The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-05
K0|NER ANSWERS
MORGAN SHEPHERD
Tells OF Former Arrangement
Between State and Southern
Planter.
WAS BEFORE HIS FIRST TERM
Says Shepherd Is Merely EN-
hibiting an Old
Grudge.

Admitting he had not taken office at
! the time an old contract between the
State Board of Agriculture and the
| southern Planter was annulled. Com
missioner of Agriculture George w.
! hoiner issued an answer yesterday to
/ the statement of Il. Morgan Shepherd
managing editor of the Southern Plant
Ell. repeating the charge made at Ken
bridge on Saturday that the Planter
mas always been antagonistic to him
because that agreement was with
drawn. Mr.. Koiner saws:
! MIR. I<oinerx Reply
! Mr.. Shepherds card admits that
there existed prior TO my incumbency
OF the Office OF Commissioner of .ASri-
culture contract between the South
ern Planter Ca private enterprise) and
the regular state Board of Agriculture
O. department of the State govern
mcnD. whereby his publication drew
out 81 The taxpayers pocket yearly
the su" OF $3.50 lie adds that this
contract WAS terminated before l be
came Commissioner of Agriculture
more than twelve years ago
Accepting as true for the moment Mr..
shepherds statement, the situation
presented is this: The Planter had
been drawing annuaIly out of the State
! treasury the sum of $3.50: the Planter
was private corporation, and not a
department Of the State government.
L fail to see why the State should aid
farm publication any more than il
would aid fraternal organ or even a
general newspaper-and none of these
draws anything out of the general
MI. shepherd admits existed before l
came INTO Office was nothing more nor
less than species OF private graft.
There have been but one or two in
stances of graft in the history of the
conduct OF State offices in the last few
years.
Il come now to the Rravamen OF
the issue presented by Nh Shepherd.
though really there is no issue be-
tween us. since his card admits the
essence OF the charge contained in my
circular
Sought to Have Contract Renewed.
Al meeting of the Board OF Agri-
culture held shortly after my Undue
ton into office, thee appeared before
the board. the editor OF the southern
Planter, who sought TO have renewed
the old contract between the board
and the Planter The board and my
self as commissioner opposed any n, W
contract. and the contract was not re-
newed Since that time, a period COW
crinE about twelve years the Planter
has fought me bitterly. The farmers
OF Virginia. so far as have been abAc
10 discover, are especially well pleased
with the bulletins sent out by me to
oo'"oo FARMERS from time TO time as
they are issued. The Planter has an
tagonizcd these bulletins steadily and
consistently.
III the bulletins are good things. as
the farmers seem To taink they are
why hasn't the Planter co operated in
the dissemination of this information?
Much of it is from the pens of the
leading farm writers IN America
Tho answer is plain: for sclhGl imam
cial reasons il rcsents what do in
inc distribution of literature, and be-
cause its owners entertain a grudgc
against inc OF twelve years standing
IL hoped to defeat me for office, reali2-
ing that as long as remain at the
head Of the department., it's contract
OF twelve or fourteen years ago will
never be used"