The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-06-25
CHARGES BY PROF. FRENCH
Says Idaho Has no Agricultural De.
partment in the State I'M
iversity.

The state Of Idaho has no agri
cultural college,. There is lots OIL
froth, but there Is no college, and one
should be built and the money util.
lied for the purpose for which II
was intended. could not recon.
mend that my own son attend the
agricultural department OF the Uni.
yersity OF Idaho, tor the simple rea-
son that there is no college, no equip
ment, no preparation made tor In
struction and no room Tor such IN
struction. During the last year i've
agricultural college teachers had to
use one room In which to give in
struction and the funds intended for
agricultural work have been expend-
ed for nearly every other purpose con-
. nected with the institution except for
agricultural purposes, even the state
funds being used for every conceiv-
able purpose such as instruction In
Greek, payment OF salaries OF profess
sors OF mining, caretakers OF the uni
versity grounds, expressage, and a
thousand other things, not correlated
10 any manner with agricultural
work."
These are charges made by Profess
sor II. =. French, he states, to Presl-
dent MacLain OF the Idaho State uni
yersity long before there was ever
any suggestion OF his resigning from
that institution or OF his being forced
out, says the Boise Capital News.
There Is little coterie locally in
MOSCOW, that wants to use that insti-
tuition for what they can squeeze out
OF It and they don't care for southern
Idaho, northern Idaho or tor any
other section OF the state not for the
good that can be done by such an in
stitution, declared Professor French.
During all my connection with
the institution | was hampered and
embarrassed by the tact that the ag-
ricultural department had nothing to
oHer students, and l always felt that
any effort to induce their attendance
was misrepresentation and their at
tendance would be secured under
false pretenses and when asked what J
we had, whether we had equipment
and facilities have always spoken as
as my conscience would |
permit and have always replied that !
we hoped to have. And in fact al
ways did hope we would have when /
the new building was completed, but /
was disappointed. When | demanded I
a creamery, President MacLain OPP
posed 1t saying that we needed none,
but insisted that Idaho boys should /
be given an opportunity to earn the
salaries that were being paid men
from other states, one institution
alone bringing to Idaho annually over
20 men from Wisconsin.
Out OF $4,000 received from the
government last year for agricultural
college only $673.75 went for instruc-
ton in agriculture, notwithstanding
there were 80 students receiving in
struction. Experiment station funds
had to be used for maintaining the
agricultural department of the uni
rersity, while the agricultural funds
were expended TOR other purposes. ~
( Professor French declares that he
las no personal regret at leaving the
Institution except as to the manner
n which his resignation was secured {
Ind as to the manner in which he MAS
,een treated. He states that he was {
informed by President Lewis OF the
'oard OF trustees that the trustees /
lad given him an opportunity to re-
ign and that the information came {
o him as a surprise. Lewis told him |
hen that the trouble was lack of har-
Tony between French and other mem
ers Of the faculty and 1t was not
ntil later the charge of incompe-
ency was made upon facts which {
ave been shown to be wholly false. /
President Lewis is reported to have /
lformed the trustees that French Il
ssignation was expected and the min Il