The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-13
AGR|CULTUR|STS ANGRY.
They Deny the ChargesM Made
By W. F. Ely Concerning
State Finances.
STORMY SESSION OF THE BOARD.
President Denise and Secre'
tary Dye Uphold the Integ-
rity of the Officials.

lSpeclal TO Ine Jersey lily news j
TRENTON, jan. 10, 1ssS.-The morning
session yesterday Of the State Board of
Agriculture proved to be the most excit-
ing the tillers of the soil in this State
ever had. The trouble arose over the cir
GUAR sent broadcast over the State by w.
F. Ely, of the Morris County Board of
Agriculture, charging the officers of the
State Board with dereliction in the per-
Torrance of their duties and demanding
that an tented accounting be made of
! the expenditures of the State Board for
the year 1897.
AS has already been stated in The
News there has been a stiff light IN in
the Morris County Board for some time.
and in this .wrangle the faction led by MIR.
Ely has been assailing the State Board.
Last year v. P. Matthews, of the Hunter
don County Board, was trotted out as a
reform candidate for Treasurer of the
State Board, and in a circular letter
announcing his candidacy, it was charged
that the State body was dominated by a
ring which handled things as its mem
bers saw fit, and never made any ac-
counting to anybody. In the interest of
harmony, this charge was allowed to go
unanswered at the time, but the allega-
AOAho fioNt 00OA PCAoiotCo III LILY tiii
morning they were fully aired at the
meeting of the Board. The outcome is
not favorable to the Ely faction.
The session was held in the Assembly
Hall of the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation. The reason for holding the ses-
sion there and not in the Supreme Court
Chamber at the State House, was that in
one Of the lectures scheduled for today
! turo onu-c mara - he r,caI f1r dow oyfStrn =
ton. Shortly after the session was called
to order by President Denise, Treasurer
William L%ippincott presented his report
for the year.
Delegate Jacog Fitzger. of Somerset
county, made a motion that the report be
printed in full, with the report of the
State Board in order to avert further
trouble.
Secretary Dye explained that such a
course was impossible; that the board
had attempted from year to year to have
printed the report of the treasurer, but
that the State Printing Committee had al
ways cut it out as being entirely super
fiuous.
Delegate Fitzger then suggested that the
tfeasurer's report be printed in a sepa-
rate pamphlet and sent broadcast over the
State, so that everybody could see what
the expenditures of the State Board were,
and to give those who were clamoring for
an itemized bill a chance to make an ex-
animation.
Delegate Crane, of Essex, warmly urged
the printing of the report in compliance
with the demand of the Ely faction. This
brought Jesse B. Rogers, of Newark, to
his feet. He attempted to clarity the mat
ter, saying hat it was entirely controlled
by statute; that the reports were fully
made to the State officers, and the officers
Of the board could not go beyond the
power the law gave them,
President Denise warmed up to the stu
alton. He stated that the officers of the
State Board had all they could possibly
do and he certainly felt that it was not
the proper thing for officers who were try
ing to do their duty to be accused of mis-
management and wrongfully using the
funds OF the State; that he had a reputa-
ton for honesty that had never been at
tackled until this time, and if the board
thought he was an incompetent officer
they should turn him odt.
Secretary Dye said he was sorry his
friend Crane had, by Inference, cast any
suspicion on the officers. To his idea the
State Board of Agriculture had been well
managed and had a set of officers of unA
Improbable character. The first presi-
dent was Joel Parker, and the office had
R Rsen held 81 oX Ne GoxeFn9 qh Newell, , Thomas so 7.
- - Il = CAA3 a. &oll-
sui to Liverpool, and men of that stripe.
The Board, he said. was not run on any
trolled by statute. All money expended
by the Board was accounted for to the
State Comptroller. All vouchers were on
chief clerk. Colonel McNeely, give partic-
ular attention to every item
They are our bosses he said. I'VE
account to them and they are satisfied"
He said ne was proud of his reputation.
When he finished there was slight APP
Dlause.
Dye saying he had cast any suspicion on
him. Mr.; Dye replied that what Mr..
The report of the Tuberculosis Commits
sion was called for and Charles Howell
Cook, a wealthy potter of this city and
owner of the Belle Meade Farm, who is
treasurer of the commission, read the re-
port, calling particular attention to each
item. He laid stress on The fact that the
stenographer received but 81 a week, and
asked if any one in the room would like
to sit at a desk for six days for that
amount. Every penny OF the money ex-
pended, he said, he had checks to show
for. He was forced to make these state
ments of details, he said, because there
sat to his right Indicating Mr.. Ely a
man who had accused him of fraudulent
ly using $1,000 Of the States. money,
lunches and things of that kind. This
was an untruth, and he challenged the
production OF proof. he SAID ne was
not fond of wine or unche and the
reason he resented the charge was be-
cause he had a family and reputation,
which he was bound to protect.
Mr.. Cook was warmly ~applaudeds and
here the incident ended for the time be-
ing. Mr.. Ely sat quietly under all the
talk. never once moving to substantiate
the charges in his circular.
Mr.. Cooks report shows that there was
a total sum paid for cows condemned
during the year of IS, 09S. 20; for inspection,
81. 49,: secretary and ~stenographer, 1884;
expressage, etc, S11S.ST, and expenses of
commission, $156.b
Attention is called in the report of the
tuberculosis Commission to the fact that
fnere are men in different parts of the
State who make a bushes of buying |
cows Of doubtful s~oundness for the pur-
pose Of slaughter and sale as beef. Local
boards of health are urged to exercise
some supervision of the meat supply,
otherwise, says the report, such I'M
serupulous persons will be permitted to
carry on this nefarfous business without
sh~indrance." -
wear. there were condemned cows IN the
following countless: Bergen, q; burlington,
a.. Camden, 1; Cape May, s; Cumberland
4. Gloucester, Q; Hunterdon, II; Mercer,
%. Middlesex, 8; Monmouth, /; Morris, e.;
Salem, ~; Somerset, Az; Sussex, 2; Union,
/, and Warren. 5.
4 Local "a r