4
THE BATTALION.
upon the possibly hazardous absurdity which requires the
colleg-e authorities to appear before the legislature every
two years and beseech that body to provide sustenance for
an important State institution, initiated and liberally en
dowed by the national g-overnment! Common sense would
sug-gest that this humiliating requirement be permanently
abolished by setting apart a portion of the general revenue,
or by a special tax levied for the purpose, in accordance
with the indisputably wise suggestion of President Poster
in his annual report.
Among the special appropriations asked by the board
is one for a building for the agricultural and horticultural
departments. This building is absolutely necessary to the
efficiency of the agricultural department, and that it has
not been supplied heretofore is an anomaly in a State
where more than 75 per cent, of the population are en
gaged in farming, and which exports annually more than
$150,000,000 worth of agricultural and live stock products.
The department in question has been cramped for room
and equipment so long that its friends seem to have be
come used to it, and are not as importunate in knocking at
the door of legislation as other, and perhaps less impor
tant interests. 0 Agriculturally, Texas is far the most im
portant State in the Union, and under wise legislation a
few years should find her so far in the lead that any com
parison with other States would be odious. In agricul
tural and live stock resources, Texas more than equals any
three or four States. Her own people and her own legis
latures seem to have a very inadequate conception of her
possibilities for expansion under a wise and liberal system