of partisan bias and to strike forever from the State Board of Agriculture and the important educational interest confided to its care the corroding shackles of political prejudice. It was not until the Annual Institute held at Stillwater on August 11 and 12, 1908, and the election of the whole Board of ten members by the accredited delegates to that institute,, that the last fears were removed and the Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture, 'the wide scope and extent of its powers, and the sound basis upon which it rests, together with the splendid non-partisan system of its elections were fully understood, approved and endorsed by all. In this connection the following paragraphs taken from the editorial page of the Oklahoma Farm Journal for September 1, 1908, has been chosen to complete the chapter. Not only because the statement of facts and argument are fair and impartial, but because the previous experience of Mr. John Fields, the editor, as Director of the Experiment Station, lecturer before Farmers' Institutes and high pressure promoter of progressive ideas in agriculture, entitles his views and opinions to more than ordinary weight. Mr. Fields had been away on a visit to New England and has this to say of his return and of his observations of the New Board and the method of its election: Oklahoma A. & M. College "I hurried back so as to attend the Farmers' Cotton Conference and the first annual meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture, held at Stillwater August 10 to 15, and am glad that I did. The opportunity of meeting representative farmers from seventy-four counties and talking with them does not occur often. Every county save one was represented; certainly a fine showing for this busy season. Many of these farmers had never before seen the college and knew nothing of the work which it has done and will do for the improvement of this business of farming. They admitted their astonishment and it is pretty certain that another hundred Oklahoma farmers at least have become inoculated with the "short course virus" and that they will join the old-timers next January at the course on stock judging and seed selection. The program of the cotton conference, as previously printed in the Journal, was carried out and amplified to meet the conditions which arose. And there was the liveliest interest." Board of Agriculture "You will remember that some of us weren't particulary elated last November when the old board of agriculture, elected by representatives of the county farmers' institutes, was displaced by a board appointed by the Governor. At that time the Journal suggested that you wait and give the appointed Board a chance to make good before condemning the individuals which composed it, even it you didn't like the appointive plan. I didn't like the plan a little bit, and neither did anyone else that I have talked with about it. But the Legislature, upon the request of this appointed Board, enacted a law with the same plan of electing members of the Board as had been successfully followed in Oklahoma Territory. And on August 10, delegates from seventy-four counties met at Stillwater and elected ten members of the Board of Agriculture. The President of the Board, having many duties in connection with the state government, is appointed by the Governor until the next general election, at which time he will be elected by popular vote the same as other State officers. In order that every county might be represented in this first election, the law provided that the President of the State Board of Agriculture might appoint delegates from counties where regularly organized county farmers' institutes did not elect delegates. It also provided that the President of the Board should set the dates for the county institutes. This placed the power to utilize partisan advantage in the hands of the President of the Board. Some good folks felt sure he would use it. If he did, he is a smooth one. And none of those who were present at the meeting and are disposed to be fair think that he did. If there ever was an open election and a square and non-partisan and non-political deal on the part of the President of the Board of Agriculture and members of the appointed Board, it happened in this instance. (But beloved, the politician was there in spots and he did a little business in a spot or two; but the Board is not to blame for that.) The Elected Members "The new members were elected by supreme court judicial districts In two cases, three members of the old Board lived in the same district and only two members were to be elected. D. N. Robb, of Atoka, was not a candidate for re-election, because of poor health. With these three exceptions, all of the members of the appointed Board were elected by the delegates from the farmers' institutes. Immediately after election, the members drew lots to determine the length of terms, with the following result: One year, Ewers White, McLoud, and M. F. Ikard, Chickasha. Two years, G. T. Bryan, Perry, and R. W. Lindsay, Pryor Creek. Three. years, J. C. Elliott, Pauls Valley, and Thad Rice, Hitchcock. Four years, A. C. Cobb, Wagoner, and Dan Diehl, Gotebo. Five years, J. W. L. Corley, Howe, and R. F. Wilson, Valliant. So now let's forget politics in connection with the Board of Agriculture. These men are responsible only to the good farmers of Oklahoma. They know this and realize it and have perfect freedom to exercise their best judgment when considering the many important matters in their charge. And unless you have an active farmers' institute in your county and take part in developing it, you have no reason to criticise any action which this board may take." SECRETARY'S REPORT Read Before the Annual Meeting of the State Institute, at Stillwater, To the President and Members of the State Board of Agriculture, and the Delegates to the First Annual State Institute: Gentlemen:-The adjournment of the Territorial Board of Agriculture, sine die, on November 16, 1907, marked the first step in the process of transition from the Territorial form of government to the highest type of local self-government known to man in any age; a State of equal powers The and privileges with any other State in the Great American Union. broadened and its duties extended by work of this Department has been the provisions in the Constitution which created a State Board of Agriculture, which is as follows: Section 164.