The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-01-13
SCIENTISTS DISPUTE
College Men Attack Secretary Wilson's
Experts-Disparage Soil
SURVEYS,

Washington. Jan. 13.-Jealousies
between the agricultural colleges, ex-
pertinent stations, and scientists 9TH
erwise attached, on the one hand, and
the department of agriculture on the
other, have come to the attention of
the house committee on agriculture
so forcibly during the hearings on the
agricultural appropriation bill, that
their effect in all probability will be
shown in the finished bill.
At the beginning of the hearings,
Secretary Wilson called the attention
OF the committee to the difficulties the
department was meeting as result
of jealousies of outside scientists. He
cited the work of the department in
endeavoring to ascertain the exist
ence of tuberculosis among cattle.
Officials of the state of New Jersey
were mentioned as an example.
I'VE have an association known as
the Association of American Agri-
cultural Colleges and Experiment
stations" explained the secretary in
addition. There are few of those
men who are perpetually jealous of
what we are doing. To illustrate this
point. they are always raising COM
mittees to come and tell us what they
think We ought to do. and how much
to be left to them alone"
Association Has Turn
The executive committee Of the
same association referred to by Sec
retary Wilson had its innings yester-
day. Those preset were DR.. w. r.
Jordan, director of the New York ex-
pertinent station: DR.. H. c. White, of
Athens, Ca; DR.. w. E. Stone, presi-
dent of Purdue university, Indiana,
and DR.. j. L. Snyder. president of the
Michigan Agricultural college. Mich
igan. They said. in substance. that
the value of the soil surveys Of the
bureau of soils of the department of
agriculture, a work over which there
has been much dispute in congress,
was grossly exaggerated" not alone
by farmers. but by officials of the de-
partment. The speakers said that the
work had little value.
Furthermore, DR.. Alonzo D. Melvin.
chief of the bureau of animal Industry,
has informed the committee that,
owing to the attitude of local officials
in the northern tier of counties in
Georgia and the cattle owners there,
he probably would be compelled to
abandon the campaign against cattle
tick in that state.
When questioned concerning this
opposition. he said the antagonism
was due to political reasons.
Much of the opposition" explained
DR.. Melvin, came from poor people
who had but one or two cows and did
not want to be bothered by having to
keep them confined. They wanted
them to run on the commons, and
rather than have opposition the au-
thorities failed to enforce their own
ordinances"
Split on Cotton Experiments
Another line of work in which
there is lack of cooperation between
the state and the federal authorities
came to the attention of the commit
tee yesterday, when Representative
Watkins of Louisiana. addressed it in
behalf of an increased appropriation
for demonstration work in raising
cotton to resist the boil weevil. He
said that although the state approp-
rated money for demonstration work
the federal and state officials did not
cooperate.
Il have no hesitation in saying
there is no comparison between the
work of the two governments, that of
the department of agriculture being
vastly SUPERIOR" testified the repre-
sentative.
RESCUE WORK