The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-30

the board. The public, after all. has
"a right to know when It's officials
cease to serve the people to the best
interests. and stoop to lessen the good
they might do by resorting to meth
DDS for their individual gain.
Why the Plan Vas Adopted.
Mr.. koiner in q statement in The
Times Dispatch, has said that he did
not know why the plan was adopted.
The commissioner was present at the
meeting at which the plan was adorEed,
each section being discussed and ex-
plained: but we take Mr.. Koiner at
MS word. and Will now enlighten him
The present commissioner. for n pc
Rod of eight years, covering almost, his
entire incumbency of the office. has
sought to bring to the family purse
every dollar that he could out of the
funds derived from the fertilizer tax.
the income with which the department
conducts the work
Two of the members of this com
mittee have been president OF tile
board. among their duties al such beipe.
that OF signing warrants issued by the
treasurer. and they know that the com
missioner's entire family, except ono.
nave at various times drawn upon the
funds for work which had been given
them at the department From June.
-7'"' w tif' i''tp f,lIEfS OF the
commissioner have occupied the posi-
ton of stenographer. at a salary co,fal
that usually paid men who do this
class Of work. N
This, however may not be considered
a matter of srth great Importance
OF far more Importance is the fact that
the mailing of the bulletins of the de-
partment has for many years been
given to members of the commissioners
"a ~ 1T H.
could be done by others. For a long
time no effort was made to secure a
bid for this work. When a bid was
received from mailing expert, it was
at a lower rate instead of a higher
Notwithstanding this. the commission
er increased the price of mailing the
bulletin. 1t will be seen Mat the time
had certainly come when the board
should require sealed bids for this
work, and pass upon these, taking from
the commissioners the power to award
the contracts.
Forfeited His Office.
In the fall of the past year. the com
missioner made application for the
position of United States Statistician of
Agriculture for Virginia, to which po-
sitton he was appointed at salary of
$40 per month--not a princely salary,
but one which many an intelligent far
mer of the State would gladly have
accepted Efe continued in this work
until January 5, 1907, when at a board
meeting held in Richmond, commit
tee waited on the Attorney General and
asked for an opinion Iastto the legality
of the commissioner holding Fed
eral and State office. The Attorney
General ruled that the commissioner
by accepting the Federal office had va
Gated the office of Commissioner of
Agriculture and Immigration of Vir-
ginia. Under the law, the board had
the power to fill the vacancy. and
upon the commissioners assurance that
he had telegraphed his resignation to
Washington and had in his possession
telegram stating that his resigna-
ton had been accepted, the board unan-
imously elected him to the vacancy.
Hence 1t VIII be seen that Mr.. Koiner,
having forfeited his office, as tender
ed him by. the sovereign people, be-
came to soma extent creature of
the board, and the latter felt that 1t
had shifted upon its own shoulders
the responsibility for the future con-
duct of this office. Even as it was
it must be remembered that the board
under the law, Is made responsible for
the work of the department, and is
charged with prescribing the duties
and powers of the commissioner
Now 1t has been said by the COM
missioner that he accepted this po-