The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-06-21
LEGISLATION FOR FARMERS,

influence OF the state administration
and the corporations, the farmer
element IN the recent legislature has
gone home we'll satisfied with what il
got this session. The granger and
alliance members of the house had
most formidable and solid organiza-
tion and all the agricultural legisla-
ton that was passed was largely due
to their efforts aud strength.
The most effective showing of their
influence was the creation of the
state department of agriculture and
the practical wiping out of the state
board of agriculture, which has been
in existence during the past fifteen
years. The board is legislated out of
existence by clause in the general
appropriation bill granting $4,000 to
it for the next two fiscal years and
which in addition says Provided,
that no vacancies in the membership
of the board shall hereafter be filed"
This provision will knock out about
one-half of the membership of the
board between now and January I,
1896. The other half will be out by
January, 1897.
The leading grangers in the state,
however, were careful not to show
their hand openly in their efforts to
annihilate the board of agriculture
and create department of agriculture.
They even went so far as to urge upon
the house appropriations committee
the granting of So, 900 for the board,
bnt they took good care to tack on
the foregoing provision by which they
give the board an opportunity to slide
gracefully out Of existence.
The trouble with the board was that
most of the Republicans on the ap-
preparations committee and the lead.
ing grangers throughout the state were
and are opposed to 1t for political and
other reasons. It is claimed that
majority of the members of the board
are in favor Of the repeal of the oleo
law of 1885 and that they were forced
to take a back track on that issue at
their Fall meeting at Somerset last
October by the vigorous fight made
against them by the grangers.
Another objection to the board was
that it not only was too extravagant
in conducting the farmers Institutes,
but that 1t used them for local and
ulterior purposes. Two years ago the
board was given $4,000 for the use Of
the Institutes, while $500 has been
granted to the new department OF ag-
nculture. 1t is claimed that the
department will do more general and
effective work with the smaller sum
than the board did with $o,5oo. But,
perhaps, the controlling reason for the
annihllation of the board was the
charge that it had gone too far into
Democratic politics that it had in
fact been instrumental in aiding in
the second election of Governor
Pattison. This was the all. powerful
argument against the existence of the
board in the minds of the recent legis-
lature and the Hastings administra-
ton.
The bill creating the department of
agriculture was one of the first signed
by Governor Hastings and Secretary
Edge, who is at the head of the depart
ment, and is now organizing it. For
the greater part of the Offices there
are over 600 applicants, but there is
no opposition to DR.. ]. T. Rothrock
of West Chester, for forestry COM
missioner, and DR.. B. H. Warren, of
the bird book fame, for economic
zoologoist. DR.. Rothrock has been
endorsed by the state forestry COM
mission and the faculty OF the Univer.
sity of Pennsylvania. DIR. Warren
has the unanimous endorsement Of
the senate and the academy of natural
sciences Philadelphia. For state
veterinary surgeon DR.. Leonard Pier
son, head of the veterinary depart
ment Of the University of Pennsyl,
vania, will be named.
There is large number of appli.
cants for the appointment of deputy
secretary, ca,-l among them being
William NesOi,t, of Northumber-
land Gabriel Hester, of Dauphin !;
Joel A. Herr, Of Clinton A. c. Sis
ser, of Lackawanna, and Calvin Coop
er, of Lancas.cr The salary is $3,-
600 year. Nesbitt is likely to be
appointed 1t is said that Senator
Critchheld Of Somerset, is also can
didate, but he is a hold over senator
and cannot be appointed to the office
under the constitution.
Other legislation in the interest of
the grangers was the act appropriating
$4,000 to the state dairy and food
commissioner and $1,000 for tobacco
experiment. stations. Two years
ago $4,000 was appropriated for this
purpose, the chief experiments being
made at State college. York, Brad
ford and Lancaster are the counties