Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-02-25
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
Grea, Expense-Small Results.
Public Ledger.

I cUiiC LtOScT.
A resolution introduced into the Harris
burg House week or two ago by Mr.
Garrett, of Delaware county, brings tn,
Pennsylvania State College, near Belle
fonte, once more before the people Of til,
commonwealth to prove its right to its
state endowment of $50, 900 year by it:
work. 1t is required to show what 1t doe.
for the money in the way of giving instruc
ton to the youth Of the state in agricul
tural and the mechanic arts, for this is the
condition of the annual gift. Mr.. Gar.
| rett's resolution looks like a reproduction
of one passed by the state House of Repre-.
| sentatives at the session Of 1879, and that
one was founded on report of House
! committee which had inquired into the
subject and had come to the conclusion
that that the college had failed in it's effort
to carry out the purpose for which the
money is appropriated.
It is quite likely that some of our read.
ers now hear foI the first time of the
Pennsylvania state college, and as they in
| common with all the people of the com
monwealth have an interest in it, and
rights also, it may be we'll to tell them
something of the institution. 1t is a
school mainly supported by public money,
SAl"tstSN AL a. SCSIuSiSl SpUt, uCitE Dcllc.
fonte, Centre county its object is to train
youth scientifically and practically in such
branches of learning as relate to acricul-
turc and mechanic arts, though ether
branches are not to be excluded.
This is in pursuance of several
acts Of the Legislature, all Of
which are based on an act of Congress- of
1862, which made gifts of government
land scrip to the several states for that
purpose. Pennsylvania share of the
scrip represented seven hundred and
eighty thousand acres of land, which
through bad management by the Lesisla-
ture and otherwise, in failing to provide
properly and scasonably for the sale of it.
produced but s439, 1877. This sum was
paid into the state treasury, and although
the Legislature devoted S43,SS6 of it to
the purchase of experimental farms"
for the college, it nevertheless ordered
that a bond for $500, 600 should bc exc
cuted and deposited in the state treasury
to carry oat the purposes of the act of
Congress, and the interest of that sum at
six per cent. thirty thousand dollars)
should be paid annually to the college
trustees fOr tho maintenance of the col
leSc. This money has been paid annually
for many years, quite L sufficient number
to enable the cole &c to show what it can
do in the way of usual work but the rc-
suit Is exceedingly disappointing, and this
Is quite mild way to put it, considering
the state of feeling among large numbers
of farmers.
The college itself as 4 public institution
is the OutSrOwth of private establish
ment, first incorporated in 1854 as the
g Farmers High School - it's name was
changed in 1862 to the ga agricultural Col
lcge of Pennsylvania, and ultimately Gin
1879 to its present title, "Pennsylyani,
State College, The site of the school was |
where it now is by the then pri- !
vatc corporation trustees in 1851, they ap- |
parent!y being induced to choose that out |
pf-the-way locality by reason of the gift of |
two hundred acres OF land in Harris town |
ship, Centre county. This was generous |
gift, but the locality was unfortunate. The |
trustees afterward bought two hundred
additional acres adjoining for twelve thou
sand dollars. A great deal of money was
spent i'll the buildings, and in q few years
The institution got into debt and into much
of course. Eventually it
became the recipient of tho government
bounty, as already mentioned, but in the
Meantime and down to date, the state ap-
,ropriatcd, from 1857 to 1872, the sum of
500, G09 to help it in various cxigencies.
some say great deal more, but the fore
,0lnS sum, We think, is about right. This
hen, is the financial exhibit rs far rs pub
ic capit:;lal is concerned
Appropriated by the state $.,9.coo
tate bond TO represent Congressional