICI LTTRAL DEPARTMENT
WHAT IT Is DOING, HOW IT Is
DONE. AND WHAT 1T COSTS.
, Resume of the " Ork of the Agriculture.
.I Dcpartmcnt--W W herein it Fulfls Its
MISSION and Wherein it Does Not.

some weeks ago the CHRONICLE in an
editorial. made the statement that the
trrIcuIturu Department of North Caro-
Iua located in Raleigh, was not popular,
and predicted that if something was not
done to popularize it and its workings
There was danger that the Legislature
would abolish it next winter.
10 day we repeat the statement and the
prediction, with the purpose of lnqulrlng
sf The people who have been crtlclZlng the
Department have known what they We're
talking about, and of printing the truth
Of he workings of the Department 50 that
those who are honestly inquiring after
truth may know the true condition Of
affairs
The CHRONICLE believes the State ought
to have an Agricultural Department, hon
e3tly and economically Il ministercd We
believe it to be the duty of the press tot tell
the people whether the Department, us at
present administered, is fulfilling its mis-
SION and is being managed wisely and as
chcapIy as proper management Will permit
Believing this, and knowing that many
pcope entertain the belief that there is
gross extravaganza and unwarranted neg
icct of duty on the part of the Board and
some of the officers, we visited Gov. Scales
last Friday morning and requested the
privilege of examining the accounts and
papers Of the Agricultural Department,
with the view of publishing the exact state
of affairs not considering who might be
hurt OF who might be helped. The Gov
cruor tgreed with US that it would be do
iuy IL good service to the readers of the
C4RuNIeLE and to the public to look into
the workings Of the department and com
mend or condemn as the state of affairs
justified. He gave us a commission, as
1 l. IL
copy;
RALEIGH, Jan. 8th, 1886.
To THE Hon. COMM'R OF AGRICULTURE,
DEAR SIR write to ask what ! know
vou Will checrfully do: that you will afford
ihc editor of the CHRONICLE every oppor-
Iuuity ot isccrtainng all the workings
of the Department, its receipts and dis
bursemeuts and everything of interest
connected with it, He is not at all hostile
10 the Department, but as a journalist
q, sires to publish the facts in regard to
it and this be will do and ought to do
whether favorable or unfavorable.
A. NJ. SCALES.
With this authority, which we presented
to Hon NJ McGehee, the courtly and ur-
bane Commissioner we went to the Agrl-
cultural Department to commence what
pr0ved the most tedious and difficult of
undertakings. After reading the letter
Mr. McGehee said: 1T needed not this
letter to give you full access to all the pa
pers and documents of our Department.
We will not only be glad to show you what
we are doing and what it costs, but you
will have our sincere thanks for publishing
The truth about us. We have no secrets
from the people and you have only TO
command us to get our aid in your lnves-
tigations'' We thanked the Commissioner
N him bot
did net come as a spy to find out crooked
ness, but that our mission was to learn all
we could Of the Department., so as to be
l.bs to discuss its work and plans 1ntelll-
gently Then we proceeded to look into
the vouchers and to discuss with Commis-
sioner McGehee and Secretary Wilson the
various operations of the Department fol
the year 1885 and part Of 1884.
What the Department Has Cost.
II was difficult to ascertain the cost oi
The Department This was due to the fact
chat the State Treasurer IS eN officio Treas
4 urer of the Board of Agriculture, and tha
while his accounts are audited annually
a statement of the entire expenditures o
8 the Agricultural Department is made onl,
once in two years-ready for the Legisla
ture To ascertain the cost for the pas
3 five wears we had to add up the cost pc
8 month and the following is the result:
From May 2, 70 to Jan. l, 81, 81, Alb.
From Jan T. 81 to Jan. /, '82, 2,o49.O
q From Jan. /, '82 to Jan /, 'S3, 80, 462 o
81 From Jan. /, SO to Jan. ]. 81, so, ~ 1
81 From Jan /, 81 TO Jan. /, S5, 40, S24. Z
81 Total cost for five years, 1923, $3.50
. Making an average cost per
81 year OF $44, 7O5 2
Now has the work been worth tina
amount to the State? That is the questo
the tax payers want answered, and that
81 the question the CHRONICLE is trying t
throw some light upon.
Where the Money Comes From.
There are between 70 and 50 fertiize
companies doing business with merchant
in the State and all of them are rt
quired to pay tax of $500 for th
So privilege of selling their guanO
our farmers. The Department reall
don't cost the people a cent, and to ths
reason as much as to any other do we a
tribute the eXtrava 1ance. About S45,0t
has been raised each year from guano mel
1t is estimated that the amount this yef
will be SAC, 900. ON the editorial page
this paper we make a suggestion regardlr
this tax Read it.
At one time, in addition to his regulf
salary from the Agricultural Departmel
|A Of the General Government. He does NJ
s4 receive this amount now, and his salary
A two thousand dollars. without any pc
q A qusites, says Mr.. MtGehee. The Boar
* gave its assent for the Commissioner
@ receive this salary. He was also at tt
same time in receipt of Il salary as bor
Commissioner Was it right for one ma
2 to hold three offices and receive pay fro
IL, Thn 1ay.
81 that a man cannot hold U. S. office az
90 be eIector, or be a Justice of the Peace al
@ Judge Of an Inferior Court. IS there al
s difference! We see but little. One off
is enough for any man, especially II Il
salary OF that office will support the i
Gumbent
Mr.. McGehee's duties are get Q
. out biennial report for the Leglsl
ture with the assistance Of the othe
- in the Department., does whatever t
Board directs him to do, gives any
~ formation desired relating to Il
2 State, is well Informed as to our resource
He is a courtly, polished gentleman; a cli
slcal scholar and an upright man.
makes good impression on people Wis
- ing the State With all this he is not t
3 most progressive of men lis conservative
4 4 fault; and does not make himself felt
zzsS 4c ought and could and should. He do
but little TO acquainG the peOple vi
the work that the Department does. Tht
2 oushly capable of making elegant and p
&4# lSfItG add to the farmers and pIVl