The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-07-02
PRESIDENT KERR'S LETTER.

| An interesting, although very
lengthy letter appears in Tho Tribune
| of today over the signature Of Presl-
dent William ]. Kerr Of the Agricul-
| tural College at Logan.
| The Tribune has no contention with
| the historical references or the quo
tations from the laws as they appear
in President Kerr's communication. On
| the contrary, the most significant sem
| tences which are quoted in his show
ing are confirmatory of the views ex-
pressed by this paper.
| The Federal statute says that the
! leading object" shall be ito teach
| such branches OF learning as are re-
! lated to agriculture and mechanic
arts" The statute OF Utah says that
] the leading object Of the Agricultural
! College OF Utah shall be Ito teach such
branches of learning as are related TO
| agriculture and mechanical arts" An
| other eection Of the statute Of Utah
SAYS that the course Of instruction
shall embrace especially the applica-
| ton of science and the mechanical arts
TO practical agriculture
The difference between the Agricul-
tural College, as IT was 10 be In the
| view OF Congress and the State Leg
| islature, and what II is under the ambi-
| tious purpose of its management and
It's local supporters in Cache, Is best
| illustrated IN statement made to The
| Tribune by one OF the chief citizens
| OF Logan, q man who has served as g.
! legislator OF the State during many
terms and who Is a militant advocate
| of the Agricultural College against the
| University Of Utah. He said: IF my
son desires to learn Latin and Greek
has he not as good a right TO do so at
Logan as he would have II he lived In
Salt Lake City," 1t Is that kind OF
| sentiment entertained and attempted
to be embodied in the work OF the
| Agricultural College which justif1es the
| complaint that the institution Is less
| Of a special school for the purposes de-
signed by the law. than a college whose
| work Is an unnecessary. undesirable
and costly duplication OF the work In
the State University.
During the entire life of the college
there have been graduated only eleven
students who have taken the full
course in agriculture When It is re-
called that previous to the late session
OF the Legislature the estimate made
for the Agricultural College. by It's
| president. for the ensuing two years
] comprises s374.067. OF which the Ma
tional Government paid but s6l,S75.
| leaving the State to meet the enor-
NOUS charge OF S312,192. the taxpayer
and the citizen may begin to realize
what an absurdly extravagant PROPOSE
ton President Kerr is attempting to
maintain and defend. This year there
is not one regular graduate in the agri-
cultural course at the Logan jnstitu-
ton. There are three certificate
graduates who have taken a short
course equal to what is required to
complete the freshman year In college.
That the Legislature did not accede to
President Kerr's request and make the
monstrous appropriation for which he
applied is merely an evidence that the
lawmakers of this State realized the
undue ambition which was character
izing the management of tho college.
! Because of the effort, more or less
successful. to make of the Agricultural
College a rival OF the State University
certain definite evils have become per-
ceptible, The appropriation for the
State University is less than sufficient
to cover the actual needs. The classes
of the higher learning in the State
University do not have sufficient men,
bership for their best work. Jealousy,
rivalry and special lobbies to obtain
especially large appropriations for the
Agricultural College are characteristic
OF legislative sessions.
There was a sufficient ground OF
moderation which the Agricultural
College might have occupied. There
was no need for the extreme which has
characterized the effort Of the so-called
friends Of that institution to make Of
1t in all respects a competitor OF the
state University, In addition TO its be-
Ing special school Of agriculture. On
the other hand, there is no justice IN
the charge that critics OF the existing
method desire to see the Agricultural
College devoted solely to practical
farming However, that moderate
ground has been rejected by tho so.
called friends of the Agricultural Col.
lege. They have but themselves to
. blame II the logic of their position 1: