STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

AN ACT

TO PROVIDE FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF THE STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY BY THE STATE.

[Approved April 15, 1880.]

The People of the State of California, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: SECTION 1. The State Agricultural Society is hereby declared to be a State institution. SEC. 2. Within ten days after the passage of this Act, the Governor shall appoint twelve resident citizens of the State, who shall, when organized, constitute a State Board of Agriculture, who shall, except as hereinafter provided, hold office for the term of four years, and until their successors are appointed and qualified. Vacancies occurring from any cause in the Board shall be filled by appointment of the Governor for the unexpired term of the office vacated. SEC. 3. Within ten days after their appointment, the person so appointed shall qualify, as required by the Constitution, and shall meet at the office of the State Agricultural Society, and organize by the election of one of their number as President of the Board and said Society, who shall hold said office of President for the term of one year, and until his successor is elected and qualified. The Board shall also elect a Secretary and Treasurer, not of their number, who shall each hold office at the discretion of the Board.

SEC. 4. At the same meeting, the members of the Board shall, by lot or otherwise, classify themselves into four classes of three members each. The terms of office of the first class shall expire at the end of the first fiscal year; of the second class, of the second year; of the third class, of the third year; of the fourth class, at the end of the full term of four years. The fiscal year shall be from the first of February to the first of February.

SEC. 5. The State Board of Agriculture shall be charged with the exclusive management and control of the State Agricultural Society as a State institution; shall have possession and care of its property, and be intrusted with the direction of its entire business and financial affairs. They shall define the duties of the Secretary and Treasurer, fix their bonds and compensation, and shall have power to make all necessary changes in the Constitution and rules of the Society, to adapt the same to the provisions of this Act, and to the management of the Society, its meetings and exhibitions. They shall provide for an annual Fair or exhibition by the Society of all the industries and industrial products of the State, at the City of Sacramento; provided, that in no event shall the State be liable for any premium awarded or debt created by said Board of Agriculture.

SEC. 6. The Board shall have power to appoint all necessary Marshals and police to keep order and preserve peace at the annual Fairs of the Society; and the officers so appointed shall be vested with the same authority for the preservation of order and peace, on the grounds and in the buildings of the Society, that executive peace officers are vested with by law.

SEC. 7. Said Board shall use all suitable means to collect and disseminate all kinds of information calculated to educate and benefit the industrial classes, develop the resources, and advance the material interests of the State, and shall, on or before the first day of February of each year, report to the Governor a full and detailed account of their transactions, statistics, and information gained, and also a full financial statement of all funds received and disbursed. They shall also make such suggestions and recommendations as experience and good policy may dictate for the improvement and advancement of the agricultural and kindred industries."

SEC. 8. The Superintendent of State Printing shall, each year, print and bind in cloth four thousand volumes of said transactions, and deliver the same to said Board of Agriculture for distribution and exchange. He shall also do such job printing as said Board may require to carry out the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 9. The Directors or Board of Managers of each county and district agricultural society or association, and of county, district, or State horticultural and stock breeding association or society, organized and acting under the laws of this State, shall report annually, on or before the first day of April, to the State Board of Agriculture, the name and Post Office address of each officer of such society or association; and, on or before the first day of December, shall report to the Board of Agriculture the transactions of said society, including the premiums offered, the list of stock and articles exhibited, and the premiums paid; the amount of receipts and

expenditures for the year, the new industries inaugurated, and any and all facts and statistics showing the development and extent of the industries, products, and resources of the county or district embraced within the management of such society or association; provided, that the provisions of this Act shall not apply to any Board of Commissioners or other body organized under the laws of this State, the object of which is to promote vinicultural industries, unless such Board or body shall voluntarily request the privilege of making such reports as are called for by this Act, in which case this Board or body shall enjoy equal privileges as are accorded to other institutions devoted to agriculture.

