The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-16
An AFTERNOON SESSION.
Legislature Held It's First Yester.
day.
THE SECRETARY OF BOARD OF
AGRICULTURE PROBLEM.

Two -" ~ SnkktsspU ~ 49,
Keen's Field of Usefulness--Taxatio
Committee Reports Referring Taxa
ton Questions to Next Legislature.
IsrEoIAL TO THE rREssl
Augusta, March 15.-So far as the COM
mittee Is concerned there has been POSI-
tive expression of opinion as to the meth
DDS emp Dyed by tine board OF agriculture
In making It's presence felt In the shaping
of legislation. The special committee
having the matter In charge reported In
the House this afternoon q bill which
provides:
"No head OF any department shall here
after employ counsel or witnesses at the
expense OF the state to APPEAR before any
com m ittee of the legislature without the
consent OF the legislature.
With this bill came another and a
| longer one, making changes In the man
ner of the choice of the secretary OF the
board Of agriculture and the way In
which he shall conduct his office. The
most important of these changes is chat
| which provides for the election OF the sec
rotary by the Legislature Instead OF by the
board Of agriculture. Under the existing
| law the secretary Is appointed by the
board for term of three years. When 10
comes to the duties of the secretary, the
bill relieves him of number of things
which he 4 9 now authorized to do. The
present law provides that 1t shall be q
part of his duties TO gather and dissent
| nate knowledge as to methods Of road
building net only in rural districts but
in cities and towns. These things the
bill strikes from the law. As amended
| the law would contain no provision for
the issuing of the monthly bulletins OF
the board and in relation to tn Farmers
Institutes the arrangements for those
educational functions would be more or
less curtailed should the bill become law.
| The present law provides for the employ
ment of experts and lecturers. which in
| tho bill reads expert lecturers. The
present law also authorizes the use of
maps, charts, written articles, ETC., which
are not mentioned in the bill There is
nothing said in the committees measure
about band concerts and the employment
of soloists. The expense of the insti-
tutes is reduced by the bill from ar
amount not exceeding $500 annually to
not exceeding $1,000 The present law au'
thorizes the publication of Il, 600 copies Of
the annual report of the board. The bill
reduces the number to 1900.
These two bills are not the only reports
from the special committed Tomorrow
Gen. Brown viii present some recon-
mendations on the general subject of the
department reports Among other things
1t will be advised that the report OF thu
labor bureau be compressed In size anc
restricted in the number circulated. The
vital statistics which are now made I
part Of the report of the board Of agricul-
ture will II the committees ideas ar,
carried out be Incorporated in the report
of the registrar of vital statistics.
What the fate of the two bills is to b
cannot be stated There Is q strong feel
ing that some such measures should b.
passed but on the other hand the infiu
ence of the board of agriculture will b.
thrown against them and they will b,
representsd as a blow at the interests O
the farmers
The war between the board OF agrioul
ture and the cattle commission was heaIt
from again today when MIR. Beal was
called before the committee on agricul
ture to explain the finances of the COM
mission. The special committee whiof
MIR. Beal caused to be appointed has been
investi eating the board. The Legislative
committee which is in sympathy with
the board, took a hand In the game ant
also did some investigating. The whole
matter bids fair to eniiven these closing
DAYS of the session.
| THE TAX BILL AGAIN.
Mr.. Gardner of Patten was Indignant
this afternoon when the committee OF
taxation made Its report on the Gardner
railway tax bill and the Maeomber ordel
calling for an investigation of the genera
subject of taxation. MIR. Gardner probabl,
was not surprised at the nature of the re
port which was that both measures
should be referred to the next legislator,
for that had been expected. The ire of thu
young lawmaker from Patten wal
aroused by the fact that the reports wert
made TO the Senate and not to the House
1t is the custom to return measures t.
that branch of the legislature In which
they originate. but precedent was violatst
In this case and Senator Hodsdon mad,
both the adverse reports. They were &C
cepted without ripple of opposition and
the matter will come to the House tomor
row with this notification that the Senat,
is against action at this time. As tina
was known already. no great harm ha
been done. 1t was stated after the reports
were made that the action was taker
with the approval of the House member
of the committee.
j The UNIVERSITY OF MAINE.