Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-03-06
WORKING FOR AGRICULTURE.
EFFORTS OF e. Il. HUFFMAN IN
THAT DIRECTION.
what He said Before the Legislative
Committeeman up-to-Date Depart
mcnt is what is Nceded-aiay Again
Visit Austin.

One OF the best posted men in Texas
on agriculture and horticulture Is u.
L. HUFFMAN OF this city, who appeared
before the legislative committee on
agriculture few days ago in support
of a measure to put into operation the
department of agriculture of the state
government. He thinks this important
branch of our government machinery
has been shamefully neglected. He
believes the law creating the agricul-
tural department. which went into
effect in 1887, would be very good
thing If properly carried OUT and all
its provisions complied with. The
Bowser bill, recently introduced, also
has Mr.. Hufrman's support. The com
mlttee had prepared an enacting
measure to compel the farmer 10 give
certain crop statistics, mention Of
which was made In the Gazette. Mr..
Huffman is opposed TO such Il meas
ure, and said to the committee in his
speech before that body:
you propose to amend the law so
as to force the farmer to approx
mately give in his statistics. Why
not provide for carrying out the law
as 1t now stands? 1t provides for a
department Of agriculture, insurance,
statistics and history. Suppose you
would let the insurance feature lie
dormant and would then pass laws to
force the companies to give in all
kinds of facts about their business?
They would simply tell you to first give
them an insurance department ana its
benefits and then you could ask OF
them facts on which to base statistics.
You go to the farmer and pry into
his private business for statistics and
he resents 1t and now you propose TO
force him in the matter. And yet the
same law provides for obtaining agri-
cultural Information from boards OF
agriculture. agricultural societies and
associations and issuing annual re-
ports Of same with these statistics In
corporated therein Have you ever
gone to the agricultural societies and
associations of Texas for information
and Issued Il report of same2 why
YOU do not even mention their exist
ence in this report. There Is a letter
here wherein 1t Is proposed to limit
the farmer in his right to plant GER
tain crops. Such ideas crate upon a
progress is matter of Intelligence and
not of law.
Gentlemen, If you will provide for
carrying out this law as 1t stands; II
you win give the Hon. Commissioner,
AM l congratulate the state that We
have the honorable gentleman as COM
missioner, the means for holding farm
Institutes and to organize the agricul-
tural societies and associations into a
proper board of agriculture; IL you
viii only proceed upon the principles
OF this law in that the farmer shall
first have the benefits Of an agricul-
tural department before the statistic
ian shall have the right ia pry into
their affairs you will draw around
this department the entire agri-
cultural interests of the state and
you viii obtain most cheerfully from
the people information in greater
abundance than You will care to print.
This you can do much more cheaply
than by proceeding through the courts
AMI the individual citizen will not feel
the heavy hand OF coercion where free
dom and intelligence should pre-
vail"
The interest which Mr. Huffman is
creating in this direction Is wide
spread, The people. especially the lead
ing farmers, think the state owes
them better treatment than they have
received In the past. Other states, pure
ly agriculture, such as Is Texas. have
departments of agriculture that are
up to date in their methods and Mr..
Huffman thinks there is no reason
why Texas should not be equally MS
enterprising. In fact. there is not an
other state in the union which does
not support such department liber-
ally, the one In Massachusetts being