SEC. 10. To facilitate such reports, the State Board of Agriculture shall have prepared, and shall furnish such societies with necessary schedules and blanks for such reports; and such State Board shall include such reports from societies and associations, or so much thereof as they may deem advisable, in their report to the Governor.

SEC. 11. When said State Board of Agriculture shall have been organized and classified as provided herein, the Secretary of the Board shall report such organization and classification to the Governor. He shall also report any vacancy that may occur in said Board at any time. SEC. 12. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed. SEC. 13. This Act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

CONSTITUTION

OF THE

CALIFORNIA STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

[Revised and adopted by the State Board of Agriculture, May 18, 1880.]

NAME.

SECTION 1. This Society shall be called "The California State Agricultural Society."

OBJECT.

SEC. 2. It shall be the object of this Society to encourage the cultivation of the soil, and the general development of all the agricultural resources of this State.

SEC. 3. To foster every branch of mechanical and household arts calculated to increase the happiness of home life.

SEC. 4. To extend and facilitate the various branches of mining and mining interests.

MEMBERSHIP.

SEC. 5. Annual Members.-Any person who shall pay into the funds of this Society the sum of five dollars, may become a member of the same; such membership to expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

SEC. 6. Life Members.-Any person may become a member for life by the payment of fifty dollars; or, if already a member, by the payment of forty-five dollars, or by serving a full term as a member of the State Board of Agriculture, and shall thereafter be exempt from all dues and assessments.

SEC. 7. Honorary and Corresponding Members.-Any person whom the Board shall propose may be elected an honorary or corresponding member, and shall enjoy, free of charge, all the privileges of the Society, except voting and holding office.

SEC. 8. Privileges of Members.-Any citizen of this State, being a member of this Society, shall be eligible to office, entitled to vote, and enjoy the free use of the library, under the rules of the same, and have free admission, accompanied by his wife and minor children, to all the exhibitions of the Society, and shall be permitted to compete for premiums in any or all depart

ments.

SEC. 9. Expulsion of Members.-Any member who shall present for exhibition any article or animal which he is not entitled by the rules of the Society to exhibit, or who shall attempt to deceive, or be guilty of a breach of good faith towards the Society, may be expelled by a vote of two thirds of the members present at any meeting of the Board; provided, always, that no member shall be expelled unless written notice of the alleged offense shall have been served on him, or left at his usual place of residence at least twenty days previous to the action.

OFFICERS.

SEC. 10. The officers of this Society shall consist of twelve Directors, to be appointed by the Governor, who shall constitute a State Board of Agriculture, seven of whom shall constitute a quorum. The Board shall be charged with the exclusive management and control of the State Agricultural Society as a State institution; shall have possession and care of its property, and be intrusted with the direction of its entire business and financial affairs; shall have power to make all necessary changes in the Constitution and rules of the Society; shall provide for an annual Fair or exhibition by the Society of all the industries and industrial products of the State, at the City of Sacramento, and such other exhibition as they may deem important. They shall elect one of their members as President of the Board and Society, and a Treasurer and Secretary, not members of the Board. They may also appoint, annually, as officers of the Board, a chemist, a botanist, a mineralogist, a geologist, a metallurgist, an ornithologist, and an entomologist, and define the duties of each. They may appoint such committees on the

various departments of agriculture, mining, and manufactures, either generally or for specific purposes, as they may deem important for the best interests of the State, and require such committees to report the results of their investigations to the Board at such times as may be named by them.

SEC. 11. Duties of President.-The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board and of the Society; shall have power to call special meetings of the Board when necessary, and at the written request of ten members, may call extra meetings of the Society; shall appoint all meetings not otherwise provided for; and shall sign all financial and official documents emanating from the Society, and not otherwise provided for. In the absence of the President from any meeting of the Board or Society, any Director may be called to the chair, and during such meeting, and for the completion of any business transacted, or ordered at the same, shall have the same powers as the President.

