Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-01-10
HOUSTON URGES
STRONGER State
AGRICUL 7 u RE

IN addressing the National Asso-
citation Of Commissioners Of Agri-
culture. at Baltimore this week, Hon.
d. +. Houston, secretary Of agricul-
ture, spoke earnestly in favor OF
strong state departments of agri-
culture to cooperate with the fed
eral department of agriculture in
regulatory activities concerning ami
NAL and plant diseases in the same
way that the federal department
now co-operates with the state agri-
cultural colleges in educational and
research work
The secretary related the diff
cult1es that the department has en-
due to the lack of well-equipped
state departments Or other regula-
tory agencies with sufficient legal
powers and funds. He explained
Joint support between the federal
department and the states under the
Smith-Lever agricultural extension
act and the federal aid road act, and
contrasted these effective methods
of cooperation with the lack of CO.
operation in respect to regulatory
measures. He said: ''.-' ~
Now the matter stands in a diff
ferent situation. Two great state
organizations, your. own and the AS
sociation of LandGrant colleges,
have had the matter under advise
ment and have arrived essentially
at a common mind. [ am informed
that the thoughts of the two bodies
is that a great gain would result
if the state adopted the policy, in
tural colleges to investigational and
educational work, both in the col
leges and in the field, and the com-
missioners or boards of agriculture
to administrative and regulatory
matters, heading. up under. such
prOpriate administrative and regu-
latory activities affecting agricui-
ture, thus providing in each state
two great, strong, central agencies
for the betterment of agriculture
To Remove Waste
"This course, it seems to me,
would be eminently wise. 1t would
remove possibilities of duplication
of work, of wasted energies, of jeal-
sible for the two great state estab-
lishments to work with a common
purpose and with united forces; 1t
would also very greatly facilitate
the work Of the department of agri-
culture, much of which must be
carried on of necessity in co-opera-
tion with state officers. The de
partment would then be in position
to cooperate untrammeled with the
colleges of agriculture in investiga-
tional and educational work and
with the state departments of agri-
culture in all matters involving reg
ulatiOn, such as guarantees, the
control of animal disease, orchard
and nursery inspection, seed inspec-
ton, feed and fertilizer control, sta
tistical inquiries, and the highly i'm
portant tasks of aiding the farmer
in the promotion of better rural fl
nance and in the distribution and
marketing of his products.
eff this is the plan of the two
bodies, L shall be very glad in all
Appropriate ways to give it such
support as L can, and to aid in Sc
curing it's acceptance in any state
know that there will be difficulties
and that the problem will have tt
be dealt with in each state in the
light of local conditions. 1t may be
that no given plan would be feas-
ible for every state; but I take the
liberty of suggesting, for your con.
sideration, the desirability of de-
ve1oping and presenting a tentative
model law