The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-09-16
Chief Executive Makes His
First Stop on His Coast to
Coast Trip and Talks on
Agriculture.
DENIES THAT TRIP
is POLITICAL MOVE
SAYS That If Talking on Cow
ernmental Problems Is Pol
itics, Then There Are
Grounds for Reports.
National News Association,


SYRACUSE. N. Y. Sept. IA big
crowd gave President Taft q hearty
greeting on his arrival here this morn
ing despite his early arrival, ~ six:
thirty. The President breakfasted a.
the guest OF the chamber OF Com
merce at the Onondago hotel where
another crowd greeted him. A feat
ure OF the day was his speech at the
fair grounds. There he was introduc.
ed by Supreme Court Justice Andrews.
Prefacing his speech with few re-
marks in reply to newspaper insinuAr
tions that he was defending his poli-
cies on his trip" the President re-
marked that he was not going to dis
cuss politics unless talking on the
problems OF government is considered
politics. He declared he intended talk
ing on perplexing questions before the
legislators today.
The President spoke briefly on state
rights. declaring as an individualist.
he favored the states having privileges
of government, but with full unity Of
the federal government The burden
Of the Presidents speech related to
the agricultural interests Of the counr
try and important developments OF ag-
ricultursl industry as result Of the
encouragement and the assistance of
the department OF aericulture, which
spends fifteen millions annually and
which. he said. should have increased
appropriations each succeeding year.
TaIks Of Aneleultueo.
r. am confident from looking ipto
the future OF the department that
there are pressing needs Of expansion
of its work: that an increase Of apprc-
priations each year for that depart
ment may be and ought to be expected
in the interest OF the government.
This Is where the expenditures Of the
government might well be increased
each year and each decade.
.'.As say. the chief functions Of the
department is advisory and education
al, and includes that of scientific In
yestigation. The department has some
functions that are governmental and
executive. like the Enforcement OF
pure food laws, the inspection Of meat.
interstate commerce and the conserva-
ton and preservation of the forests.
But it's distinctly agricultural features
are not executive in that the depart
ment has no authority to tell farmers
what they must do. has no authority
to regulate agriculture schools estab-
lished under the authority of the
state. but is merely an assistant to the
agriculture of the United States. No
one familiar with its work, can be ig-
norant of the enormous benefit which
1t has conferred upon the agriculture
of this county and therefore upon ev-
cry individual living under the gov.
ernment by the work OF the agricul-
ture department.
Farming has become scientific
business. dealing with elements. the
peculiar operation of which was very
little understood Is or SO years ago.
The amount of information which the
farmers have received and acted upon
in their farming business from the bu-
reau OF plant industry. from the bu-
reau OF soils and the bureau Of ami.
NAL industry in the department OF az
riculture can hardly be overstated. and
the dependence OF the welfare Of the
country on the continuous spread Of
this information for the Improvement
of agriculture ought to be emphasized
whenever opportunity arises"