December 16, 1933
THE STATE
Роде
Nine
FACTS ABOUT OUR STATE GOVERNMENT
No. 6 — Department of Agriculture
(This is the sixth of a scries of
articles appearing in
Тик
State re¬
lating to the operations of departments
of the stale, government of North Car¬
olina, The next article will be pub¬
lished at an earl
I/
date.)
By
WM. H. RICHARDSON
ONE of I ho oldest administrative
branches of the State govern¬
ment in North Carolina is the
Department of Agriculture, which is
responsible directly to the people, as
it was under a Constitutional mandate
in 1876 that it was established by the
General Assembly the following year.
While its functions have been altered,
somewhat, from time to time, its prime
purpose is to protect the formers of
tho State against inferior fertilizers,
feeds and insecticides and other impo¬
sitions and to see that the public, gen¬
erally, is provided with unadulterated
foods and chemically pure drugs, bot¬
tled drinks, ice cream and other re¬
freshments.
While its duties are largely regula¬
tory, including the policing of the
fertilizer and other trades that deal
with farmers and the protection of all
who buy material* inspected by its
agents, the Department cooperates
with the United States Department of
Agriculture and tho North Carolina
State College of Agriculture and En¬
gineering in research work designed
to aid the farinor*. The department,
for example, owns six tost farms, lo¬
cated at various points throughout the
State, on which dozens of projects are
carried out each year. Tho Federal
Department and the College cooperate
in much of this work.
The executive head of the State De¬
partment of Agriculture, which is
made up of fourteen divisions, is the
Commissioner of Agriculture, elected
every four years by the people. For¬
merly, the Commissioner was chosen
by the General Assembly, but, follow¬
ing the Russell administration, when
the State was “redeemed” by the Dem¬
ocrats, the “white supremacy” legis-
WILLIAM A. GRAHAM
latuio made the office elective, in or¬
der that, the Commissioner might be
responsible to the people themselves
and to no appointive agency.
As a matter of fact, a number of
other officers who were formerly ap¬
pointed were made subject to the pop¬
ular will by that same General Assem¬
bly. The Commissioner of Agricul¬
ture has at no time been appointed by
the Governor. However, efforts were
made in 1929 and 1931, when the "cen¬
tralization” movement was at its
height, following the submission of the
Brookings Institution's report on State
Government, to make the office of Com¬
missioner a part of gubernatorial pa¬
tronage. In fact, tho Department of
Agriculture became a sort of "storm
center" in the light for the short bal¬
lot.
The present Commissioner, William
A. Graham, of Lincolnton, was a
leader in the opposition movement and
when, in the fight to make this office
subject to gubernatorial appointment,
his supporters were victorious, tin-
backbone of the movement was broken
and short ballot advocates lieeame less
active.
This fight was one of the most in¬
teresting and significant political con¬
tests of recent times. Former Gover¬
nor Harry F. Byrd, of Virginia, and
former Governor Alfred E. Smith, both
centralizationists, were invited to Ra¬
leigh to deliver addresses before the
General Assembly. Strange to -ay.
however, each recognized the futility
of the short ballot hv statute, taking
the position that in order to "stick”
it must be “constitutional” rather than
“statutory." The coming of former
Governor Smith, to hack tho “pro¬
gram” for reorganization then under
consideration, was made the occasion
of a great gathering in the State
Theatre.
The distinguished defeated candidate
for the presidency was given a big ova¬
tion and his address was broadcast
over the radio. It so “happened" that
he singled out the Department of Agri¬
culture as one of those that ought to
be brought under gtihcrnutoriul super¬
vision.
Unlike other Department*, the De-
partment of Agriculture in not sup¬
ported by direct taxation. It does not
draw its revenues from the General
Fund but raises them itself from in¬
spection fees imposed upon the com¬
modities which tho law -ays it must
police.
Until 1925 there was much confusion
as to where the lim- lay !-• tween tin-
duties of the State College and the De¬
partment, but the General Assembly
of that year passed a law by which
the “line of demarkation" was clearly
drawn, and the Commissioner was
made the executive officer of the De¬
partment. This was done after an
agreement between Dr. E. C. Brooks
and Commissioner Graham, with the
sanction of Governor Angus W. Mc¬
Lean. This law prevents duplication
of effort and gives to each agency tin-
duty of doing the tilings that lie in
its particular field.
The Department of Agriculture has
fourteen divisions, all subject to the
executive authority of the rommis-
sioner who, in turn, derives hi- power
from the people. The Division" are:
Food and Oil, Veterinary, Teat Farm,
Botany, Analytical, Markets, Ento¬
mology, Dairy, Museum, Warehouse,
Weights and Measures, Publications.
Savings and Loan and Statistical.
Each of these Divisions function*
along lines indicated by its name.
Acting in a legislative, or advisory
capacity, is the State Board of . Seri¬
culture, of which the Comnu-sioner i>
( Continued on page twenty)
