The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-06
THE STATES HEN ROOST
INCOMPETENT STREET CORNER POlITI
CLANS GET JOBS.
G. Cd Flow, the New Director of the Poultry
Deparlm Mt, not Regarded as Prac-
teal Man in his Home.

This paper has made no comment upon
the fitness of &. Ed Flow to be superin-
tendent of poultry, to which he and his
fellow members of the Board of Agricul-
ture recently elected him. This thing
of members of boards providing soft
berths for themselves and their kin has
become so common that it eXcites no
special comment.
"Can such things be, and overcome us
like Summer cloud.
And not excite our special wonder?"
They can, under this administrations
nobody is surprised ut anything the di-
rectors of the Manure Pile do.
But to G. Ed. Flow. Here is what his
home paper, the Monroe Enquirer, says
of him:
1.-The so-callcd reformer politicians of
North Carolina went before the dear
people" processing to be the friends of
the farmer. They told the farming
classes that the hand of oppression was
resting too heavily upon the tilers of
the soil They told the toiling farmers
and prosperity in exchange for suffrage.
These reformcrs We're hailed with de-
light, many believed them. the majority
of the freemen of our good State voted
for them and they were indicted into
office and the good old ship of State
was turned over to them. Their prom
Uses were made only to be broken.
Those incompetent. greedy office seek
ers lied to the farmers when they told
them that they would legislate in favor
of the tillers Of the soil.
'"rhe Agricultural Department of this
State has been made the dumping ground
for men who were totally unfit to fill
any position in any department. of our
State government. Places have been
made in the Agricultural Department,
not because the farming thousands of
North Carolina would be benefited by
such places, but because henchmen
might be paid for party services. In
that Agricultural Department they have
the Poultry Department. The Poultry
Department is not worth two and half
cents to North Carolina farmers, but it
pays the director handsomely.
Last week. at the meeting Of the
Board of Agriculture, G. Ed Flow. of
Monroe, was elected director of the
Poultry Department" Flows duties
will be to do nothing. for which he gets
thousand dollars per year of the peo-
pies money.
well, we are really glad that G. Ed.
has landed. We expected that they
would give him position on the States
manure heap. but they have given him
Il place on the States chicken roost,
which does pretty well. Many ii bright
boy i'll North Carolina, who has earned
his daily bread and secured the means
of obtaining an education by the honest
sweat of his brow, could fill the position
Of Director Of the Poultry Depart
ment' better than G. Ed Flow will fill it.
but these are evil times we have
fallen into. An incompetent, street
corner politician can secure rich, fat
places while the worthy, the competent
and deserving must toll to support him.
In the name of all that is reasonable.
what consistency is there in giving Ed
Flow the position he has been given!
Does he know anything about poultry
raising? Did he ever study the business
in either a practical or in theoretical
way? Do you who know him think that
&. Edward knows enough about chicken
ology to be paid a thousand dollars per
year by the people for his knowledge on
that subject? But G. Edward knows
as much about his work in the Agricul-
tural Department as many of his co
| workers. Almost the whole layout in the
Agricultural Department is VIGOROUSLY
incompetent. The idea of such men be-
ing paid thousands of dollars for that
which profits the people who bear the
burdens of taxation not one cent is out
rageous. Why. turkey buzzard teach
ing purity to dove would be beautiful
consistency compared with the incon-
sistency of putting that gang in control
of the Agricultural Department"