Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-05-14
THAT INVESTIGATION.
Report of the Board of Education on
the Situation at the Agricul-
tural College.


ject of the Agricultural college was Incl
dentally brought up, and at your earnest
request the mem bers of the board agreed
purpose of making an investigation into
the conduct and affairs of said institution.
After very thorough and careful inves-
tigation We have the honor to submit the
following report:
On May 6 and 7, We held sessions at the
college. We met the members of the fac
ulty and the students in general assembly
and were rfavorably impressed with the
large attendance, general intelligent ap-
pearance and orderly manner of the stu
dents. After this we proceeded to dis
charge the duties imposed upon us by
first announcing to President McCrea
that serious charges of mismanagement
aud misconduct are circulating against
nm and other members of the faculty.
He was much pleased that the board had
decided upon an investigation. The
members of the faculty appeared before
US in body and declared that there was
no ground for any of the
CHARGES OF DIsooRD AND DIssENs1oN,
but on the contrary, that there was per-
feet harmony and good feeling among
them and that they had no knowledge Of
any cases of insubordination on the part
of the students. After this We examined
the teachers separately and also large
number of students, only members of the
territorial board of education being pres
ent, and all testified that perfect harmony
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 frst day two of US proceeded to La
Mesllla and there examined the books
and accounts of Demetrio Chavez, the
treasurer of the college, and found that
there was only 81 difference between his
accounts and the sum given us by the
bookkeepsr of the college, and that all
] in banks of FL Paso, Las Cruces and
Santa Fe, with the exception of $8S8 .82
that he has in his safe. One member of
the territorial board, Mr.. E. 8. Slower,
president of the Territorial University,
spent the evening in the town of Las
Cruces, and there
ADDITIONAL 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 we're
"mismanagement, discrimination against
the instructors aud students of the busi-
ness department and general insubordi-
nation with the result that there has been
large falling off in attendance" We
again entered upon an investigation and
examined large number of the students
separately and
WITH CLOSED DOORS,
no member of the faculty being present,
assuring them that any statements made
would be considered confidential and
would not be made public, and after a
most thorough and searching e1amina-
tion, we found that there were no Just
grounds for such charges and that they
were net sustained by any witness or
evidence whatever. The teacher of book
keeping who made the statement to
President Slower seemed to be the princi-
pal cause Of all the discomfort that exists.
From his conduct in our presence we be-
lieve he is not the proper person to be in
charge of class of students.
We found that owing to the fact that
large sum of money had been used for
the support of the sub stations at Las
Vegas and Aztec, the appropriation for
the professor of agriculture had to be
curtailed and that Prof. Blount was work
lug under many disadvantages. We were
much pleased with the result Of his labors
and believe him to be an earnest, able
and scientific instructor.
FEATURE OF THE COLLEGE
which meets with our warm approval is
the regulation requiring every male col
lege student to spend seven hours each
week throughout the freshman year in
the shops learning carpentry, joinery,
wood turning, blaoksmithing, and Ave
hours each week throughout the year in
learning industrial drawing. The skill
in the use of tools, and in the uss of the
pencil here acquired will prove OF great
value in any occupation In life. That
the work is practical is shown by the
fine cases, tables and desks made by the
students for use in the various depart
ments. We found that the faculty now
employed are competent for their several
positions and have been as successful as
the conditions surrounding the college
would permit. s#
There has been considerable discussion
in the newspapers as to the qualifications
of the president and some fault found be-
cause he ia not college graduate and is
inex perienced in college affairs. His
faculty do not find any fault with him and
claim that he is not lacking in executive
force, education or ability; none of them
claim that his scholarship is deficient or
seriously limited in extent. We feel that
graduate Of the Indiana state normal
school with fifteen years successful ex-
perience as teacher in district schools,
as principal of graded, high and normal
schools and as superintendent of the city
schools, should have
SUFFICIENT sCHoLARsH1P AND EXPERIENCE
to conduct the affairs of the New Mexico
College Of Agriculture.
We found that the attendance at the
college had been greatly increased, the
standard Of admission materially raised
and that the discipline is good; that the
faculty are enthusiastic and working for
the best interests of the college, and that
the expenses have been kept within
bounds. These facts indicate that the
college would be very successful If afford
ed the proper degree Of support due it
from tho citizens of the community. We
found that the rumors Of d'scord and bad
management are largely due to the fac
tional fights 10 the neighboring towns,
the unfortunate division In the board of
regents and the newspaper attacks on the
college and its faculty, all of which will
not only harm the institution, but will
tend to dishouor the territory at home and