St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-13

anu tfio,ooV IOnl Ii1c dSTicu1tuTdt
grant SO far as disposed of.
The farm was purchased to serve two
interests: First, the agricultural inter-
est of the college, and second, for the
increase of the permanent university
fund as good Investment for the adj
vantage OF all departments and increased
bysitSrise in value the permanent,fund to
the extent of notelesS than 100000. If
all these funds were taken and turned
over to board in charge of single de-
partment, they would give the new
board fund of 81 100000, with reve-
nue. of $4,000 per annum, and would
leave the university with revenue Of
about 900 per annum to provide for
80 students in all departments. The
proposed bill will result fin duplicating
the university, OF creating two substan-
TALLY similar institutions; for under the
act of congress the college to
which the proceeds of the land are
given, must do substantially all that the
university now does. Is the state pre-
pared 20 support two universities? The
regents have provided the finest plant
for the agricultural department in the
United States: embracing farmhOuSes,
barns. chemical laboratory, plant houses,
tools, slices and farm machinery, school
and boarding house, etc.. and have ex-
$4,000. They have provided a COM
modiOuS mechanic arts building. and
furnished it with lathes, planners, ma
chinery for wood and iron work, etc, at
cost of at least $4,000, which has over
one hundred students, and is MAIN
tanned at an expense of $500 per
annum. What shall be done with all
these? Are they to be abandoned, and
in the present condition of the
finances of the state duplicated
in some other locality? The regents
have hit upon the best, and
perhaps the only solution of the diff
Guilty of inducing farmers sons TO ap-
ply themselves to studies which will
best fit them for the farm; plan which
is meeting the approval of the presi-
dents of similar colleges all over the
country. That the experiment is so
great a success that the accommodations
for students are already exhausted
ought surely not to be urged as an
argument against them. IL 100 or 500
more students should apply for admis-
sion, an increase of dormitories and an
enlargement of the dining room could
as cheaply be provided here. as else
where: while the other appliances, the
mechanics arts building and machinery,
the barns, carpenter shops, chemical
laboratory, plant houses, etc, will sup
ply sufficient facilities for the educa-
tion OF all who may apply; hence the
state can much more economically
carry on the work at the present
farm than on new foundation.
The state has already contracted an in
debtedneSS of 100000 to provide for
completing unfinished institutions, and
has absolutely exhausted its resources.
If anybody has supposed that the build
ings now appropriated to the purposes
of the agricultural college and the me-
chanics' art and the teaching of mill
tary tactics can be sold and their pro-
ceeds used, for the purchase of other
buildings, this statement will disabuse
them. No agricultural college funds
have been used III their construction;
they have been erected out of general
funds provided by the legislature to be
expended by the regents for the benefit
of the university, and with the eXcep-
ton of the buildings at the farm all
stand upon the college campus, the use
only having been devoted to the
special purposes referred to. So
in regard to the farm. AS we
have seen, it was purchased by the re-
gents to be held and owned as the prop
erty of the university, and as valuable
Investment for its benefit; and such it
has proved. That it was purchased
with the intention of being applied, as
far as necessary to the purposes of an
agricultural college, for which, indeed,
small portion only is necessary. does
not make it any less the property of the
university. The bill which has Just
been defeated in the senate provides, as
it must necessarily to meet the require
mentS of the act of congress, for pre-
cisely the same thing; the only differ
ence between the two being that one is
styled an agricultural college, but
which has all the university curriculum,
and the other state university teach
ing the same branches. The board of
regents is composed largely of law
yers. 1t numbers an eX-judge of
the supreme court, an eX-United
States district attorney, and several
other lawyers, not, perhaps, unknown
i'll this state. among its members. These
men ought to know the construction
and scope of the act Of congress, at least
as well as the gentlemen who assail
them: they could not have Ignorantly
converted these funds to an improper
use. Docs anybody believe that they
have done it Willfuily? Most of the gen
tlemen composing the board of regents
marks of the confidence of their fellow
citizens that the answer cannot he
doubtful. The successive governors of
this state have always been members of
the board and have cOncurred in its
action. If these charges are true, all
the governors of this state since 1865
should have been impeached. The
board OF regents have devoted their
time and abilities to the unlver-
sity without compensation, and have no
personal interest in the matter other
than as citizens of the state. If they
have not prior to the present year made
the agricultural college success, it is
not for want of effort, but for want of
students. 1t is a common obs ervatiOn
here as elsewhere, that these agricul-
tural colleges have educated students
away from the farm, and pupils have
declined to enroll themselves in the de-
partment of agriculture simply. This
difficulty, as has been said, has been
during the present year happily solved
for the first time in this country by the
establishment of the school of agri-
culture"