The herald., 1896-12-19

mistake was made-euphemism for lie
was told-when it was stated or implied
that Mr. Kinney was member of the
forestry commission when it was "abol
ished for inefficiency and wasted
money" which they now substitute for
their first charge of ''corruptness." but
this high-toned moralist at the seat of
the higher education of the state pro-
nounces such falsehood to be a minor
matter What idea of morals has the
Berkeleyan when it pronuounces a false
accusation of "corruptness' to be a
minor matter? With the same obliquity
of moral perception this champion of the
college goes on to impute bad motives
and summon spectres from the vastly
deep of Vulcan's smithy.
But the article, which we reprint in
full, shall tell it's own tale of weakness
and defeat. The Herald's position is
still impregnable, to-wit: that the agri-
cultural scientists who are sustained by
the funds of the state ought to give di-
rection and success to the practical ag-
riculture' of the state and that the agri-
cultural college is dismal failure in this
respect
"The Berkeleyan of October 18th stat
ed, or rather implied, that Mr.. Abbot
Kinney was a member of the late for
estry commission when it was abolished
for inefficiency and wasted money. This
we find to have been a mistake, as his
term of office expired before the COM
mission was abolished and he was not
reappointed by the governor. We are
glad to make this correction, although it
is altogether minor matter as Mr.. Kin
ney very well knows. Our complaint
against him Is simply that he is, and has
been, engineering an attack upon the
agricultural department of the univer-
sity and even upon minor institutions.
through his organ, the Los Angeles
Herald. Behind the Misrepresentation
of that publication Gnspired wholly by
Mr. Kinney are the specters of his
self-interest and self-appreciation
Every intelligent person who has fol-
lowed this controversy is naturally COM
PEELED to Suspect the motives of Mr.. Kin
ney, and those motives are well under
stood in Southern California, whose peo-
pie, we believe, will not permit injury
to come to the university through the
activities of this adept politician.
From among the many misstatements
which must be charged to Mr.. Kinney's
agency we take one as an illustration.
1t is said that of the five forestry sta
tions turned over to the college when the
commission was abolished only two re-
main, and the editorial inspired by Mr..
Kinney asks: what has Professor Hill
gard done with the other three?" Mr..
Kinney knows very we'll that only two
stations We're turned over to the univer-
sity; what he calls the other three sta.
tions were simple options that had long
lapsed and never came into the possess
sion of the university. The documents
relating to this are in the secretary's
office.
'"The Herald, bringing from the limbo
of forgotten things the late viticultural
commission, reasserts that Professor
Hilgard introduced phylloxera-infested
vines at Berkeley and that they spread
over the state from here. This falsehood
Is so ancient that it ought to be given a
rest The phylloxera appeared in many
places in California at about the same
time. 1t was never distributed from
Berkeley. I appeared in the old vine
yards here and the habits of the insect
were carefully studied on isolated and
protected vines for some years. after
which the vineyard was destroyed. BY
this study very important notifications
of those habits were discovered and
made known to science. All that has
ever been done in the way of studying
and remedying the phylloxera pest in
California is due to the efforts of the
university and the good work is still
going on. We think the vineyardists of
the state desire it to continue.
If the Berkeleyan had space to spare.
a number of similar Misrepresentation
might be exposed, but we need not pro-
long our defense of the university as
sailed by calumnies and absurdities
which no one believes. A further de-
fense. under such circumstances, could
only bring those men into an undeserved
publicity No profit can possibly come
from prolonging this discussion, and so
we drop it in this issue. We are perfect
ly willing to leave the results to the peo-
pie of California. ."--Berkeleyan.
If one wants to see to the best advan-
tage the horticultural and agricultural
beauties of Southern California without
the annoyance of smoke and cinders
travel by the Santa Fe system; their To-
comotives burn petroleum.