Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-11-09
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
Used Money From The Morrill, Fund For
improvements.

Agricultural College Monday, extend
ed through three sessions, and was one
of the most important ever held by that
body, on account of the very serious and
critical financial condition of the insti.
tuition. The present situation of affairs
has been the cause of great anxiety and
full meeting OF all the five members of
Secretary Curran, Regents Richardson,
Jones and Moreno responded.
The situation in brief is as follows:
The college receives from the United
States $25, 900 year from what is called
the Morrill, Fund, to pay for instruction
in branches of study connected with ag.
riculture and mechanic arts. This is
ample for that purpose and in fact less
might suffice, but not dollar of it can
be used for any other object. In like
manner the government pays $4,000 a
year to the experiment station, which
is very liberal, but not dollar of it can
be used for anything else. The accounts
are inspected in Washington with the
closest scrutiny to see if any of this
money has been expended for other pur-
poses, and If so the charge is not allowed
So the only fund available for all the
miscellaneous expenses of the college,
for buildings or for other studies like
Latin, Spanish, music, bookkeeping, etc.
is the territorial appropriation, which
generally brings in from 81, 900 to Sc, 900.
In years past the regents have taken
money out of the Morrill, Fund and used
1t for building, etc., with the intention
of repaying it from the territorial funds
of which they had full control, and
meanwhile copying it in the reports as
an unexpended balance; but such re-
payment has apparently not been &C
complished, as the present actual def
cheney in the Morrill, Fund, as reported
at the meeting on Monday last amounts
to $8, 100.
A few months ago the authorities in
Washington informed the board that
this sum must be restored by July of
next year or further appropriations
from that fund would be suspended. On
August the United States commission
er of education issued circular letter
to all agricultural colleges embodying a
decision of the assistant attorney gen.
eral dated June 20, 1899, that no bal
ance can be carried over from year to
year. So under both of these orders the
SIS, 100 deficiency in the Morrill, fund has
to be made up by the end of next June.
Thus the present board Is confronted by
most difficult situation. This amount
must be raised in the next months or the
government aid will be withdrawn,
which would mean the closing of the
i,,c% IN, ho al {hov buy 4 L n
no resources from which to raise any
part of it except the territorial appro-
priation, and large part of that is
either appropriated by law to particular
purposes or is required for matters which
are essential to the working Of the
college. The regents at their Monday
meeting met these conditions squarely
and in the only way possible. They cut
off every expense payable from the ter
ritorial fund, which could possibly be
dispensed with. Many of the matters
thus abandoned are valuable and desr-
able, and we're given upvery reluctantly;
but there was no other way to meet the
emergency. Even with these reductions
and the strictest economy, So, 500 is the
most that can be saved from the terrific
rial money to be applied to the repay
ment of the $S, 100. Where the balance
is to come from is still source of anx-
ious concern. 1t is hoped that friends
of the college and particularly public
spirited citizens of Las Cruces and Me-
slla, will come forward and contribute
literally to the required sum. The
regents have authorized the doing of
assay and analytical work in the college
at usual rates Of compensation, and it is
hoped that this will bring in consider
able amount.
The meeting just concluded is the first
one attended by all five members in sew
eral years, and 1t attended to great
deal of business. Every department
was examined and found to be doing ex-
cellent work.