Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-02-10
Two Important Bills.

The following is the text of two important
bills now being considered by the Virginia
legislature. One, the Board of Agriculture
bill, has gotten through the House and is now
in the Senate. 1t is as follows:
THE BOARD OF AGRI COUTURE.
To Provide for Board of Agriculture of Virginia.
and Making Appropriation Therefor.
/. Be it enacted by the General Assembly
of Virginia. That there shall be established
board of agriculture for the state of Virginia,
to be composed Of one member from each of
the ten congressional districts of the state,
whose principal business shall be the cultiva-
ton of the SOIL to be appointed by the gov
ernor, said members to be selected from the
two political parties, SO that not more than
two-thirds OF the members of the said board
shall belong to any one of the said parties at
the same time, and whose term of office shall
be four years, except that those first appoin-
ted under this act shall be for the following
terms Those from the First, Third, Filth,
Seventh and Ninth districts shall be for two
years; and those from the Second, Fourth,
Sixth, Eighth and Tenth districts shall be for
four years; and thereafter all appointments
shall be for four years. The said board shall
choose its president by ballot.
2. The department of agriculture shall be
under the control and management of the
board of agriculture, The commissioner of
agriculture shall be ca eticio member of the
board and secretary and treasurer of the board
of agriculture.
3. For the purpose of practically carrying
out the designs for which the board of aeri-
culture is established in this state an appro-
priation of $l5, 900 for each and every year is
hereby made, to be placed to the credit of the
treasurer of the state board of agriculture, to
be paid out as hereinafter directed on the
warrants of said treasurer, countersigned by
the president of the board.
L. The said sum shall be annually applied
by the commissioner of agriculture under the
orders and direction of the said board. to the
promotion of the objects and purposes men
toned in the act of assembly approved March
49, 1877, chapter 249, entitled ''an act to
establish department of agriculture, mining
and manufacturing for the State" and acts
amendatory thereof, establishing bureau of
immigration, and also bureau of labor and
industrial statistics pertaining to agriculture
and for such other purposes as are specified in
this act and not otherwise specially provided
for.
5. The State board of agriculture shall as
soon as practicable organize throughout the
State of Virginia a system of farmers inst,-
tutes for the purpose of considering and dis
cussing questions relating to practical agri-
culture, horticulture, pomology, and so forth
and they shall be authorized to employ one or
more persons competent to give instructions
in practical and scientific agriculture, to de-
liver lectures and read essays relating to agri-
culture and k'ndred pursuits.
6. 1t shall be the duty of the commissioner
of agriculture to cause to be printed with his
annual report such of the lectures delivered
and essays read at the farmers institutes and
industrial statistics pertaining to agriculture
as the State board shall deem of sufficient
value to be preserved in permanent form.
Z. The State board of agriculture shall
meet annually in the city of Richmond for the
transaction OF business ON the second Wednes-
day in January in each year, but called meet
ings of said board may be held at any time
upon the call of the president. The actual
expenses of the board of agriculture shall be
paid by the treasurer OF said board on the
order of the president; but no member of the
board other than the commissioner of agri
culture. shall receive any compensation over
and above expenses.
8. All laws in conflict with this act are
hereby repealed.
8. This act shall be in force from its pas
sage.