Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1926-07-08
CEORCIA'S FOOD PRODUCTION INCREASES
BUT The STATE STILL OFFERS ITS
FARMERS HUGE MARKET in this FIELD
MILLS CRITICISES COM. :
j.. BROWN in SPEECH
AT WRICH TSVILLE
yENKINSBURG CANDIDATE FOR
COMMISSIONERS SIRE S Sc s
"NEPOTISM." IN RACE BE-
CAUSE DEPARTMENT HASN'T
FUNCTIONED.

ton for commissioner of agriculture,
delivered before large crowd at the
annual Fourth of July barbecue at
Idylwild near here today, James II.
Mills of Jenkinsburg criticised the
record of Commissioner ]. J. Brown
and promised that if elected he would
assist "the man at the .plow and the
boy with the hoe"
Declaring that he entered the race
solely for the reason that the Depart
ment of Agriculture "has not func-
toned TO rthe benefit of the farm
ers," Mr.. Mills recalled his recent
charges made through the press that
the present commissioner has en-
ployed numerous relatives in the de-
partment.
"Nepotism," he said (the giving OF
Jobs to relatives) has been discussed
too much in this free country of ours
for any of US to view the practice
with favorable consideration. Some
states have gone so far as to prohibit
same by statute, and we all know the
practice should not be permitted IN
governmental circles, as it means i'm
pairment of service, betrayal of pub
lie confidence, and loss of faith.
81 have seen the oil inspection sys'
tenn utterly and completely dwarf all
idea of helping the farmer, and the
whole department become saturated
with politics. I have felt that correc-
ton was needed and that many evils
should be eliminated. Overlapping OF
functions, extravaganza and many
other ills.
at seemed that the time had come
for a real dirt farmer to enter the
race, a man conversant with the needs
and necessities of cur farming class.
Just a plain average farmer, to help
the solution of the average farmers
problems.
"Some of my opponents embellish
their legal profession by farming, but
have lived on; a farm and have
operated one all my life. Much OF
my time has been given in an effort
to help in the disaster which came af-
ter 1920. For nine years the Farm
ers Union has elected me to serve
them as president. At considerable
loss of time, at the request of the
union, / have gone to the Senate to
assist in the passage of laws which
would help to secure the farmer a
better market for his products. |
have stated to you frankly, my
friends, my reason and desire to be
commissioner. I entered the race be-
cause wanted the department to
function and because of my fafnil-
iarity with the existing conditions and
my honest belief that could help to
make the department great asset to
the state Of Georgia.
eff at any time in her history
Georgia. needed an agricultural de-
'partment, now is the time. In 1920
her farmers were utterly Frustrated,
boil weeivl with its attendant finan-
cial distress swept the state and the
defation Of prices was in full swing.
For five years the needs of agricul-
ture have appealed to the nation, and
Congress has been trying hard to find
a remedy.
81 have caught vision Of de-
partment, planted deep down in the
soil of Georgia, thinking, dreaming,
planning with but one object in view
and every arabic acre in Georgia shall
carry production, that cattle shall
feed on thousand hillsides and that
this department shall carry aid to
every farme rim this commonwealth.
con account of their uselessness
and because of their political nature
/ have advocated the reduction of oil
inspectors to six and less if possible,
so there might be no liverting of my
self from my fixed and set purpose to
make this department a real aid to
the toiling men and women and chill
dren who till our soil and raise our
crops.
eff you elect me commissioner of
agriculture if the Legislature con-
eurs in my Recommendations, and I
believe they will, there will be no con-
ference with oil inspectors and there
will not be enough inspectors to hold
a conference. I pledge here to you
my fellow citizens today to do all l
can to Gu tout this unnecessary waste
of public money. I also pledge here
to you, on this anniversary comment
Grating the most fateful day in
American history my earnest effort
if elected to urge the Legislature to
write into law the complete reorgan-
ization of the activities of the depart
ment.
II pledge my earnest support to
the suggested plan of the state au-
ditor of an impartial legislative COM
mission to completely reorganize the
activities of the experimenting one
knows better than I do the need Of
complete recodifcation of the laws
governing the department. 1 shall
give the commission if elected my
heartiest cooperation and if elected
shall urge the Legislature to appoint
such commission.
Disqualification of laws then will