The morning call., 1895-02-24
TN Defense OF
THE UNIVERSITY.
C. A. WETMoRE OF THE VIII
CULTURAL COMMISSION
Is SCORED.
CALLED A CAMP-FOLLOWER.
ARTHUR P. HAYNE CKIT1cIzEs HIS
BILL AND EXPOSES It's
JOKER"

The latest phase of the fight between the
retrenchment elements of the State and
the Viticultural Commission as repre-
scented by their mouthpiece, c. A. Wet
more, seems to be as follows: Finding
that the public sentiment was against
them they decided to die-as they ex-
pressed it in an interview in the CALL of
last Sunday. The latest mine they have
sprung is IN the shape of bill with long
preamble praising themselves in the high
est terms, getting a six months lease of
life and incidentally $500 for same and
going out Sin blaze of glory"
The little jokers in the bill have aroused
the ire OF A. ?. Hayne, assistant in charge
of viticulture at the State University under
the direction of Professor Hilgard. He
expressed himself yesterday as indignant
at the way the university has been treated
"These men," he said, turn over work
that has cost them minimum of $15, 900
year for the past fifteen years to the viii
cultural department of the university, and
they don't give US a cent to do it with.
Not only this, but they show their personal
hatred of anything that is connected with
the university by trying to fix things so
that they can give their valuable library,
office furniture, microscopes and collections
of viticultural and geological instruments
mot to the university, but to the State
Board of Health or other miscellaneous
State institutions. What in heavens
name has the Board of Health or any other
State institution to do with a viticultural
library or collection?
"If we are to do the work give us the
necessary materials to do it with. If the
Board of Health or any other State insti-
tuition was doing viticultural work it would
not be so bad, but they are not. 1t is to
satisfy the personal spite of Messrs. Scott
and Wetmore against Professor Hilgard
that they resort to this means of crippling
our viticultural work. They have con-
Quoted the most bitter personal campaign
at Sacramento known for many years.
"The university has thus far taken no
part whatever in any fight at all, leaving it
to the wisdom of the Legislature to do
what it thought right. When this bill was
introduced things changed. We must see
that the viticultural interests of the State
are protected If we are to do any work.
Never in the history of viticulture in the
country was there greater need for State
aid than at present. The practical men,
| as exemplified by Wetmore, have allowed
the vineyards of the State to be ravaged by
| phylloxera and flooded by bad wine of the
Cresta Bedamca type.
| leaving a wreck behind them and the re-
sponsibility of saving remnant of the
| vineyards to the university, but they want
to hamper that institution all they can.
Zone of the little iokers in the bill is in
giving to the Viticultural Department the
right to avail itself of the work of the State
Analyst. Careful reading of the act in
question brings out the fact that by enact
ment the expert chemists in the viticul-
! tural laboratory would be simply branded
as incompetent, and that courts would
not, nay, could not, accept their analysis
as prima facie evidence. This is fair
sample of the gratuitous insults which
have for years been bestowed upon the de-
| partment and its chief, and which have
been, until now simply ignored by him.
| This dignlfied silence constitutes the
| aggression on the part of the Viticultural
| Department, of which Wetmore complains.
"Wetmore calls himself the manager of
the Viticultural Commission. AS matter
| OF fact he is but camp-follower; he is no
| way connected with the commission The
president is John L. Doyle of MEMO Park,
| who never would be guilty of such con-
! duct or language. [ want it distinctly
understood that we have no fault to find
with the Commissioners, who are all honor
able men. We do object to their camp
| followers mixing IN our affairs, Gripping
our work and insulting our department.
1.-The most Ubiquitous part of the bill
that which will do real barm-is giving us
the work and responsibility of the care of
| the viticultural interests of the State, thus
far performed by nine of the most distin-
guished viticulturists of the State, and not
even the books, instruments and office fur
niture they foand necessary. 1t is an out
rage that [ hope the Legislature will not
| permit.
''You see they want nothing better than
to have this bill killed, so that the present
condition of affairs will remain in force
and they can get in definite legislation
| pext session. They already have a $4,000
| appropriation struggled into the general
appropriation bill; SO anyway they fix it
they (the camp-followers} will have their
fat salaries and plums."