The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1914-09-12

4 FORUM VIEW
Regarding. the unpleasant Agricul-
tural College. rumors which have
been floating around lately, the fol-
lowing from the Fargo Forum seems
to be fair statement of facts:
The Forum has some facts to pre-
sent to the people of North Dakota
regarding the so-called agricultural
college muddle. Some time ago The
Forum gave some facts regarding the
attempt to "get" DR.. E. F. Ladd, pure
food commissioner. Later The
Forum told Of certain rumors that
were going around on the streets re-
garding alleged efforts to get Presi-
dent Worst ousted.
The Forum has absolute and posi-
tive proof that there was a movement
on foot to attempt to get DR.. Ladd
ousted. These attempts came from
the enemies of DR.. Ladd among the
manufacturers Of food and others
who have felt the iron hand of the
North Dakota law, enforced through
the untiring efforts of the North Da-
kota commissioner. The Forum stat
ed this fact plainly and unequivocally.
AS to the rumors about DR.. Worst
The Forum states that they were
rumors and that is all they were.
And it is fact that the streets of
Fargo were alive with these rumors,
and it is further fact that The
Forum was the first paper to give
the people Of North Dakota the first
inkling of them.
But now an attempt has been made
to twist these facts regarding DR..
Ladd and the rumors concerning DR..
Worst into lot Of false and malic-
ious charges purely for political pur-
poses. ,-
The charge has been made that the
board of TRUSTEES of the A. G. and
the North Dakota Experiment station
exceeded their authority when they
separated the work of the North Da-
kota Experiment station from the
work Of the agricultural college.
The charge has been made that the
board Of trustees did wrong when they
took over the work Of the better
farming association, assuming a re-
sponsibility of $4,000 falsely and
malciously said to be a "debt"-in
taking over this work. =.
The charge has been made that the
board did not have authority to put
Mr.. Cooper, in charge of this work,
and make him directly responsible
to- the board, instead Of toe President
Worst of the A. G.. ia
The charge has been made that by
taking over the work Of the better
farming association the board of
trustees put the agricultural college
into the hand Of "big. business"
AS to the charges that big business
has been given control Of the A. G..
and the experiment station.
In taking over the work of the Bet
ter Farming association the trustees
Of the North Dakota college did the
biggest thing they could have done for
the advancement of agriculture in
North Dakota. In fact they were
practically forced to take over this
work for the following excellent rea-
sons. y sr.,"<
The United States government
passed a law, called the Lever law,
whereby it made available certain
funds to carry on the work Of agri-
culture in the various states. The
Forum "played up" the news concern
ing that law, when it was passed.
It was recognized as one Of the great
est laws for the benefit of agricul-
ture states that had ever been passed.
That law provides that the United
States government will give to each
state in the union large sum of
money-$10,000 annually to begin
with, and an increasing amount up to
$52, 900 annually when the state has
fulfilled certain obligations. But this
sum was to be expended through the
experiment station and the law pro-
vided that the extension work should
consist Of the giving of instruction
and practical demonstrations in agri-
culture and home economics to per-
sons not in attendance at college,
through field demonstrations.
SIS NoWiin order for North Dakota to
avail itself of this money-it was nee
essary that the state should have ex-
actly the machinery that was already
in operation in North Dakota-the
OFRduILdt1Ou huOWA do C4AC DSSCCA
Farming association. Every state in
the union that is planning to take ad-
vantage Of the Lever appropriations,
is planning to copy the scheme Of
county agents, originated in North
Dakota by the Better Farming asso-
citation.
What ridiculous thing it would
have been if the trustees had dupli-
Gated the force that was already in
the field in this state. D
/ But because the trustees took over
this organization, it is charged with
turning the affairs of the institution
over: to "big business" !"
Regarding the charge that the
trustees assumed debt Of $4,000
The Better Farming association
had an agreement with the various
counties Of the state to carry on the
work for 1914. Consequently when
the board Of trustees took over this
work they also took over the agree
ment to carry on the county work,
&I,ar1 :.