The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-28

|
-
troll of the Agricultural Department..
BEFORE the Corporation Commission
Especial to The Messenger.)
Raleigh, N. c., April 24.-Before the
corporation commission there was ar
gument for the reduction Of the mini
mum car load of fertilizers to ten tons,
John s. Cunningham, T. B. Parker,
business agent Of the state farmers
alliance, r. H. Battle urging that
it be made; while on the side Of the
railways and against the reduction
there was argument by 7. N. Emerson
for the Coast Line; Glover, for the Sea-
board Air Line; w. A. Guthrie and
Powell, for the Norfolk and Western,
and Smith and Browder for the South
ern. Petition was made by j. L. Will
son for a depot at Cerro Gordo.
Three new lodges Of Masons have
been organized thus far this year.
A secret and special meeting Of the
old state board Of agriculture was held
here. One of the members this after
noon denied that there was any meet
ing. No notices We're sent out by the
secretary, either to the members Of the
board, or to the committees which al
ways meet prior to the board meet
ing. It is learned that the ringleader
and manipulation Of the meeting is Hill
z. King, and that j. L. Ramsey and
J.. z. Kelley, Of the agricultural de-
partment, personally visited each fu-
sionist member and told him of the
meeting. 1t is very hard to get al de-
tails OF the plans Of these f~usionists to
defy the legislature n hold office, as
they are pledged to secrecy; but it is
found that they have arranged to pre-
vent the democrats from taking pos
session June 18th. They last Friday
or Saturday had new locks put on the
doors and had the windows barred.
The excuse for this was that there were
too many keys; that there must be only
two, one for John r. Smith and the
other for J. L. Ramsey. The old board
make two contentious as to the act Of
lAlS AoSI SOSS4OAi, ~ ddO-
ed fifteen members to the board. One
is that the new members did not take
the oath of office, at once, while in the
past twenty years this was never done.
The other contention is that the legis-
iature, while it had a right to increase
the board by the addition Of a few
members, had no right to so increase
it as to give the democrats control.
This is in face Of the fact that the flu
sionists in their act OF 1897 said their
purpose was to take control from the
democrats and put it in the fusionists'
hands. The fusionists have by law only
nine members, the terms o. five having
expired. John Brady aid tonight his
term expired March Sth and so did
that Of Lineberry, but when asked if he
was a member Of the board, he declin-
ed to answer, saying he could mo- tell
until tomorrow. The fact is Bryaa
Grimes can claim Brady's place tomor-
row.
1t is said that it is the plan oe these
f~usionists tomorrow to elect officers,
n that John r. Smith and J.. l.. Ram
sey and other members Of the present
outfit are to be elected. 1t is not the
proper time for election, but, Of course,
they r nothing for that, their only
purpose being to forestall the demo-
Gratis at the regular election June 18th.
Smith and Ramsey were very submis-
sive when the legislature was here, only
asking to be allowed to remain in un-
til June 18th. The democratic law pro-
vides hat Smith and Ramsey, as we'll
as all the directors, shall serve OF
their terms. The decision in the Day
penitentiary case is what caused them
to change their note. The fact is, they
expect a decision by the supreme court
tomorrow in the Atlantic and North
Carolina railway case and count en-
it's being in favor of Patrick, the fusion
list. If it is adverse it is said they will
not make fight, but they are not ex-
pecting it to be adverse. John r. Smith
has been declaring loudly he was going
out June 14th and would make No fight.
I1C LIZ LII 1dS( fl4tdy lldI the OlQ
board would make no fight. W. H. Day
and T. NJ. Argo are attorneys for the
old board, while Battle & Mordecai are
attorneys on the democratic side.
The state superintendent of public in
struction has returned from a visit to
the negro normal schools at Elizabeth
City and Plymouth, He finds the for
mer superior to the latter, but both
need Improvements.
The state charters the Transatlantic
Railroad Company, with $685., 900 CAPT
tai. The company has bought the Hen
Jacksonville and Brevard railway, TWEEN
ty-one miles long, and will extend it to
Estatoe, Pennsylvania county, ten
miles from Brevard. Pittsburg and
New Castle, Pa, men r owners.
A charter is also granted the Rob-
bins Manufacturing Company, of
GOldsboro, with s12, 900 capital. It will
make cotton and woolen fabrics. Henry