The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-12

sistently and repeatedly urged caused the es-
taohshment OF our agricultural experiment
station. Your state fairs have been Of meal
culaole benefit in stimulating to health
ful rfvalries the farmers OF the
state; In increasing our products en-
HANGING the value Of our lands. and IN Illus
trating the varied resources OF the state
through your society President White OF the
State Agricultural College has given TO the
farmers or Georgia and the south the benefit Of
MS experiments IN scientific agriculture, as we'll
as teaching them the value and analyses Of com
merclaI fertilizers, and their adaptabilty TO the
various soils and sections.
Who can estimate the value Of these achieve
ments 70 the entire state, especially TO the
agricultural interests of the stateg
While neither the department of agriculture
nor the experiment station have reached the
Inil measure OF their usefulness, or the perfec-
ton to which we hope to see them attain the
delay is due TO the laws which govern and con
troll them. Both are comparatively new. The
laws relating to them are necessarily
Imperfect. Time and experience will detect
and correct all imperfections These
with the remedies, will be suggested
by the officers IN charge OF these important
departments. In their efforts to make them
stlnted support aud encou-a cement and yours
will be the benefit. Communicate to the com
missioner and director any fact known TO you,
the knowledge or which will benefit others.
Give them the benefit OF any experiments you
have successfully made in seeds fertilizers
soil tests, or anything else Of practical value.
You VIII thus be benefited, the state prosperad,
ana the growth in good and usefulness of these
departments will be sure and rapid. AS the
commissioner and assistant commissioner of
agriculture and the director of the experiment
station will address you, they will present, more
forclbly than can, their respective claims to
your consideration.
THE STATE APPROPRIATION.
Until few years ago the state granted to
this society, for the purpose Of encouraging its
state fairs and to advertise its agricultural re-
NAL y
law to this effect remains on our statutes. 1t
has never been repealed, but for twelve years
il has been imperative, because there seems to
Do constitutional prohibition OF such
appropriation. Prominent lawyers differ
as TO the status of this law. The
Hon. Joseph E. Brown, Hon. II. X. McCay and
the Hon. A. H. Stephens gave opinions favor
able to its constitutionality, while the distin-
guished ex-attorney general the Hon. Clifford
Anderson, entertained a contrary opinion. 1t
would seem not out of place for this convention
to raise committee to take this subject under
consideration, to the end that our rights, If any,
in the premises may be ascertained.
The time for such m ovement is now most
opportune. He who has long possessed your
confidence and esteem, and who deserves them
both for his DEVOTE n TO you and your int rests
| fills with honor the executive chair. The legis-
lature is friendly to your interests, and to secure
them VIII 20 as far as the law permits or justi-
fies. The supreme court is wise and just, and it
occurs 20 me that now is the time to have your
rights defined under the law
The duty or the state to protect and encourage
its agricultural interests, to say nothing of the
wisdom Of such a course, will not be questioned
or denied. Certainly on the success Of agricult
ure depends the general welfare This truth
has been recognized for centuries. Gibbon In
his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, "
quotes ArtaxerXeS as saying: THE authority
OF the prince must be defended with military
force; that force can only be maintained by
taxes; all taxes must at last fall on agricult-
| ure, and agriculture can never flourish except
nn6ar of fngtip and
| tion.n.
Can our state, with its boosted civilization. In
this free and enlightened age, afford to be less
| just, and less wise, In its conduct toward that
| great service in peace and war than was g
Persian monarch hundreds of years ago?
THE STATE FAIR.
| Notwithstanding the numerous fairs and ex
| positions held IN the state, and the sharp com
| petition which has necessarily existed, your
state fairs have been a success Successful in
developing our resources, and in increasing ouI
| productions. Successful in bringing about q
more diversified agriculture, and successful in
| its finances. While the making Of
money has never been an object, moi
| has II been attempted, enough attention
has been given to it TO prevent any de
crease in your treasury, and thus provide
against any unforeseen contingency. The bal
! ances In the treasury at the close OF each fair
for the past ten years, have shown gratifying
evidences Of prudent management.
4
| and one from which great benefits are expect
| ed, was inaugurated by Gov Northen. Thi
| scheme AN nalChautauqua--w worth,
| of the man who has given so much of though
and effort to education, as well as to agricul
| ture.
| This Chautauqua embraced lectures by some
| of the most successful educators, as well a.
| most advanced thinkers of the state. In tht
| choice Of lecturers and the subjects discussed
the Chattauqua was a success. 1t is our purpose
| TO continue efforts in this direction, and IL
| them we ask and expect your support. We
have the assurance, although he has been called
| to higher and more labOrious responsibilities
| that Gov. Northen has not abated one iota OF
interest in, or soicitude for. the success of our
| fairs.
Let me beg you, the members of this conven.
/ TO come to the help of your state fair When
you return to your homes, seek to interest your
| people, at least in the importance of advertis
| ing, through 1t, their productions and the re
| sources Of their counties. Success In this de
| mands county organizations and the hearty Co
/ operation Of its farmers and manufacturers. In
| this connection, l am reminded that this con
| vention should take steps, devise some plan,
| whereby the agricultural mechanical and in.
| dustriaI interests of our state may be properly
| represented at the worlds fair to be held
| in the city Of Chicago. The con
| stitution of the state forbids any appropriation
| for such purposes-hence we can look for nc
aid from the state. While this is to be regretted
other means may be employed to attract the at
| tention of the thousands who will attend that
great eXpOslIlOH 10 Inc advantages possessed
by the great state Of Georgia and the induce
! ments it offers to settlers and investors. This
matter should claim your prompt attention
Would it not be wise to refer the subject to a
! committee to report their suggestions to the
convention just before its closer
THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION
The question OF immigration, which Is very
properly engaging so much attention Just now,
demands careful consideration. The fact is
known 10 all of you that the supply of ordinary
labor is far less than is needed while the ineffi
cheney OF such as VIC have is increased and
aggravated by reason of its scarcity and enables
them to dictate prices entirely disproportioned
Co the prices We obtain for the products of
that labor. Inquiry made of every branch
of industry reveals the scarcity and inefflciency
to be universal. While to a limitet extent this
scarcity may be due to the emigration of quite
number of negroes to the west and north
west during the past fourteen months, we are
satisfied the great cause should be attributed to
the vast increase in the number of industries
springing up all over the state. In the mining
region alone these industries have increased
fivefod
For this seasons operations it is too late to
attempt to supply the deficiency. The question
is serious one. That negro labor at best is,
as a class, unreliable, need not be told to a con-
vention Of farmers. The recent african craze -
which eliminated in causing hundreds Of them
to rendezvous in Atlanta, breaking. without a
thought of excuse, contracts made with farm
ers, demonstrates how easily they can be led off
and deceived by designing men.
wisdom and prudence demand that we shape
our affairs to meet the changed conditions
which are before us. The experience of the
past two years teaches us that 1t is unsafe TO
pitch crop for greater number of hands than
we have already engaged and are reasonably