-Shall be Farmers; Jurisdiction: Constitute Board of Regents.-Section 31 of Bunn's Annotated Statutes of Oklahoma. A Board of Agriculture is hereby created to be composed of eleven members, all of whom shall be farmers and shall be selected in manner prescribed by law. Said Board shall be maintained as a part of the State government, industry affecting animal over all matters and shall have jurisdiction and animal quarantine regulations, and shall be the Board of Regents of all State Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges, and shall discharge such other duties and receive such compensation as may be provided by law. Acting under the authority of the Constitution above cited, Governor Chas. N. Haskell, on November 16, 1907, made the following appointments to constitute the State Board: J. P. Connors, President, Canadian J. P. Roetzel, R. F. Wilson, Watonga Valliant Atoka D. N. Robb, G. T. Bryan, Ewers White. Ferry Dan Diehl, R. S. Burns, J. C. Elliott, R. W. Lindsay, S. D. Dennis, Gotebo Harper Pauls Valley Chouteau Wellston The members of this Board were called upon to meet at Guthrie on The following officers were November 21, 1907, by Pres. J. P. Connors. elected: J. P. Connors, President; J. P. Roetzel, Vice-President; Ewers White, Treasurer; B. J. Waugh, Secretary. On March 16, 1908, B. J. Waugh tendered his resignation as Secretary, which was accepted and on March 17, 1908, Chas. F. Barrett was elected The work of the State Board of Agriculture by the Board as his successor. from the date of its appointment has been primarily that of organization, and the development and orderly arrangement and method by which the important interests entrusted to its care could be most faithfully and systematically administered. Agricultural Conditions The agricultural conditions in the territorial area which now comprises the State of Oklahoma were, previous to the advent of statehood, quite unsatisfactory in many ways. In one-half of the State, agriculture and its related industries had none of the advantages of organization, educational institutions, experiment stations, or protective legislation of any kind, while in the western half the energetic efforts of the agrciultural classes to secure the emancipation, progress and prosperity of the great interests which they represented, were largely neutralized by the failure to secure adequate appropriations to carry forward the great work of education and development which they had enthusiastically begun. The Oklahoma farmers were alive to all questions relating to their welfare; the agricultural press was well established; the doctrine of diversification of crops had long been agitated by both the Territorial Board of Agriculture and a progressive and enterprising press, and farm conditions on that side of the State had been gradually improving for a period of years, but the general condition throughout the State lacked the confidence and unity of purpose So necessary for its highest development. This condition was ably met and successfully remedied by the passage and approval on March 3, of Senate Bill No. 112, by the first Legislature, which created the Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture and outlined its powers and duties. By this Act this Board was clothed with the responsibility of formulating and advancing all propositions affecting the welfare of agriculture and its allied industries, to foster and promote agricultural and industrial education, and to act as an executive department for the enforcement of certain laws. That Legislature promptly recognized the importance of agriculture in the new State and, by almost unanimous consent, made liberal appropriation for carrying to a successful result the widely extended power and authority of the Board. The appointed members of the first State Board of Agriculture lent their most energetic efforts to the work of recommending to the Legislature the adequate and necessary legislation for carrying forward the work to which they had been appointed, and of the fifteen propositions affecting agriculture and the duties of the Board, which were presented to the Legislature, twelve of them passed that body and became laws as emergency provisions. The principal measure passed by the Legislature was Senate Bill No. 112, and was entitled "An Act Providing for the Organization of the State Board of Agriculture, Prescribing the Manner of Electing the President and Other Members Thereof, Defining Their Duties, Fixing Their Compensation, Making an Appropriation, etc." This bill provided for the election of ten members on the second Tuesday in August, 1908, and these members were to be chosen by a majority of all the delegates from the County Farmers' Institutes of the State. Two members of the Board were to be chosen from each Supreme Court Judicial District, and after their election they were to divide themselves by lot into five classes to serve respectively for periods of one, two, three, four, and five years. The President of the Board is designated as the executive officer, and he shall remain appointive until 1911, when his place shall be filled by the people |