The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-08-30

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SHALL We HAVE THE COLLEGE 3
statement 81 ths Cost 81 az Asfieultu-
raj College.
-e.y
I COLUMBIA: s. O., Aug ia New.
berry gentleman intends subscribing for
an; Australian newspaper: so that he can
read at least ten line, without running
against any mention Of the Clemsot,
bequest. There are doubtless, many
other people in South Carolina who can
sympathize with this distinguished gen.
tleman, bit the diestiott he objects to is
alive one and therefore receives atten.
tion.
Believing that there are many people
who do not yet understand all that is
involved in this agricultural: College
question, t will endeavor to place It, as
regards cost, fairly and squarely before
your readers, without any expectation
that anything .hat may be Here said will
in the least affect the future actiou Of the
Legislature in regard to the matter.
: Many farmers and taxpayers have an
idea. because that impression has been
made by some of the advocates of the
college, that Mr. Clemson hassdonated to
the State property sufficient to;establish
an agricultural college, and that it can
be supported BY divertiDg funds now
used for other. purposes, and that thus,
the institution will BECOME a realization
and be maintained without costing the
stax payers anything.
/ AS. a matter of fact, all that will.be
received from the Clemson donation will
5be a site upon which 10 erect college
buildings, land sufficient for an expert
mental farm and the income on about
$4,000. Therefore, ifit is accepted the
State must put up the buildings, which,
in Mississippi, cost about $4,000. To
raise the money for this 8 levy.of one
mill on the taxable value of the property
jim the State will be needed. The income
from the $4,000 will amount to about
81, 1000. Provision must then be made for
sall the expenses Of maintaining the col:
.:lege over and above the $4,000. AS the
annual appropriation to the Mississippi
college has been $4,000, it will be neces..
YPary for the State to appropriate from.
jsome source s2S,OOO.
4 It's purposed to support the college
sby using the Hatch fund.-; $4,000, one:
half Of tie land scrip fund, $500, and
The privilege tax on fertilizers, say
i$25, 600, making a total Of S45 500.
These various funds are called the
yiarmers' money" anl it is claimed
should be used for the proposed farmers
college. It is interesting, therefore, to
state The uses to which they are at pres.
ept applied, and itiWill;be easy to decide
whether they can be- diverted thereffom
Without injury to the public interests.
The Hatch fund and the land scrip are
now given to the agricultural and me.
schapical college Of the university. To
take these away involves the abolition Of
sthsI agricultural college, which was
established at the last session of the Leg
5islatpre. This college has thoroughly
equipped it's scientific department pre-:
p9afatpry to conducting therein the
experiments required BY the terms of the
Hatch bill. For this equipment and for
the pay ofthe officers Of the experiment
station SIC, 600 of the: Hatch fund willbe
.used during the current year.
The staff Of the station will include q
director, assistant director, secretary,
chemist, two assistant chemists, a miner
ialoglst and photographer, a botanist and
entomologist, microacopist and bacte.
;rioIogist and veterinarian.
twill, therefore, be prepared to carry.
out strictly the conditions Of the act Of
Congress making the appropriation.
The remaining s., 900 Of the Hatch fund
was put with like amount from the
privilege tax, and this sum was equally
divided between the station at Columbia,
.nn she direction of the agricultural
college, and the stations at Darlington
aud spartanburg, under the control of
the department of agriculture. The land
scrip is used for the other ordinary
expenses Of the agricultural college.
The privilege tax is a tax of twenty.
Eve cents per ton on every ton Of com
merGial fertilizer sold or offered for sale
in South Carolina. 1t is devoted exclu.
sively to the support of the department
of agriculture. It is tax paid by
dealers for the privilege of selling their
fertilizers in South Carolina and primari-
ly sused preventimposition upon plan
ters by the sale of fraudulent fertilizers.
The authority to levy the tax is based,
therefore, upon the supposed necessity
for official supervision of the trade in
such goods. It is in the nature of q
police regulation.
From the proceeds of this tax the
department of agriculture now conducts
two agricultural experiment stations, at
Darlington and spar,anburg, inspects
aud Analyses all, commercial fertilizers
sold in the State, manages the State
weather service, supervises the phosphate
lut.rosts of the State, holds State and
Nonntv farnoare' inatitntea raintaing an