The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-26
Office Vacant for Second Time
in Two Years.
COLLEGE POLITICS BLAMED
Burch Says Officers of School
Violate Postal Law.
Trouble Results From ATTEMPT
to Take Over Office.

Manhattan, Kan, June 26.@Col-
lege politics is blamed by D. S.
Burch, state dairy commissioner, for
his dismissal upon ten days notice.
This is the second time within two
years that the office has been vacant
Burch declares the trouble resulted
from h attempt of the Agricultural
college to make the dairy commits
sioner a servant of the agricultural
college instead of allowing him to act
independently.
D. M. Wilson, former state dairy
commissioner, was the first to feel the
ak as a result of trying to make his
office Independent of the college, it is
said, as he believed the law intended
it. He resigned under pressure.
Burch was dismissed by the board of
regents, who, under the law, have the
appointing power.
Nc charge of any kind has been
made aginst h two officers, it is de-
clared, but they were dismissed be-
cause they declined to become ser
ANTS of the college. The appoint
ment was placed with the board of
regents to keep the office out of pol
itics but it is charged college politics
have made the situation as a as
state politics could have made it.
According to the statement of Com
missioner Burch, he has been contin-
ually hampered by the director of the
experiment station, in his work. Last
year the of the dairy COM
missioner ) OllICG were ldhoI over ny
the college and recently the college
has attempted to force upon the dairy
commissioner the college 1etterheads
The college catalog represents the ex-
pertinent station as administering the
dairy law.
Misuse of Mails Is Charged.
lone of the most fragrant agrees
SionS was the stealing of the Dairy
Commissioner Bulletin No. 2, and put
ting it out as a college bulletin on the
grounds that it could be mailed I'M
der the government rank" said Mr..
Burch. 1.-The p~ostoffice authorities in
~vestigated the matter and ruled
against Director Webster. n col
lege was not entitled to the ranking
privilege granted to publications OF
federal experiment stations, they
said. On the recommendation of Di-
rector Webster, the board of regents
ruled hat the dairy commissioners
office be placed under the dairy de-
partment of the college. Commits
sioner Burch opposed this step and on
the strength of the dairy law refused
to recognize the power of the board TO
make a state department SubSerVlent TO
an educational institution. /
The Matter Is Before the Governor.
1.-THE situation became so tense that
at a recent meeting of creamerymen
held at Manhattan, MI. Burch recon-
mended an Investigation or the tactics
of the director of the experiment sta
ton and the president of the college;
A COMMITTEES of creamerymen headed
by Tom Borman, editor of the Kansa
Farmer, decided that the stand OF the
dairy commissioner was the correct
one. The matter has recently been
laid before the governor and Hon;
Arthur Capper, president of the board
of regents and candidate for governor
They have taken no action.
trouble in Other Departments.
s"The dairy commissioners office is
not the only office which the college
controls. The state veterinarian, state
stock registry board, the state
highway engineer, are all under the
of the director OF the expert
station
"Director Webster has stated. it j"
renorted here. that it is his endeavor
70 gain control of all the state Offices
to agriculture. The dairy COM
missioner's office has been a bone OF
for several years and IN
timidation. it is said, has been used to
eanIra control. An attempt to take
over the office of J. H. Mercer. live
stock sanitary commissioner, was fu
tile.
College News Is
1.-THE political ak at the Kansa
Agricultural college has been
swinging quietly for several years out
the censorship of the news issued from
college departments has not allow
the facts to creep out except IN eX-
treme cases." Mr.. Burch says. "Rumor
has it that President H. j.. Waters Is a
for the office of secretary OF
at washington in the event
a Democratic president be elected.
Webster would then occupy
presidency of Kansas State Agri-
college.
Not a Question of Efficiency.
1.-THE efficiency of the dairy commits
sioner's office has not been questioned
on the other hand has been highly
spoken of in college circles. Not a
case has been lost in the courts this
year. there have been no epidemics
impure milk, the condition or
1airy establishments and thu quality of
dairy products has been good with few
and the dairymen of kan
,as are in prosperous circumstances:
Overy thirty-one million pounds or
were made last year from KAN
sas milk and cream"