Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-12-25
Commissioner Koiuer and the Legislature

The problem that the Depart
ment of Agriculture will have TO
present to the Legislature for solu-
tion is whether Commissioner
koiner. who was elected by direct
vote of the people, shall be permit
ted to conduct this department and
to continue to serve the farming
interests OF the State, or whether
the usefulness OF the Department
is to be destroyed and the Office of
Commissioner reduced to a sinecure
by the petty squabbles. jeaIousies,
and vanities of the Board and their
pets.
- Former commissioners and their
presiding boards never did any
harm, SO far as we recolIect-or
anything else - and the present
Board appears to be bent upon
maintaining the traditions of the dc-
partment. Commissioners Koiner
seems to have violated these by
developing great energy and capa-
city. and rendering great service
ia the State and her farmers.
In the years he has held Office
he has, OF course, made mistakes.
The Board carefully collected,
marShaled. and published these last
summer, but neglected TO mention
that practically each and every one
of these mistakes were known 70
anil had been permitted or CON
doned by the Board. Presumably
it had passed them over ut the time
because they were we're trifles.
But the one fatal blunder of the
Commissioner, SO fas as the Board
was concerned, was giving oifcnsc
to rather obstrcperous clerk in
his Office who seems To have had
the entire ear of the majority q.
the Board. The grievances of the
clerk gave the Board the desired
opportunity to discipline and clip
the wings Of this Commissioner
who persisted in disregarding the
traditions of the department by
doing things" and rendering
valuable service to the agricultural
interests of the State.
They publicly withdrew their
confidence from Commissioner
koiner, and inaugurated a bifur-
Gated organization with their pet,
the recalcitrant clerk, in full con
troll of the finances. with largely
increased pay. and little else tc
To do, except 10 see to it that the
Commissioner loved the Board and
kept It's commandments. The
Commissioners clerical force was
thus scurtailed, and freedom ofaction
and, consequently, his usefulness
and ability to render the service he
had heretofor rendered, which had
called forth universal commenda-
tion throughout the State (the
Board and its pet alone excepted).
was, 10 n great extent. destroyed.
In the circumstannsces. the duty
of the Legislature seems to be rea-
sonably plain. 4 legislative in
vestigation will, we take it, disclose
the above state of facts which we
have drawn chiefly from the pub
lished statement of the Board itself.
Ii the Legislature desires to re-
store the Department to that state
of harmless and inoffensive useless
ness which distinguished it before
Commissioner Koiner took office.
1T Will sustain the Board. If, on
the other hand, it desires to render
real service to the State and to
the farmers of the State. it will
radically reOrganize the depart
ment, unite the hands of the Com
missioner, and provide measures
that will vest him with sufficint
power properly to conduct the
affairs of his department and pros
ecute the great and useful work in
which he was engaged.
There can be little doubt ms to
what the Legislature will do in this
case. and we hope that its action
will be prompt and thorough. -
Richmond journal.