The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-16
MODES OF STATES
Industrial Commission Pre-
faces Digest of the Laws
RELATING TO BOARDS
Which Govern Agricultural
Institutes of State.
RELATING TO BOARDS

Washington. Nov. 1.-THE industrial
commission has prepared and VIII soon
publish a digest Of the laws of the differ
ent states relating TO boards Of agricul-
ture. farmers institutes and so forth.
Summarizing the practice in the selec-
ton Of commissioners OF agriculture. ag-
rculturaI boards. and so fortA. the COM
mission says:
Organizations for the promotion OF ag-
riculture. maintained either in whole or
in part by the state governments. are
found in nearly every state in the Union.
State boards of agriculture, the most
common form of organization for that
purpose, established BY law and main
tanned at public expense, are found in
about half the states. The other typical
form is a department or bureau Of agri-
culture, presided over by single officer.
usually designated as commissioner Of
agriculture. In several cases, however.
this officer combines a number of func-
tions, and his bureau is known as the bu-
rea uof agriculture and immigration; the
bureau Of agriculture. labor and industry;
the bureau OF agriculture, statistics and
mines. or the like. These commissioners
are found chiefly in the south but also in
the main, Washington or North Dakota,
while in Pennsylvania there is a depart
ment OF the state government presided
over by secretary Of agriculture. FL
nally, in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa,
the place Of a board of agriculture is
filed to greater or less extent by the
executive committee or board of directors
OF the state agricultural society: and in
Utah similar arrangement is In effect
with the directors of the agricultural
and manufacturing society. The prin-
cipal modes of designing the members of
state boards op agriculture are election by
the state and local agricultural societies
or their delegates and appointment by
the upper house in the legislature. In
some states the two methods are COM
bined. a part Of the members being ap-
pointed by the executive and part cho-
sen by the agricultural societies. 1t is
common, also. for certain officials to be
designated members Of the board ex-ofi-
clio, the governor and the president Of
the state AGRICULTURAL college being often
so designated. In a few states the mem
bers of the state board are elected at an
nual meetings by delegates from local
societies. who are declared to be for the
time being ex-officio members OF the board
itself; while in New Jersey all the mem
bers of all the agricultural and horticul-
tural embellishments clubs and oranges
in the state are declared to be members
of the state board of agriculture. In sew
eral cases the members OF the boards Of
agriculture are required TO be appointed
fro mmOre than one political party. The
commissioners Of agriculture i'm some
states are elected by the people like other
state officers. In other cases they are
appointed by the executive.
The members OF the state board Of ag-
riculture usually serve without compen-
sation other than the expenses incident
upon attending the meetings and perform
ing their duties The actual executive
work is usually in cargo of a salaTied
secretary chosen by the board, in some
instances from it's own number The
functions of this officer, therefore. cor
responds somewhat closely 10 those Of
the commissioner of agriculture in states
having such officials. in some states
there is both a state board Of agriculture
and commissioner Of agriculture who
acts as its executive officer; while in
Kentucky the commissioner OF agricul-
ture labor and statistics IS assisted by
an advisory board
The commission is alo preparing a Oh
gest Of laws ard court decisions relat-
ing to grain in secretion ( neIevators and
The introduction 10 this
publication is by Mr.. Robert Christy Of
the Washington bar, who says:
I'm ala Of the states that have attempe-
ed to form a complete and perfect system
for the regulation OF public elevators and
public warehouses there is a very con-
siderable similarity in the leading features
IF the laws composing such system. which
iiner but little in the powers conferred f
upon the executive officers and Ga the du-
ties imposed upon the warehouse men. (
but chiefly in the mode Of selection OF +
such officers and their designations.
1T is 20 he presumed too. that this .
similarity IS a. least partly due % the +
tact that the system adopted b. the state 4
u Illinois. the oldest Of these states. ana f
with a city most advaHtageousiy situated .
Tor tho reception and rc-shiument ~ grain .
md commodities Of al kinds produced IN f
he northwest was selected as the com {
non standard OF imitation. departures /.
rom this common standard being due 70 .
he special conditions n environment +
existing in the various states
After long experience in s6iectiag the f
1ficers having control - the inepeetion 4
Z grain ard the Supervision ~ condition +
ind management n puhic warehouses
and by appointment ~ governor by ard .
zith the advice and consent ~ The SEN
ne. some cf the states require So Off
.ers 10 be chosen by the qualified electors.
sother state officers are chosen one
.tate has gone 81 FAR as 20 extend 70 the
political parties hr Ftat1te
be privilege ~ putting the caneidases in
domination as for other state Officers.