Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-08
WANT SYSTEM
IN THEIR WORK
EXPERTS DISCUSS SPENDING
RESEARCH MONEY
Commission Which Is Harmonlzing
Scientific Agricultural Work Lays
Plans Before President Jor-
dan and Others
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, April THE nature
and scope of the commission recently
appointed to inquire into and report as
to the organization and policy that
should prevail In the expenditure Of
public moneys provided for scientific
Experimentation and research in the In
terest of agriculture are discussed in q
letter from L. II. Bailey of Cornell uni
versity to President David Starr Jor-
dan of Leland Stanford university, a
copy of which was received by Clifford
Pinchot. chief of the forestry service.
Mr.. Bailey is president of the associa-
ton of agriculture colleges and expert
ment stations which the commission
represents and DR.. Jordan Is chairman
of the commission.
This commission has held several ses-
sions in Washington in the last few
days, during which the work of the
various members was laid out
The members have discussed the pro-
posed work with President Roosevelt,
and it is stated that he is much in
terested in what it is expected to ac-
complish.
President Baileys letter says:
5aIey's Letter
1.-THE occasion for the creating of the
commission lies in the fact that in the
very rapid evolution of experimentation
and research in agriculture in the
United States there has not yet arisen
a clear understanding of mutual limits
and relationships or a settled policy in
relation to many large public questions
We need to work out principles of
action.
"There undoubtedly needs to be a CO.
relation and harmonizing of subjects
and methods, an understanding of the
proper scope, function and limitations
of national and state agencies; con-
ception of the relation of institutions
in the state to federal appropriations
and control; of the most effective dis
tribution of Investigation and efforts
among the different state and national
institutions; consideration of the influ-
ence eXterted in research in agricul-
ture by the current methods of appro-
priations by legislatures, of the relation
of the individual worker to institution
organization: discussion of what con-
stitutes research that shall produce
useful and worthy results; the rela-
ton Of this research to the teaching
and publicity functions of the insti-
tutions; consideration of the relation
of research in agriculture to the gen.
eral body of science and the co-ordina-
tion of them, and in general such di-
recting of experiment and research In
the interest of agriculture as shall COM
pact and economize the work, render
it more fertile and effective and inte-
CRATE it with wise policies in the in
terest of the public welfare.
Needs Discussed
I at lies with the commission to have
much or little of this field, but it will
be essential to consider the best meth
DDS of organizing research work, the
mutual relations of experiment sta
tions and federal agencies and the gen.
eral character of each report that may
issue from institutions founded on pub
lie money. The two members repre-
senting the association are familiar
with the questions that need most to
be discussed."e
President Bailey says that the COM
mission may consider any other re-
search work supported by public money
that supports agricultural efficiency. 1t
cannot, he says, neglect direct educa-
tional questions insofar as they touch
the interreation of experiment and
teaching in the institutions and par
ticularly as they relate to the training
of men to undertake the research.