liSTDIANA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, ' 495 



of nine liundred dollars to do this work with, and I think we could then 

 go before the next Legislature and ask for more substantial aid. In 

 regard to this room. We have only been occupying it one day in the 

 week. When we vacate it the other days of course the custodian will 

 permit its use to hold meetings. When it is used by other persons it is 

 impossible for us to keep records and things there. We have a right to 

 an office in this building the same as the Secretary of the Board of Agri- 

 culture and the State Statistician, or any other officer fhat is doing state 

 business. Whenever we occupy a room all the while, there will be no 

 trouble in getting a room assigned to us for our exclusive use. If there 

 is anything better than my suggestions I am ready and willing to take it 

 up, but I do insist tnat we take advanced steps to advance the horti- 

 cultural interests. 



Mr. Tillson: In the first place we can not get a man for less than 

 twelve hundred dollars. It seems to me that we can use the money to a 

 better advantage than to pay it to a Secretary. I do not think it would 

 be advisable to hire the Secretary to stay in the office. 



Mr. Flick: I would like to make this statement. The reason that the 

 Secretary does not do his work here in the office is because we can not 

 keep our records here and 1 can not afford to be carrying them back and 

 forth from the residence to the office here. We know this, that it would 

 not necessarily cost twelve hundred dollars to keep a person in the office. 

 It is not necessary for the Secretary to stay in the office, but the office 

 could be kept open and someone could be there to take charge of things 

 and answer questions at any time at a much less sum. We might have 

 the office occupied by a young man, a woman or girl that could fill the 

 position. She could keep up the correspondence, keep the office open, etc., 

 and it would not necessarily cost much more that it is costing at the 

 present time. That woman or man or girl, whoever it might be. could 

 do the routine work in the office, and the Secretary himself could be at 

 outside business. He could be going about over the state working up an 

 interest in the society. We are not trying to influence anyone, but we 

 want to get these facts before you. The State Forestry Association 

 maintains an office with two assistants. W^hat do they do in that office? 

 For what does our State Statistician keep an office open with three or 

 four assistants? Our State Board of Agriculture keeps an office open 

 and a man. and employs a type"nTiter the year round. If this much work 

 is necessary and profitable in these branches of our State Government, 

 why not necessary in this? I think we should thinli of these things seri- 

 ously and if we can not settle these questions ourselves in convention we 

 should refer them to a committee and have them report on it. 



Prof. Troop: It has been stated here that we can not keep our records 

 in that room. I would like to know. why it is impossible? We have desks 

 there with locks on them, and it seems to me we could keep things 

 safely. 



