Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1905-05-20
Misuse of Agricultural College Funds


More: Two years ago the college
got an appropriation from the legisla-
ture for the express purpose of COM
pleting, enlarging and improving it's
barns. The needed work on the barns
has not been done; but the money
was used. If the improvement in the
barns was unnecessary, then the
money was obtained from the state by
false pretenses. If it was necessary.
then the agricultural division of the
college was injured by failure to do
the work. In any event, the use of
the money for other purposes has
been unlawful, and the president of
the college faculty, Prof. Kerr ought
to have been discharged long since
for this disregard of the law.
The public will observe by these
items that Kerr's methods of misap-
plying college funds have been direct
ed toward gripping and destroying the
agricultural work of the college
Further: The head of the expert
ment station, DR.. Widtsoe, is an eX-
pert in this line, than whom there is
no more gentlemanly, capable man in
the state. His assistant, Prof Mer-
rill, occupies similar plane. These
two eminent educators in practical
agriculture form the backbone of the
colleges value as an agricultural
school. This spring w. j. Kerr start
ed out to rid the college of these two
professors. He had got rid of other
highly qualified agricultural instruct
ors, such as Professor Dryden and
others. These two would have gone,
but that men interested in the Agri-
cultural College urged them to remain,
that the very life of the institution as
an agricultural factor should not be
knocked out of it.
| Then Kerr, finding that too much
of a storm would be raised, decided
to throw Prof. Merrill out this year,
and leave Dr. Widtsoe till next year.
That Kerr knew the failure to keep
either one of these men would injure
I the Agricultural College was shown in
the fact that he proposed that, If Prof
Merrill were not re-employed, he
would recommend that the money ap
propriated by the legislature for Ger
tain work in agriculture should be GOV
cred back into the treasury. He hat
doubtless learned there were some
members of the new board of trus
tees who would not stand for it's mis-
use.
Thus Kerr is working with nigh
and main to cripple the college in it!
agricultural department, while he /!
falsely accusing others who do no
bow to his will of being unfriendly t.
the college. In fact, he is it's creates
enemy in the state today.
President Mccormick of the boart
of trustees is absent from the state
He requested that no meeting of tn,
board be held till his return. Kerr
in his high-handed way of debating t.
: his superiors, had the board calle'
together on short notice. 1t was stat
ed that he had fixed up deal b,
which he was to get the votes of tire
old members of the board and on
, new one, and thereby gain his ends
But this trick failed. The three neN
members while it had been sought t
, keep them in the dark as to the il
> ternal regulations of the college
knew enough of it's affairs to stan
: by President Mccormick, and refuse t
r organize.
r Trustees Gates, Smart and Stohl di
3 the right thing not to be worked int
e a corrupt scheme. We believe tha
| .x.l.o,, D,oeidapt MoHorpicly ooYoa