Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-12
STATE OFFICIALS JEALOUS OF THE
BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
SEEKING TO EMBARRAss 1T.
TO LIMIT THE EDITION OF IT'S REG
ULAR REPORT TO $500.
No Limit on the Political Reports
That Nobody Wants or leads
Not Likely to Ac-
cept This Slap With
Good Grace.

Topeka, Kas.. March 1L.-(SpeeiaL) The
Populist state officials have become Jealous
of the success and consequent popularity
of the department of agriculture, the only
branch of the state government: over which
they have not absolute control, and pro-
pose to do what they can to embarrass
Secretary Coburn in his work. In doing
so, they must give the farmers of Kansas
a direct slap In the face. but a little thing
like that does not impel them to pause and
consider.
The first step was taken to-day, when
State Auditor Morris gave out an inter-
view to the effect that he would not audit
the bill of the state printer for more than
$500 copies of the. next biennial report of
the department of agriculture. This re-
port will not be published until next De-
cember, and the declaration made now,
nine months in advance. shows that some
thing is troubling the administration The
auditor bases his proposed action on the
ground that the law says that not to ex-
coed that number of books shall be pub
lished.
The fact is that the law which he pro-
poses to go by is obsolete, and has been
for twenty years. 1t was passed in 1877.
when the board of agriculture was merely
an experiment. The power for good of the
board soon outgrew the law and 1t has
never been regarded since. either under the
Republicans, Democrats or Populists.
The various legislatures for years back,
recognizing the great benefits derived by
the farmers through the state board of
agriculture, always made special provision
in the law appropriating money for the
state printer that the printer should print
whatever the board of agriculture re-
quired. There was always another pro-
vision of law which enabled the state to
print a goodIy number Of these reports.
That gave the state officers authority to
publish whatever in their judgment would
be of benefit to the people of the state.
The executive council always passes on
the number of copies of reports of various
officers and boards that shall be printed.
Ever since the board of agriculture got out
of its swaddling clothes. the council has
been having printed from 1000 to 5000
copies of the biennial report of the secre-
tary Of the state board of agriculture. 1t
remains for the present Pop administra-
ton to practically cut the farmers on from
receiving the only state report that is of
any value to them whatever. In the mean
time, the administrator will let other
boards spend money without stint in get
ting out reports that nobody reads.
As an illustration, the state board of
railroad commissioners has just got out its
report and the only people it interests are
Adiilodo gCOpICp IA " tAS ibduo.
Half a carload of these reports is now in
the boards office. and whenever a stranger
goes in there the clerks hold him up and
compel him to take a report. On the other
hand, Mr.. Coburn has five times more ap-
plications for his reports than he can fill.
The farmers look for them as eagerly as
they do their magazines. But just be-
cause the agricultural department is over
shadowing all others in its helpfulness.
- .-la-. ao,, nL,r
the man who has made it SO helpful, is re-
ceiving fattering mention as the possible
Republican nominee for governor, the Pops
intend to slap the department, its secretary
and the farmers by shutting off as much of
its funds as possible.
1t is revealing no secret, nor is 1t any
exaggeration to say that the present Pop
rotary Coburn will be nominated for/gov-
ernor by the Republicans IN spite OF his
statement that he was not a candidate.
Before he was talked of for governor, they
all expressed the opinion that he was one
of the most useful officials in his line in
the United States, and were profuse in
their compliments OF his reports. But
things have changed
II was only yesterday that a state Of
fetal sharply criticised Ccburn for having
John Credentials prosperity talk before
the board of agriculture at its annual meet
ing, printed in pamphlet form and sent
East. This official declared that it was a
just s1.5O TO have the Breidenthal address
printed. and SO was spent on postage in
sending IL to LOCO Eastern papers. And still
this official claimed it was a waste of
money.
Next fall. when the thousands of honest
Populist farmers who know a good thing
est efforts in their behalf. look and wait
in vain for the report from their agricul-
tural bureau, they may realize that prob
ably the present administration is not such
a warm friend of the farmers after all.