, 1875-12-02

by nn Under.OiIICt&l Of
tho Chemical Department..

pscuJnti0n by nm Undef.DtflCtRl Of
tho Chemical Department..
sute,.t Drzpatrh to Ths chttaqn Tribune,
DETROIT. Dec. 1.-"Tho policy OF silonce Ia
undoubtedly good thing in its way 80 long "a
sl.uce Is eopurod; but, whcn Tho policy hna
b.sn pursucd for tima and ultonce In broken,
. Il really soen,s as though tho notae .ncaa waH a
housand-fo!d increased By feaBon OF the con-
t;uusa repression.
Certain people connected with tho Unlvcralty
of Michigan appoar, At tho present time 10 be
.uatasoriug 10 rrosorvs the policy OF s,lcnco ia
,.lstion to Bomo developments In that institution
which hsve recently coma to light,
One thing IN certain. and that iH. that dshnn-
esty, having loen discovered, Is gonorally. in
tbs sge Of tho world, opposed, and tho authori-
tics who control tho scat Of learning at Ann Ar
b, ought 10 know tilu.
II hss long becn sns spocted, by those who
night b supposed to knoT, that the sJatcm OF
"thecks and balances" In uso Ia itccpiug tho
>oooupts OF tic Chemical Laboratory, operated
| u very littlo OF check to raising tho balancos
d. tho banlora' of aoma par+ies connooted with
tint department. At tho October meeting Of
the Board OF Regents, this feeling took tic
farm oil resolution. which xas introduced and
rtrssd. and WHICH, il my memury ser.cs mo,
rroYlded that tho Director OF tho Chemical
laboratory should prosent Quartorly estimates,
tcfer!ng oil probable purchases also that the
taue official ahonld duly account for alt money
nd thai, tu short, t!la Chemical Department
lhould be brought utstlor tho aatue law. In ro-
I,fd to duplicate vouchers, ETC., 0tiot depart
nents uf tho University. Very ropos, too. oyery-
tods aaJ, excopt sotn0 Of tAn officials connecsad
nth tho department, and they wero fur from
Mth,ar rrf6R md h1St Haxr bmu 1,~,j
lot being satisfied with the old loose way Of
DOING things. pecuntloa has been an oaBv thing.
nd It becta certain that orc. at leaat OF tho Of
feala has fallen into temptation.
In under-oilicisl IN tho Laboratory IL d de-
t.aer to tho ascerlaineti amount OF 81. 500 sud
ri nothing has been made public about it, aud
las management Of Tho Univaraity llopo to snp-
pre.s any OF tho facta coming tn light. Tho
Eculattona haVo extended lack some yeaIa mud
The question bacoMod an interesting one, whotl,-
q Ill tho steal las boon discovered, or whether
there arc others wlo lave had their naro Of tho
spois No mixing OF this hls ~ yet got into
tts State papsrs; bnt l Iiavo my information
from tho moBt rohnbte sourccs, 1t ia a 6al
a1lir ~ hest md That dishonest practices nro
Foeaible showa co.tolnslvely that somebody boz
Idss tho discovered peoulator Ii to blatnc. Cn-
lea Ill the sfgns fail. we Bte only On tho th1nsh-
sN Of interesting Developments ut tho Athens
Of Michigan, which viii throw tho war OF tho
Talhich far Into the background Tie next mect-
nR Of tho Negonts will bo lookod forward to
Mth interest.
ltmlsht not bo out OF place to mako some
asteucnts IN regard to that Chemical Laobra-
tnF.. 1lte important department Inns, in round
numbers, l80 stndents. Eacll student payB tho
o'diuasy n1atricnlation feo and incidental OF
renee account. and, In addition. tho expenses
to' supplying his ovn table in tho Laboratory,
Eieh student las his own tablo, apparatus, and
taemicalb; and ho is clar4ed for unc, waBtn,
tad broakase,-thn charges 10 each
tabla averaging from clio to $3U q
tim. Tho Director Of tho Laboratory ie,
peHercc, heavy doaler In chemicals atld an
pgtsus. Tho dovslonuents which have rocontIy
como to light In the department. would seen to
demir rigid investigation Of all tho accouuts
at tho department. Whom tho peonl0 con1s to
tnowie1go Of tho facts. thoy will demand this.
but .hey Will domand that ita walls Of learning
iSal bs nptainted with fraud, and no attempted
Impression Of tho facts will atlle inquiry.