The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-19
'ko|NER ANSWERS
BROWNS CHARGES
coMMrssIoNER PRESENTS STATE
MExF tn pIsrRofE @ALLEGA- .
TTONs OF NO HARMONY.
AGREES AS TO V. P. |.
GREAT AGENCY FOR GOOD. HE
SAYS. AND HE HAS CO-OPERATED
WITH FACuLTY-EsTABLI
INSTITUTE TRAINS.

Thompson Brown, recently issued, as
built solely of criticism Of the present
administration of the State depart
ment of agriculture for alleged fail
urc to harmoize and cooperate with
other agricultural agencies lof the
State. Commissioner of Agriculture
Geo. w koiner in formal statement
Issued yesterday denounees these AL
legations as untrue and goes into some
detail to prove his assertions.
Heartily concurring in the state
ments of MIR. Brown that the v. i. l.
Is great agency for agricultural an
struction ard the institute trains val
liable instruments to the same end"
Mr. Koiner adds that he was the FIRST
commissioner of agriculture in the
South to use this latter agency for
the benefit of the farming public.
Had v. +. /. Lecturers.
In reply to the charges that the
present commissioner of agriculture
has not co-operated with the Viz
ginia Polytechnic institute, Comntis-
sioner Koiner points out that all OF
the institute trains run by his depart
ment have had on their list of lectur-
ers whenever 1t was possible to secure
them one or more OF the professors
from the v. p. !. and the only reason
lT6L the SRFfICSS VI lIlSSc piPAFS&oi =
were not oftencr ronuisitioned was
due to the fact that they were pre-
vented from attendance because of
class room duties. Or. Fletcher. DR..
Mayer, Professor Drinkard and Pro-
II ssor Price have all rendered spien-
did service on these trains. he. says.
Perhaps the reason Mr.. Brown has
not seen these able and distinguished
gentlemen On these institute trains Is
because. although they have passed
on two sides of his home county and
through 1t, he has never attended any
If the meetings. says the commits
sioner.
Answering the charge of a failure
to cooperate with the United States
director of demonstration work in the
State. Commissioner Koiner states
that the director has been frequently
invited to accompany the institute
trains. but has persistentiy declined
to accept invitations. and as to the
further charge of lack of cooperation
with the dairy and food division of
the State, he states that the principal
lecturer of that division, A. F.
Howard, creamery inspector and in
structor, has accompanied the trains
and has frequently been one of the
departments lecturers at Institutes
held at points not reached by the
trains. and Professor Saunders him.
self has also lectured at these In
stitutes at Mr.. Koiner's request
Further resenting the charges Of
non-co- operation, Mr.. Koiner states
that one of the lecturers on the in
stitute trains was rerrese NATIVE or
the Farmers Cooperative and Edu-
cational Union of America. and that
he has co-operated with. tho educa-
tional forces of the State by issuing
bulletins to principals and pupils in
the public schc oils giving elem ntary
lessons and experiments in agricui-
ture. Personally he states he has at
tended number OF agricultural meet
ings arranged by county demorstra-
tors. delivering lectures and mas sent
other speakers when it was impossi-
BILE for him to attend.
Outside Lecturers Experts.
Referring to the reference in Mr..
Browns statement as to the plan OF
securing lecturers from other States,
Mr.. Koiner says:
ut is true that we have had men
to lecture upon institute trains. who
came from other States. but have AL
ways preferred and gotten whenever
possible lecturers from Virginia.
believe that the farmers Of Virginia
will always remember Pleasantly the
splendid talks Of w D. linn, Of West
Virginia: J. r. Gordon. of Ohio; and
Van WAGNER, of New York. I be-
lieve they appreciated the lectures
that have been delivered ny repre-
sentatives of the United States de-
partment of agriculture, namely.
Messrs. Miller. Matthewson and Bet
tie. ] hardly think I should be chiti-
cised for having such men as these to
come from other States to assist us
in teaching agriculture to our peo-
pie. 1t has not been considered
worthy of criticism for our State
Farmers institute meeting to have as
their chief speakers men from other
States"
The so-calIed pertinent question"
asked by Mr.. Brown In his state
ment is disposed of by commissioner
in few words, straight to the point.
He says:
''It is only necessary for me to an
swer this question by saying that the
united agricultural board was created
and the members Of it designated by
the general assembly, which in its
wisdom saw fit to limit the member
ship to the following: The governor
of the state. the State superintendent
OF public instruction. the general di-
rector Of demonstration work of the
United States department of agricui-
ture and the Virginia director of
demonstration work of the United
States department of agriculture. and
these members are authorized If they
deem 1t proper to elect a represen-
tative from the dairy division and a
representative from the horticultural
division Of the United States depart
nlent OF agriculture. See Acts Of AS
sembly. 1912, page 312."
Twelve Years Accomplishments.
In concluding his statement MFR.
koiner points out that Virginia has
made more rapid strides agriculturally
in the past twelve years than any
other Southern State and he feels
II is just to accord to the State de-
partment at agriculture Its full share
Of rfaise Tor these accomplishments.
He expresses the belief that the
records will bear out the assertion
that during his administration all OF
the. work that could possibly be ac-
complished with the means at the dis
posal of the department has been
done, and that his experience OF
twelve years will enable him to be
more useful and helpful in advancing
the agricultural interests Of the State
than 4 new ana inexperienced man
could possibly be.