Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-05-24
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE IN
VBsTIGATION.

NAAANN
last week:
Hon. w. T. Thornton, Governor Of tho Terri.
tory Of Now Mexico.
SANTA FE, May l3.-Dear Sir: On
the lrst of the present month the ter
ritorial board of education met in the
city of Santa Fe. During the session
the subject Of the Agricultural College
was incidentally brought up, and at
your earnest request the members OF
the board agreed to accompany sou to
Las Crucessfor the purpose of making
aD investigation into the conduct and
affairs of said institution. After a
very thorough and careful investlga-
tion we have the honor to submit the
following report.
On May 6 and Z, we held sessions at
the College. We met the members of
the faculty and the students.in gener-
al assembly and were favorably i'm
pressed with the large attendance,
general intelligent appearance and or
derly manner. of the students. After
this we proceeded to discharge the du-
ties imposed upon US by first an
nouncing to President McCrea that
serious charges of mismanagement
and misconductarec circulating against
him and other members Of the facul.
ty. He was much pleased that the
board had.decided upon an investiga-
ton.
The members OF the faculty ap-
peared before us in a body and de-
clared there was NO ground for any of
the charges Of discord and dissenslon,
but on the contrary. that there was
perfect harmony and good feeling
among them and that they had no
knowledge OF any cases of insubordin-
alton on the part OF the students.
After this we examined the teachers
separately and also a large number of
the students, only members of the ter
ritOrial board OF education being pres
ent, and all testified that perfect har-
mony and good feeling existed among
the members of the faculty; that good
and satisfactory progress is being
made by the students and that the
discipline is all that could be desired.
In The evening of the first day two of
Us proceeded to La Mesilla and there
examined the.books and accounts of
Demetrio Chavez, the treasurer of the
College, and found that there was only
81 difference between hisaccounts and
the sum given MS by the hookkeeper of
the College, and- thatsall the.smoney
charged to him was on deposit in
banks of El Paso, Las Cruces and San
ia Fe, with the exception OF $38S.s2
that he had in his safe.
One member Of the board, Mr.. Z. S.
Stover, president of the Territorial
University, spent the evening in the
town Of Las Cruces, and there addi-
tional charges were made against the
management of the College by one of
the Instructors who had been absent
during the day and other parties, and
list OF witnesses, students of the
College, was furnished. The charges
were acknowledgement, discrimina
tiuu against the instructors and stu
dents OF the business department and
general naturalization with the re-
suit that there has been IA large fall
ing off in attendance
We again entered upon an investl-
cation and examined large number
of the students separately and with
closed doors, no member Of the facul-
ty being present, assuring them that
any statements made would be con.
Sidered confidential and would not be
made public and after a most thor
ough and searching examination we
found that there were no just grounds
for such charges and that they were
not sustained by any witness or evil
deuce whatever. The teacher Of
bookkeeping, who made the state
ment to President Stover, seemed to
be the principal cause of all the dis
content that exists. From his con-
duct in our presence we believe he is
not the proper person to be in charge
OF a class of students.
We found that owing te the fact
that a large sum Of money had been
used for the support OF the sub-sta.
tions at Las Vegas and Aztec, the ap-
preparation for the professorof agricul-
ture had to be curtailed and that Pro-
fessor Blount was working under
many disadvantages. We were much
pleased with the result OF his labors
and believe him to be an earnest, able
and scientific instructor.
A feature Of the College which meets
with our warm approval is the regula-
Bucklen's Arnioa saIve.
The best salve In the world for cuts,
bruises, sores, ulcers, salt heum, few
er sores, letter. chapped bands, chill