Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1915-05-12
NEW AGRICULTURAL BUILDING

All Texans who have the agricul-
tural interests OF the State at heart,
are rejoiced over the fact that the
appropriation bill now before the
Texas Legislature contains a liberal
appropriation for a new agricultural
building for the A. G. NJ. College. II
is also a matter OF congratulation
that the Galveston News, which in
the past made editorial utterances
leading many TO believe II was un.
friendly to the college, has now come
out in strong editorial in favor OF
the appropriation as follows:
THE Appropriations Committees OF
the House and Senate Of the Texas
Legislature have approved the appro-
priation of $4,000 for the erection
OF an agricultural building for the
Texas Agricultural and Mechanical
College. The News hopes that this
appropriation will be allowed by the
Legislature, and that the Governor
will stamp II with his hearty APPROX
al. This item was allowed by the
Legislature two years ago, but was
vetoed by the Governor. We believe
Governor Ferguson will see the mat
ter in a different light We do not
consider IL too much to say that the
school OF agriculture OF the A. a NJ.
College has never had a sufficient
appropriation to carry on in the best
way the very important work intrust'-
ed to It. II there Is any department
OF the A. G. NJ. College which should
have equipment and facilities for
making its work most efficient, 1t is
certainly the school Of agriculture.
Texas being essentially an agricultur-
al State. the very great majority OF
its population being farmers and
stockmen, it's products being almost
exclusively those of the farm, ranch
and orchard, the necessity for a high
class school of agriculture is appar-
ent. This necessity is emphasized
when II is remembered that agricul-
tural teachers are now in such de-
mand throughout the entire State in
the public schools. The number OF
students has increased during the last
few years to an extent that has made
the present facilities of the school
entirely inadequate to the demands
made upon II. In 1867 there were
eighty.eight students; in 19l4-15 there
are 527. Surely the same efficiency
given the eighty-eight students can
not, with the same facilities, be given
the 527. II is said by those who are
in a position to know, that the floor
space available for agricultural stu
dents in the A. & VI. College of Texas |
is less in proportion than that Of any |
similar institution in the United |
States. Notwithstanding the meager. ]
ness of the facilities Of the A. G Ms
school of agriculture II is well known |
that its teachers have been remark
ably successful in turning out young |
men who are not only making their |
influence felt in their respective COM |
munities as farmers, but many OF
them are filling places of importance
and responsibility in agricultural and |
mechanical colleges and in the United
States Department of Agriculture.
1T is plain that the present agri-
cultural building erected in 1900 at
a cost of $4,000, is totally inadequate |
TO the necessities Of present ccndi- |
lions. Certainly Texas should have !
as good a school of agriculture as any |
State in the Union, but II cannot be
such, or anything like it, until better
facilities are given it. When com.
pared with the main agricultural
buildings of other States, Texas /
shows up pitifully. For example.
"The Kansas building (now in
course of construction cost 100000. |
Iowa .........,,,...,.., SS5O,OOO
Wisconsin ......,......... 3OO,OOO
Michigan ......,........,. Zf5,OOO
Texas .....t............ $4,000
And Texas is the greatest agricul-
tural State in the Union! Much more
might be said in behalf of the necessi
by of this appropriation, but the News
believes that the Legislature and the |
Governor will realize the importance
Of this matter and see to it that the
appropriation is made"
|