No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 519 



and the only one the packing trust cares to carry. We strongly in- 

 sist that it be so dealt with so as to prevent its being colored. Yel- 

 low is the natural color of butter. The natural color of oleomar- 

 garine is white. 



POPULAR GOVERNMENT 



We believe that the government of this — and every other state — 

 should be brought more closely to the people. (Government has been 

 taken from the people by years of tolerance until there is a con- 

 dition when a few political manipulators have the power, through 

 patronage and the control of the public funds, to make and unmake 

 laws to suit themselves). We believe the people should be trusted 

 with absolute sovereignty, and therefore reiterate our demand for 

 these great principles of real democracy. We urge the submission 

 to the people by our Legislature, to pass a constitutional amendment 

 which will unite these proposition into the fundamental laws of our 

 State. 



As a part of this same item, we further urge the direct ele-ction 

 of our United States Senators. 



PARCELS POST 

 The farmers of America have for years demanded of Congress the 

 enactment of a law which will entrust the government with the carry- 

 ing of parcels as is don© by all other governments in the civilized 

 world. However, we stand by the expression made by an honored 

 member of this Board that we should have ''a real parcels post; no 

 fake substitute." The Express Companies are parasites upon the 

 legitimate functions of the posto^ce department. We see no reason 

 why the farmers should not have the same collect and delivery privi- 

 leges, enjoyed by the town and city dwellers, nor do we see why 

 anyone should pay the outrageous tribute imposed by the Express 

 Companies, when we have our most efficient and trustworthy mail 

 department of government ready at anytime to assume all of this 

 carrying, from the most thickly-settled urban section to the most 

 remote rural section, and vice versa. We favor the passage of the 

 bill now before Congress, known as the Lewis Bill. 



PROTECTING AGRICULTURE 



We earnestly commend the work of our Department of Agricul- 

 ture in safeguarding the farmer's welfare throughout Pennsylvania. 

 We regret that the bills asked for by the Department for the rigid 

 inspection of Paris green and linseed oil and for the proper labeling 

 of field seeds, were not passed by the last Legislature. We believe 

 a pure seed law should provide for a penalty for those who sell 

 seeds containing noxious weeds, or being less than 99 per cent. pure. 

 We regret that the Agricultural Extension Bill, providing for an 

 appropriation of |G0,000, failed to become a law; passed the House 

 but failed in the Senate. We urge increased appropriations for 

 Farmers' Institute work, recognizing the great good thus done by the 

 Division of Farmers' Institutes under the supervision of Hon. A. L. 

 Martin. 



In conclusion, we again urge our farmers to look upon the«e mat- 

 ters in a practical, rather than a sentimental, manner. We get 

 nothing by adopting resolutions. We must join words with works and 

 see to it, through our efforts as citizens, that our demands are enacted 

 into law. 



