The midland journal., 1888-03-09
The Experiment Station.

The Legislature has passed the bill Civ
ing the Agricultural Experiment Station
fund to the Agricultural College, the Com
mittee on Agriculture and Labor have re-
ported it favorably, being convinced that
under the Hatch law the fund must, OF
necessity, go to that institution, basine
their belief on letter published from the
First Comptroller of the U. S. Treasury.
This letter, however, IL now turns out,
was not decision in any wi e on any point
submitted to him by authority, but an
opinion as to legislative intent, which be
saws hirnself was little difficult to deter
mine.
The Hon. Mr.. Hatch, the author Of the
bill, insists that the bill was made sniff
ciently broad as 10 virtually allow each
state to use its own discretion in locating
its station; and he believes that much
modified opinion would now be given bv
Comptroler Durham, if new application
were made to him. Eminent lawyers In
this state construe the phraseoloy of the
Hatch law as allowing any state to
establish station independently, o. at anv
college. provided it is done before the U.
s. grant is formerly accepted. h
Here is the amount of money the Agri.
cultural College will receive in one year
in getting the Experiment Station fund.
Fund accrued to June 80, 1888 SIS 900 90
Fund for second year $4,000 90
Income from U. s. landscript about 1000 90
From state for inspetg fertilizers 1000 90
Total ................S .SS9, ,00U 90
What 10 the farmers of the state think
of this sum going TO the College which for
wears has stood q m lnument of nselessuess
and inca pacity, and given to it for their
benefit?
L, is not too late, however, for the farm.
ers to demand change in the manage
,nent, and they should vigorously press 70.
il before the legislature.
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE MANAGE
MENT.
In our last issue attention was called to
the system of management of the Agricul-
turai College, the institution which now
receives $1,000 year from the United
States, aud some $4,000 more from the
state for inspecting fertilizers, from which
no returns accrue to the agricultural COM
mnnity, and which is now seeking to Sc
cure the annual grant of $l5 900 from the
Ubited States for agricultural experiments,
under The Hatch law. To give q more de.
tailed view of the methods by which the
centr ol of the college is secured and main
,ained, we reproduce, from The Farmer of
June / 81, report of the last election"
of trustees. &aHJ t.
rhe Agricultural College meeting was
held ou May 26th. It,was found to have
been called for the election of a Board of
Trustees the law for an annual meeting
having been disregarded for several years.
Four Of the trustees were present, and
showed their object was to retain, by any
means available, the control 10 their hands,
They appointed one of their number chairman,
a second secretary. and The other tpo telters.
There were but FIVE other stockholders
present, and it appears that the reporters
of the papers were excluded by the officers
The chairman, Mr.. Wilmot john
son, through ignorance or incapacity,
got things in a muddle i from the
start and was several times rebuked by one
Of those present, Mr.. Chas. b. Calvert, Of
Prince Georges, who declared his actions
were arbitrary, unparliametary and unfair
He not only acted as chairman and appoint
ed the tellers, but had the bulk of the
proxies. When proxy was offered of the
stock Of DR.. Mercer's estate, it was found