The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-01
FARMERS APPROVE
NEW ASSISTANT
Delighted Over Appointment of
Owen to Position in Agricl,l-
tural Department
WILL DO OUTSIDE WORK
Scion Who Introduced Many
Helpful Bills to Help Dir,
Koiner.

Farmers throughout the State re-
Joiced Friday when they learned OF the
appointment of State Senator John j.
Owen to the position Of assistant Com
missioner of Agriculture.
Since he first entered the Legts-
lature Senator Owen has worked I'M
falteringly and assiduously In the in
terest Of the agricultural element of
the State, and the farmers feel that
no better man could have been Sc
lected for the place.
Senator Owen will remain a MEM
Der OF the upper House Of the Leg
islature until January, 1912. but he
probably viii not be seen in the leg
tslative halls again.
The appointment of Senator Owen
to the position Was In accordance with
Il bin passed by the last Legislature
and endorsed by the Board of Agri-
culture.
All Outside Work.
His duty Will be TO look after the
outside interests of the Department of
Agriculture. II is improbable that he
will spend more than half his time in
Richmond. Since Commissioner Koi-
ner started his first farmers institute
train through the State their number
has increased steadily every year, and
this outdoor campaign for better
farming and more of it, soil improve
ment and intensified farming has be-
come most important feature Of the
department Because of the popular
ity OF the trains and the great in
terest manifested in their operation,
Commissioner Koiner has felt Ii his
duty to go out with all of them. This
has taken great deal of his time,
which he could i'll afford TO spare from
n ODD To
these frequent important trips, Mr.
koiner has been called to various parts
of the State to give the farmers point
ers on avrious crops and other sub
/ 1ects, and compelled to make a num-
Der of trips to the Department of
Agriculture in Washington
Approaching the difficulty expert
enced by Commissioner Koiner in
keeping up with his office work and
carrying out his campaign to make
Virginia one Of the foremost agri-
cultural States in the Union, when
called upon TO make so many trips
/ from Richmond. the Legislature au-.
I thorized the appointment Of an assist
! ant. and the Board OF Agriculture,
under whom Mr.. Koiner works, heart
/ lily approved of this action. The new
position is not an office. and Senator
Owen consequently will not be called
upon to resign his seat in the SEN
ate,
Mr.. owen will take up practically
/ all the outside work of the Depart
ment of Agriculture. He is a practi-
cal farmer of wide experience and
/ popularity. Having been the patron
/ of great number Of agricultural bills,
he is thoAoughly familiar with the
projects already under way, and will
{ - IN
/ koiner,
! Patroned Many Bills.
Senator owen had been in the Leg
slature many years. He served five
terms in the House of Delegates. and
when Judge Mann resigned the State
senatorship to make the campaign for
/ Governor he was chosen to represent
the latter's district in the upper House
of the Assembly, Mr.. owen introduce
ed the bill which created the Dairy
and Food Department. the measure
! providing for better seeds, tubercufne
tests for cattle and several other inn
/ portant bills. He was also the au-
| thor of the continental stock and
! poultry bin. and the measure provid-
ing for inspection of fertilizer.
Senator owen Is a graduate OF the
agricultural department of the V. =.
! l. He was chairman of the House
Committee on Mining and Agriculture
three sessions.
| Delegate Paul Mckay, representing
cumberland and Buckingham coun-
ties in the House of Delegates, has
announced his candidacy for the sem
atorship, which will be made vacant
by Senator Ovens resignation on. jan
uary |. 1912. One OF the Counties in
Mr. McRay's district has wide INV
~ Ced In,
the senatorial district. He has a wide
acquaintance and Is welt and favor
ably known in the other counties,
which are Nottoway, Amelia. Lunen-
burg, Prince Edward and Cumber-
land He will not depend upon past
popularity to win the senatorship,
| however, but intends making a strong
campaign. Judge Love. of Lunenburg,
may oppose him.