The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-03-15
LOTT rorn rs to have silenced the carping pessi-
l,betoa an1 given food for thought TO the

| ' ""'d from winch the department
must compile its annual report. How
ehieiently these officials have performed
tneir duties their returns on file In this
department will testify.
| IL viii be seen by reference To the i,,v
| recurring the tax assessor to gather The
| NECESSARY facts upon which the agricul-
t.nai report Is based that II is mandatory,
| a. says lney snail do 50. and to enforce
ms niandat" nreacribes penalty. Thus.
| py implication If not in direct lettering
na ryspn q duty ON the part Of the tax
| ever, and wholly insufficient In this re-
spect the law is inefficient. and should he
| amendcd In the communication with
| Whlcn i accompanied the last report I
| uIsolet attention to the difficulties that
| prevented tho fulnllinont Of the laws in
| , ~ 70 secure fun aud correct Stats.
| tlcs and suggested that PROMPT remedial
| LEGISLATION should be had Further nni
more extended dealing with this feature
S q, ,he states departmental duties con-
| hlins anu emphasizes the propriety of the
| suggestions then offered Actual tests
aemonsirate that existing laws do not ac-
SVhnplah the purposes and are frutless
| OF the results FIR which they were en-
acted. because they are nowerinas for ,be
| enforcement of their own requirements
IN inns emergency the states constituted
agency Is to that extent enjoined from
uhe performance of the mission with
which II is charged. An examination OF
me returns now on Gle in the agricultural
bureau of this department will verify and
L. 'N'N NNPiNHSNl Oh
oia any neHessl.y Tor an amendment can be
exccllency's attcnftor :" ~ ,nv,.e your
from the assessors OF the various Counties
,'d 'hey complain that some OF the
ihe so,,Sd ~, 10 durnlsh or eve
nnrtment's advice ana instruction as IA
the necessary steps to be taken IN order
H., ~ W.T. H. Ihese rel nsals are based on
more frenuenti. h,re,,np ~, ~ S i
ception OF the uses TO which the lnfornia-
tioh Is put. 1nis state of affnirs is TO
be deplorcd and can only he remodled by
one OF two courses: mandatory amend
mont 70 the law and the fixing OF a PEN
ally for refusal by any taxpayer TO fur
nsh the required facts and Information.
or else n patient campaign Of education
by means of farmers Institutes ana the
frequent meeting OF the people hv Tho
commissioner with practical talks on. and
Il gradual unfolding of the benehccnt pur-
poses for which tho department was ere
ated. 1t is my aim and shall he my OBJ
ioct IN either event. to overcome these
prc1udiccs and wipe out all antagonlsm
10 the work in hand and | believe that
by the latter plan, II the former should
not be deemed advisable the people can
he brought to realize that they are pro-
noting their own interests ms individuals
and the material prosperity of the State
by cheerfully imparting to the nsscssors
ali the facts and Information contempla-
ted by the law. and requisite TO enable
them to transmit accurate schedules and
correct reports
have briefly touched upon the law its
,,,,,er,a,.to,, a., .,,,.,,r 49,. -
u"pe'leceoiiS' 'he atutuoe OIL inc uses
sors and the people to the work, and
would now say something of the work |
- -, - -. A.. .,, |
itseh' Nai1cu III scope anu N"@st III III" s''-
tude the mere compilation of the data
gathered requires Infinitely more labor |
~, ~ .,.,.. -, l. .,,.a,., - ,r.oa, |
'""'t LIZ 'FSi"bo man rs ""'4' VI iie"'
Ing with ana of the varied industries OF |
ZIG organized counties tables are prepared |
for eisch county and these tables multi
piled bv the PRINCIPAL products of the |
county. as for instance. tables for corn |
cotton, the cereals in their order, pota-
nolasses. cultivated and native grasses |
hay, etc, frults ana berries and their |
subdivisions tho products of the dairy, |
the farmyard stock Of ali Kinds. horses |
mules lacks iennrfs. cattle nneen hogs |
and their products. WOOL, fowls. iaborers |
an,nlnved Lad tho,,r wn1,os sarr,,s rS.nad
es l,rIn aain lnelr wases; arms 9whea
each class .riven and given with narticiI
j,r.ity of detail MANY mickies make n
nurLIe" ,s an ,Id enrt:b nro'is,h Ia -,
the gathering Of the lesser details If lie
nroaI,cts a. 1bo Earn, ,.,td W s-,
Of wealth and nrosress ,s shows V -,
Via, H. - 90 ~ :, 80 80 - atIV"m lio,ii
ace foI IN 1y' t', W. s1 haiiau onI a,
M hein's f 20 ose W. "a An ", 49,
ifitle wo1,, fn nI,cn roaeo, az" r,up "a ~
is permitted to 20 To waste, VI ~
y h., 49, t., '' ~ ~ 49,, ,. ,,
C,,i,, i' end W. Ii W. hoiEi
and when to It is added tho
range and scopt OF the statistical feature
,vhtSb IL 1nu ntb a,nii,,a ~ H,duh
stdered as the allotted work OF one man.
ana yer shch ls me case, since from tho
force ailoyrJ o, IN ,hs Ii y, ~ W ~ ~
duties OF this department | have the ser
y vices OF unIy one Clerk TO TINS particular
work and the people no loss than ihrne
coild be advantageousy and probably
omp!cyrl
The value OF every departments report
Is commensurate with the degree Of it's
c9rrSct9ess should errors occur they
shoGi1 ne OF SO Trivial n nature as not TO
nnlair itS usefulness, AS 10 the correct
iNss pi me .enipll%lon OF thi5 report |
mou i1 rcspecoi,uily ihVite an examination
~ 49, oor s ,,, ~ discrepancies or
!, "i,,iJ,ar, iet VI, olus iouss where
IL NJ, u1'otss. anu thts department.,
II Is in no wise rosnn,s,, ron charse
IN correc, So,no ~ tho AZ, inu mel;,less
evidcnced II cn,nmerdahla "sscsno's haSe
of thn,r 49, ptiu IT,, N we
and 10 these vould male '', nv, vs. , LIu.ans'
I'd t.empnts The assessors ara s,rir om,r
hovc,nr Nv, ~ y ~ g2NSly