, 1873-08-12
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES AND LAND
GRANTS.

GRANTS.
CongroaH has givon away about 1o0,000,000
acroa Of the public domain IN tho way Of suhai-
dizing rnilroad, canal, and other. corporations,
and leas than 150, ,000 900 acres for all purposes
Of education. This comparison naturally eug-
COSTA tho Justice Of making future Immigrants,
II there are to bo any, to the Cause OF education,
especially aa the last census shows that twenty
out Of ovory 100 persons in tho country over tho
il there arc to DO Congressional land-grants for
educational PURPOSES, tho pooplo have IN interest
Ia aeeiug TINT they shall not DO as rock
loasly misappliod and as grossly mis-
used, Is they have been in subsidizing
private corporations undor the protense
Of contributing to the public good. a measure
was introduced into tho last CongrosB, which
came very near passing, TINT proposed to givo all
the residue Of tho public lands, now valued at
about SOC, 100000, to tic Agricultural Colleges
in tho various States. The lands woro to bo sold
and one-ha1t the proceeds given to the Trustees
Of the Agricultural Colleges outright. Thoother
hnlf WAS to bo invested in United States honda
for tho benefit Of tho Colleges. II the proceeds
from the sale amounted to only s74, ,o0o,0oo, tho
Trustees Of every Agricultural College would
havo tho handling OF 5l,00o,0o0, and eycry Col
lego would be in the annual receipt Of $4,000
income from the interest on Uuitod Bsates
bonds over and above this. As q matter
OF course, project Of this kind enlisted
an entorprising lobby, composed mainly of the
Presidents, Trustees, and Professors Of the gari-
ous Agricultural Colleges, who nearly succeeded
In securing tho passage Of the bill. A timoly
protest from sorno OF the more prominent edu-
Gators of tho country, and the popular sonti-
mont against the wholesale distribution Of tho
public lands, caused thewlolo scheme to bo lnid
oyor at tho very cloao Of the session.
It is not at all improbable, however, that this
OF all tho public lands for tho benefit Of Agricul-
tural Colleges will be brought before tho ne1t
| Congress-. It was this prospect, no doubt,
that induced President McCosh, OF Prince
| ton College, to present tho subject to
tho National Educational Association at
its rocent session III Elmira, N. Y. Tho in
Justice of the scheme was painfully illustrated IN
lis address. Ho evidently bolioyos, as good
many other people do, that the Agricultural Col
legos do not accomplish tho rosuts which wora
promised. He has found that, In Scotland,
wloro farming has roaollod high stato Of
excellence, agriculture ia promoted by associa-
tious, lecturoa, and periodical publications.. but
not by colleges. The,o arc only six agricultural
institutions In Germany, and President DloCosh
toatifleB from personal inspection tlat somo OF
them aro worry tooblo institutions. Tho fact il
that tho Agricultural Colleges OF this country,
which hive had such generous contributions
from National and stato Governments and private
SOURCES, hayo as yet aono nothing to justif,
their claim to furthoraid. Cornell University only
graduated two agricultural students; come ot
tho institutions bayo Lad no agricultural grad.
uatos. Undor tho Congressional act Of 1902
60, 900 acren Of land wore granted for osory Sen.
ator aud Representative IL Congress-, OF o,GoO o0G
acres in all. From tho sates that hare already
appropriated their share, md devoted tho pro
+ ceedH, along with important contributions TO
eelyea from other souros, to Agricultural Col
legeB, Prof. Athorton estimatoa that eighteen Of
! theso now institutions hare IN aggregate fund
r excluding Cornell College, OF sB,272,9Sa. Tlilt
:. nothing has yot been accomplished which on
!. titles them to further aid in dgoris,inath1
. against nil other educational Institutions. thor
i haye been some casoB whore tho monoy has beo
o actually mlsappropEiated. The proposition
y therefore, to divide MI the public lapt