The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-04-16
BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

us any good purpose that will be serV-
ed by the passage Of the so-called
board Of agriculture bill, now pending
in the legislature. This bill merely
multiplies Offices and salaries, shifts
responsibility from the real executive
head of the state to board Of seven
members possessing almost unlimited
powers and guarantees nothing in
the way of more efficient administra-
ton Of the department OF agriculture.
The bill provides for board Of
seven members, five Of whom are to
be appointed by the governor for
terms Of two four, six, eight and ten
years. The state superintendent Of
public instruction and the dean of
the college of agriculture of the Uni
versity OF Tennessee are also to be
members. This board will succeed
10 all the powers now conferred
tADOIl llIt NOuIIlilbDlObCl VI o6A lCuA-
ture. It's members will receive 800
per annum each, S. per day when in
session and railroad mileage. The
board will cost the taxpayers not less
than $500 per annum. 1t will name
the secretary or administrative Off
Ger, fix his salary and has power to
create all other Offices that may he
deemed necessary and fix the COM
pensation of officers.
The five members to be appointed
by the governor are to be residents
Of Tennessee" No where is the gov
ernor required to appoint farmers, or
men learned in agriculture It is pro-
yided that the secretary shall be "qual-
lied in agriculture" although Just
what that means we are unable to
say. Under the terms of this act the
governor can appoint five political
hacks who farm with their mouths
and hoe with their tongues" and they
In turn can spend the states money
1t will and If necessary as the ext
gencies Of a political machine might
require.
The principle of this bill and other
similar measures considered by the
Tennessee legislature is in direct
contravention of the genius Of the
times. The whole tendency in gov
eminent now is to concentrate au-
thority, not to divide it and multiply
Offices. Under the proposed measure
the governor would simply appoint
board to appoint somebody else to do
the work that should be done under
the direct supervision Of the eXecu-
tive. The governor is elected by the
people. He should in fact be the exc
cutiye officer He should be held
responsible for the administration Of
the affairs Of the state But if he is
to be shorn Of all authority; if boards
and commissions, appointed for long
terms, are to make all appointments
In the public service and administer
all departments the governor will
simply be reduced to the task of fill
ing an occasional vacancy on some
board or commission.
1t may be in theory, a fine thing to
take the department of agriculture
out of politics" if such thing were
humanity possible under our system
Of government. But will this be
the result Of the act in question?
Six of the seven members Of this
mon political" board will be appoint
ed by the present governor of Ten
nessee But it is argued that the
long terms for the appointees will
remedy this defect in the future
Let's see If that will probably be the
case? For the sake of argument as
sumo that Gov. Rye will not be re-
elected His successor will come from
the Shieds-P reston-Hu faction, we
Eill further assume. When this sue
cessor goes into Office he will have
the appointment of only two mem
bers Of the seven constituting the
board His friends will in all prob
ability control the legislature, They
will argue and rightfully too, there
is no denying the force of it, that the
governor ought not to be held respon-
sible for the great department of
agriculture over which he has as lit
tie real cotnrol as the Gar of all the
Russias. What will be the practical
result? The meresty tyro in the poll
tics OF Tennessee can answer.
The board act will either be re-
pealed outright by friendly legisla-
ture and return made to the old
system, or in some manner the politi-
cally hostile members of the board
together with the secretary and all
the other salaried attaches will be
legislated out of Office. II any one
doubts that this will be the case we
would respectfully cali attention to
the ruthless manner in which the Z