Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-07-15
PLAN AGRICULTURAL DEPT.
Would |ReI'eve University Of Exec
't'"1 0''ts: :!x'',... Now Required Of


In th1 weeks bulletin, John Stone
Pardee [ells what the Efficiency Com
mission would do with. agricultural
Interest," in their proposed scheme OF
reorgan| ration of State Government:
st. P}nl, July 14-Agriculture will
be department by itself, If the plans
are ado1 1ted which the efficiency com.
mission has. prepared.
It is inot only the importance OF
agricult{ Ire ais the greatest industry
OF the aate. For that matter health
or labor may be deemed as important
as agriculture. 1t is not only it's i'm.
portance but the fact that there are
several bureaus relating to agricul-
ture which may be brought together
here, justifying, if not making actu.
ally necessary, the appointment of a
sdirector to have general oversight of
them all and to maintain co-opera-
:t1on between them.
One OF the most valuable activities
OF the state Is dairying and the pro-
motion Qf dairying by the state itself.
That hat been tied up with food in
spectionf heretofore. The combina.
tion worked very we'll but took the
commissioner into two fields and
kept hing looking in two directions at
the SANG time. There is another de-
partmenf in the efficiency commits
.sion's pl3n which will look after COM
modities lin the market place, leaving
the dairf commissioner free to de-
vote his entire energy to the great
agricultuf fal interest.
] The sttte has heretofore called on
the UNIVERSITY to do quite a bit of
police work. No particular harm has
come from it so far but it is not q
good Arrangement. When there is a
department. Of agriculture such mat
ters as nursery inspection, and seed
inspection, properly 60 to the depart
ment. The state has board of health
for animals called the live stock sani.
tary board. The department of agri.
culture will naturally take that over.
The state has the most successful
agricultural exhibit in the United
States and it spends one hundred
thousand dollars year in promot-
ing county fairs. The department of
agriculture ought to relieve the state
agricultural. society Of the routine
Of the fair management, altogether
too great burden for a volunteer
body. The agricultural society is a
congregation of enthusiasm and it is
hoped it Yill bring to the fair every
Hear as Scat q degree of enthusiasm
as in the past.
AS for the state aid to county
societies, the department should be
able to make it much more effective.
1t is said that it has not always been
spent to the best advantage hereto
fore. About all the state has known
about this state aid is that the money
has been spent as shown by aff1davits
on file with the state auditor. The
department will know what it is spent
for and can make suggestions for get.
ting the best results. II the money
is not spent to the best advantage,
the department will be very apt to
discourage appropriations.
An advisory board is provided for
this department. There are certain
matters Of animal quarantine that
call for regulations to be adopted by
such a board. In advising as to state
aid for agricultural societies, this
board can give a great deal of help
Voluntary associations like the breed
ers, and the wool growers, and the
bee keepers, will naturally cooperate
with this department.
And naturally the department Of
agriculture and the agricultural col
lege will be very closely related. The
division of duties will work itself out
The basis will always be that the uni
versity will do investigation, research
and lot Of digestive work. The de
partment will do police work, collect
facts and apply them.