The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-08-01
How Agriculture Jared at
Maryland Legislature

The Pennsylvania Farmer, in re-
cent issue, gives lengthy resume of
how the farming interests of the State
Jared at the hands of the recent dis
appointing Maryland Legislature. We
republish a portion of the article:
On April 7, the day following the
adjournment of the Maryland Legisla-
ture, Baltimore daily published a
cartoon labeled The Harvest Field. 1t
showed a FARMER with big smile
standing before a shock of grain
sheaves, labeled Penal Reform, State
Tax Commission, Home Rule, Reform
in Legislative Procedure, and Work
ingman's Compensation. The farmer
of the picture was either d city man
in disguise or the city editor expected
the farmers of the State to rejoice
over the passage of bills in which the
city man rather than the farmer was
interested
Lime Bill Defeated.
Meanwhile, this same Legislature,
at the instance of U. S. Senator John
w. Smith, had killed the Blandford
lime plant bill, which provided two
agricultural lime plants for the State,
one to be located on the Eastern Shore
and the other in Southern Maryland.
The experience of Illinois, which uses
convict labor to furnish its farmers
lime at cost and the recent efforts of
Virginia in this direction counted for
nothing when it became necessary for
the Senator to strengthen his fences
in Western Maryland, whose lime
manufacturers opposed the Blahd-
ford bill, without however, telling
how to get linn
College Bill
The bill granting new charter and
an appropriation for the rebuilding of
the Maryland Agricultural College
was defeated. President Patterson ask
ed 100000 in annual instalments of
$250,000 each, with adequate provi-
sion for maintenance. This was cut
in committee to $350,000 with the UNI
derstanding that the private stock
holder interests be removed from any
part in the management of the col
lege. a Baltimore daily describes
this as an effort to "republicanize"
the college, forgetting that college
has as little right to be Democratic"
as Republican" or any other brand
of politics. Another papers version
VI Ilie lilllol dlid1F is TnucH
more in accord with facts when it
states the scheme fell through the
stubborness of some of the directors,
who preferred that the College should
go without money than to see them
selves eliminated as life directors re-
presenting an interest that they had
agreed to surrender.
Roads.
The Legislature made an appro-
priation of $6,600000 for the continu-
ance of the present policy of road
building by the State, without, how
ever, studying the question from the
viewpoint of the farmer who is usual
ly much more interested in reaching
railroad or steamboat landing than
in a smooth automobile road connect
ing two large cities. If the question
was studied at all, it was studied
from the view point of the city rather
than that of the farmer.
Agricultural Appropriations.
Unusually liberal appropriations
for various agencies having to do with
agriculture were made. 1t gave S1O,-
600 per annum to the Live Stock SAM
tary Board to fight hog cholera,
without stating just how the money is
to be used. 1t added $1,000 to the
$4,000 appropriation now in the hands
of this Board for dairy inspection. 1t
gave N" State Veterinarian $4,000
annu@'J for the establishment of
BEARD of Control and for the indemni-
flying of farmers for the slaughtering
of diseased cattle. 1t did not, how
ever, ask itself if the work of these
two Boards could not be advantage
ously combined.
1t passed seed inspection bill and
gave an increased appropriation to the
State Bureau of Immigration, which is
now branching out as State Agricul-
tural Employment Bureau. 1t also
passed a Statewide bill authorizing
the County Commissioners to appro-
pirate 81 900 of the county funds to
promote the Cooperative Demon
stration Service in conjunction with
the United States Department of Ag-
riculture. But it did not ask itself if
it might not be possible to coordinate
and correlate all these agencies under
direction of a strong State Board of
Agriculture. Nor was anything of
this kind suggested by the trustees of
the Maryland Agricultural College,
who were made State Board of Ag-
riculture in 1908, without any duties
whatsoever being prescribed for such
a Board.
If the farmer looks at this legisla-
tive harvest field, the smile depicted in
the cartoon mentioned will soon some
off. If he sits down under some shady
tree to scratch his head, he will soon
find that the trouble is with his own
lack of organization.