The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-02-23
Attention. Farmers Of the Statel

Attention, Farmers Of the State!
Office Tennessee Agricultural Asso-
citation, Nashville, Tenn, January 81,
1899. TO the Farmers and Stock
Breeders and others interested in ag-
giculture.
The necessity fora change Of the Blu
reau of Agriculture is universally rec
ognized. The history of this depart
ment without any reflection upon the
various commissioners-is that it has
been practically an expensive agency
for the collection Of fertilizer fees.
This condition is due to the present
laws and also because the Commission
er is changed every two or four years,
and before he has been able or capaci-
tated to render effective service to the
farmer The Commissioner is de-
priyed of the cooperation of success
ful and practical farmers that he will
have under the proposed board.
The proposed bill proceeds upon the
idea that the fertilizer fees are paid by
the farmers alone, over and above THEN
contribution, in common with others,
to the revenue Of the state. These fees
are double taxation, and in business
aud fairness should be employed solely
for the farmers benefit. Under G
Board constituted as suggested, which
will be thoroughly acquainted with the
farmers needs, and run at largely
decreased cost, these fees would be
made to accomplish substantial bene-
fits.
While the bill is somewhat lengthy,
still it is concise and comprehensive,
compared to the numerous acts-in
some instances contradictory now il
force on the subject. Aside from the
change from a single Commissioner tc
4 Board no radical change is proposed,
save the transferring of the care of com
municating diseases among animals
from the State Board Of Health to the
Board of Agriculture.
Special attention is called to the fol,
lowing features Of the bill: Cd The
cost of the administration of the de-
partment is reduced at least 40 pei
-cent, and the state relieved of all lia.
bility; (2) The secretary who is the ex
ecutiye officer, is retained at the pleas
ure OF the Board, and, does not retire Sc
soon as be becomes efficient by famil
iarizing himself with the office; q
The State is relieved of an appropria
tion for the suppression of diseases
among domestic animals; (4) Specific
directions are given for the employ
nent of the saving effected in the ad
ministratlon of the Bureau in the es
tablishment of institutes, a State Fair
and experimental farms, and there i
the limitation of the amount so EN-
ployed to the saving thus effected; (5
The impossibility of using a seconC
time the tag or stamp attached to fer
fertilizers; (G) The placing under bonC
Of all employees handling any money
| CO The turning into the treasury
monthly of all moneys collected as
check upon the department, and Is
Ample provisions for securing from th
United States government any fund
available for experim mental farms unde
the acts of congress,
Finally, the proposed re-organiza
tion is not an experiment and nothing
new. Similar legislation has produce
beneficial results for years in nearly al
Of the leading agricultural states of tn
United States.
Tennessee Agricultural Association
BY order of the Executive Committee
OyERToN LEA, Pres.
EUGENE SMITH, Sec.