No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 698 



and assumes the position ol autocrat aud I thiuk, in a case like 

 this, the Board should take action. 



MR. SCHWAlvZ: It seems to me that one word there is wrong. It 

 says there, that the State Board should take action in case the deci- 

 sion of tlie court is found to be contrar}^ to law. A judji;e could not 

 suspend sentence unless the law gave him the right to do so. That 

 is all he has done. If they have a right to do so, how has he gone 

 contrary to the law? He has acted in the right of his discretion. 



ME. BLYnOLDER: I hope this will pass. It does seem to me 

 that the action, according to the information given, of taking the 

 law into his own hands, is going too far. He gives as his reason for 

 not sentencing them that they should be notified beforehand and 

 then if they violate the law they should be punished. If that pre- 

 cedent is permitted to be established, what can't I commit in the 

 State of Pennsj'lvania, and then claim ignorance of the law^? It 

 seems to me wonderful that we should set up such a precedent as 

 that, and I think the State Board of Agriculture ought to set itself 

 on the side of right. 



The question being called and a vote taken, it was agreed to with 

 one negative vote. 



The CHAIRMAN: The next subject on the program is the paper 

 on the "Relation of the State Board of Agriculture to Farmers' 

 Organizations and the Farmer," by Mr. Blyholder. 



The SECRETARY: At the time arrangements were being made to 

 make up the program I wrote Mr. Blj^holder and asked him if he 

 would take a place on the program and he very kindly said he would, 

 and subsequently I learned that serious afiiiction in his family in- 

 fluenced him to turn his thought in another direction; but he has 

 come here and stated that he would be willing to give us his thoughts 

 on the subject of his paper. I move that he be given opportunity 

 to prepare his paper and send it to the Secretary for publication. 



The motion being seconded, it was agreed to. 



MR. SCHWARZ: I thought he was to give his thoughts on the 

 subject now. 



MR. BLYHOLDER: I might say that the position I hold, or the 

 thoughts I would express, or rather in the form that I would write 

 a paper on the subject, that I would endeavor to show the object 

 of the organization of the Department of Agriculture and show in 

 various ways that these Departments and Boards have been formed 

 for the advancement of the best interests of the agricultural class. 

 Then I should go on and take up the subject of the Board and De- 



