The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-03-26
COMMISSIONER ROBINSON
GOES PRINT
He Covets the Honor of Having Killed
the Agricultural Bill. AZ
Especial to the Charlotte Chronicle.l

published by Col. l.. l.. Polk, Score
tary CT the Farmers State Alliance,
appeared an editorial as follows: "The
bill to con solidate the Department of
Agriculture and Mechanical College,
and bv which the Farmers Fund was
to be expended strictly in the interest
of agriculture, and by which from
S. 600 to $1,000 would have been
saved to the college, was passed in the
House by an almost unanimous vote
and was promptly sent to the Senate
Tt was referred to the Committee on
Agriculture. The friends of the meas
ure used every effort to have it re-
ported, but in vain. It was strangled
and killed by the action of the COM
mittee. Even Commissioner Robin
son worked day and night against it"
Your correspondent called upon
Commissioner Robinson to know why
he opposed the bill to consolidate the
Department of Agriculture and the
Agricultural and Mechanical College.
~ He said he opposed itin the interest
of agriculture, aside from any per-
sonal grounds whatever.
"Why, he said, if that bill had
passed land I am much obliged to Col.
Polk for having given me so much
credit in the matter) it would have
destroyed the efficiency of the Depart
ment almost entirely. The bill changed
the number of the board from 9 to
Is, with the power to elect a chair
man and three of their number as an
executive committee, with the full
power of the board vested in this
committee, in the absence of the
board. Every dollar of the fertilizer
tax was to be applied to- the College,
except $4,000. 1t changed the Office
of Commissioner to Secretary of Ag-
r~iculture, with an assistant secretary.
1t was virtually intended to do away
with the Department and have a new
management entirely, with the board
amenable to the College, instead of
the College being amenable to the
board"
WHO was the author of the bill ?"
was asked.
The reply was "Polk, Leazar and
odd you ever hear of any changes
to be made in the officers, provided
the bill had passed ?"
ayes. [ heard it rumored that
Col. Polk was to be the Secretary, Mr..
Chas. Mcdonald, of Concord, to be
Assistant Secretary, and Mr.. A. Lea
Ear, to be President of the College"
"Could the Department have been
run at all on the So, 600
"Under this change the Depart
ment could not have run, it would
have been so crippled. AS Speaker
Leazar said to the Committee on Ag-
riculture, at would be a tight
squeeze" In other words, the Office
might have been kept open, but no
good could have been done. The or
g~anization of farmers Institutes would
have to be stopped. The publication
of the Bulletin would have to be sus-
We see nothing in the bill
except to abolish entirely the entire
Department so far as the present man
agement is concerned. The new Sec
with his assistant, with I'm,
limited power vested in three men, |
together with all the funds, could have
done what they pleased to do. My
action in causing the bill to be de-
vas not that l was opposed to
the Agricultural & Mechanical Col
Iege, for / am as good a friend to that
Institution as any man in. the State,
but when a party Of men protesting
to have the Agricultural interests of
State at heart, go to work to do
something great for agriculture, it
does seem they should have conferred
with or consulted the Commissioner
Agriculture. My opposition was
for the interest of agriculture,
and | am glad that 1 have received so
much credit from the friends of the
defeated measure. Other facts in re
gard to this matter will be brought
out as the time allowed will permit"
LIN l. nO6hES61NE AhMER LuOSU |
,heerfully admits to it's columns the
above interview for a,two-fold pur
pose: First, to grant Commissioner
a perfectly fair showing as
! State official and as the self-asserted
champion of the opposition which
a most m~eritorious measure.
And secondly for the purpose of
showing the farmers of North Carolina
now they are misrepresented, even by
he Commissioner Of Agriculture him,
self, according to his own boastful
declaration. MY action IN causing the
bill. to be defeated. de-, says Commits
sioner Robinson. We thank thee for
The words, Mr.. Commissioner This
the responsibility for the defeat of
measure and settles that question,
if we are to believe the Commissioner.