SEC. 12. Duties of Secretary.-The Secretary shall conduct the correspondence of the Board or Society, keeping copies of all important letters written in the name or on behalf of the Board or Society, holding the same free to the inspection of any member of the Board or Society, at any regular meeting of the same. He shall also receive and file all letters addressed to the Board or Society, holding the same subject to the Board of Directors. He shall attend all meetings of the Society and the Board, keeping a full record of the proceedings of each in a book for that purpose. He shall prepare and publish all notices of meetings, shall keep a roll of all standing committees, and call the same (noticing absences) whenever desired to do so by the Chair; shall sign all certificates of honorary and corresponding and life memberships, and forward the same to those entitled to receive them. He shall keep, in a book prepared for that purpose, the name and address of every member; shall prepare and sign all gratuitous or complimentary cards or tickets of admission; shall countersign all diplomas, certificates of merit, etc., awarded by the Board, and forward the same to their respective claimants. He shall be ex officio Librarian; shall keep the seal, and all the plates, dies, engravings, etc., belonging to the Society, and shall cause to be struck therefrom such medals and impressions as may, from time to time, be required. He shall have charge of all specimens, models, plants, seeds, books, etc., and arrange, prepare, or distribute the same under the direction of the Board. He shall prepare all reports to be made by the Board to the Society, and to the State. He shall receive all moneys due or payable to the Society, and pay the same to the Treasurer, taking his receipt therefor; shall hold all bonds filed by officers of the Society for the faithful performance of their duty, and all vouchers for every class of expenditure. He shall countersign all drafts ordered by the Board, and all certificates of annual and life membership, and keep an account of the same in a book, as they are issued, and shall, in December of each year, prepare a tabular statement of the receipts and expenditures of the Board according to the law organizing the same.

SEC. 13. Duties of the Treasurer.-The Treasurer shall receipt for all funds at the hands of the Secretary, and shall disburse the same only on the order of the Board, attested by the President and the Secretary. He shall also hold in trust, all certificates of stock, bonds, notes, deeds, or other evidences of debt or possession belonging to the Society, and shall transfer, invest, or dispose of the same only by direction of the Board. He shall file with the Secretary a bond for the faithful performance of his duties; said bond to be approved by the Board, and shall, at the annual meeting, make to the Society a detailed report of all his transactions.

STANDING COMMITTEES.

SEC. 14. Committee of Finance.-The Committee of Finance shall consist of five members of the Board, the President being one, whose duty it shall be to audit the Secretary and Treasurer's accounts, to examine and approve all bills before they are paid, to have general supervision of the finances of the Society, and to report their transactions and financial condition of the Society in full to the Board whenever called on so to do.

SEC. 15. Library Committee.--The Library Committee shall consist of four members of the Board and the Secretary, whose duty it shall be to have the general supervision of the library and cabinet, to make all necessary rules and regulations for the government of the same (said rules and regulations being subject to the approval of the Board), to suggest such means for the safe keeping and enlargement of both the library and cabinet as they may deem expedient, and to make a full report of their transactions, together with the state of the department under their charge, at each annual meeting.

SEC. 16. Visiting Committee.-The Visiting Committee, to be appointed by the Board from their own number, shall visit and examine all farms, orchards, vineyards, nurseries, field crops, irrigation works, agricultural machine works, agricultural machinery in operation, etc., which may be entered for competition, and which require examination at other times and places than the annual Fair; to award premiums for the same according to the schedule, and recommend such gratuities as they may deem proper, and make a full report to the Board at least one day previous to the annual Fair.

SEC. 17. Printing and Publication Committee.-The Committee on Printing and Publication shall consist of five (the President and Secretary being two), whose duty it shall be to contract for and superintend, under the direction of the Board, all printing and publishing necessary for the Society.

OFFICE AND ROOMS.

SEC. 18. The office, rooms, library, and cabinet of the Board and Society shall be permanently located at the Capital of the State.