The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-11

We were dLAiOuS mat the farm nOald
al least be located on the Weldon road.
and other sections were Offering a cash
n for the location of the farnt.
whereas Willard, which was being con-
sidered, was not in a position to .)rar
such bonus, we offered that a subscriD-
ton OF 5 1000 would be made for tie
Willard location, provided that loca-
ton would be decided upon, and theI,
in the event of on being able to 10
good land at Wilmington the commit
tee would do what they had frequently
repeated was their wish to do, thar is.
select Wilmington. On this understand
ing, and based on the report sent to him
Mr.. Hume made an appointment TO
visit the Carroll farm, and as he had
been doing the examining for the com
mittee there was every reason to sup
pose that this examination was to be
made in good faith and in accordance
with the understanding of our subscTip-
ton. N the meantime, just before Mr..
Hume came to Wilmington, it was
found that the Willard farm, which
had been considered, could not be OBJ
tanned. So when Mr.. Hume arrived
there was nothing before the committee
III SLoou III any way d1cdu OIL Tue
Wilmington proposition. Up to that
time Willard having been the choice OF
the committee, with the understanding
that we could substitute if We could
show the land.so when Willard dropped
out it made it almost a clear case Tor
us, if We could show the land. Nj.
Hume spent the morning with our ex-
perts, and with Mr.. Carroll and the
writer, went over every part of the pro-
posed tract and we bored into every
part with an auger, and at every single
boring made we found a stiff clay sao-
soil varying in depths in the different
parts of the tract from a few inches to
80 inches. This we had Deer led %
suppose was the ideal condition, and it
had been from Nj. Hume's remarks ON
a previous occasion that we had Oeen
led to suppose this, and from the re-
marks of the committee when they
looked ove the Carroll place from the
road. After the examination Mr.. Hume.
just before gettirg into the surrey.
turned to me and said: Il approve OF
this place, and will recommend it 10
the committee" AS | knew that there
was nothing presented more interesting
than this proposition, | replied, Then
that settles it." Mr.. Hume replied, No,
not necessarily, but l think my recon-
mendation will nave great weight" Mr..
Hume afterwards wrote me that he
did recommend the farm to the COM
mittee and hat the committee camo to
a tie vote.
1t seems from 4 conversation recent
ly had with you and Mr.. Kilgore that
\ o,o wa MT = - 1-O4o - o- oa.a;o1
sense; that Mr.. NcCallum, who was one
of the foul first visiting the lands, was
not present; that Mr.. Kilgore, from his
own statement, declined to accept MI.
Hume's report, because he had seer
the county tract on the opposite side
of the road and had not been satisfied
with that and that he caused Nj.
to write a report to be submitted
to d later meeting of the committee
which vas absolutely unfavorable to
the Carroll farms He further advocat-
ed that an attempt be made to get an
other place neal Willard.
*Mr: Whitehead's statement.
1t seems, therefore, that Mr.. Kilgores
views dominated he institution; that i'll
spite Of the understanding which we
had in making orr subscription further
efforts were made to get a place near
Willard and the Carroll tract was ruled
out.
Now m the part that we object
to: The general impression got abroad
that Wilmington was turned down be-
cause there was no land there. | hard
ly believed that this was authorized by
our department until | got the state
ment direct from Governor Glenn.
Then it became apparent that the VII
min@ton people we're not being treated
fairly. Next. = heard that the report
made to the committee was verv
strongly opposed to the Carroll farm,
and this in the face Of DR.. Hume's
statement, he beng the only one who
examined the farm, and in the face Of
experts, WI could not account for.
Later, Mr.. z. ". Whitehead, OF the
Truckers Journal, knowing of the i'm
portance to the trucking region of hav-
ing the farm established so that all
the truckers could learn Of new crops
and best methods. went to Raleigh and
appeared before the agricultural board.
When he found that the report which
had been made 20 the board was unfair
to the Carroll farm, he asked for a copy
VI liz ICpOlt diil II was ucIlCu uI!lt-
This is the second case in which re-
ports have been made by public COM
mittees ON questions which concern4o
Wilmington, and in which the decision
has been against Wilmington, and in
which the reports. which should be pub
lie documents. we're denied to the PUB
lie. If it is important that private cor
porations make public reports, is it not
fair that public departments which
spend the public's money make public
reports?
The result of Mi. Whitehead's expla-
nation to your board was that they
were completely surprised and ordered
that the matter be reopened and anorh-
er Investigation made. Practically the
same committee, the only change being
your presence and Mr.. McCallum's ab-
sence, came to Wilmington again anG
the. whole matter WAS nrpSapta1 f.Jr-