Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-03-08
South Jersey Experimen.
tai Station Appropri-
alton.
HAS LAPSED.
Legislature Not Lively to Revive
the $4,000 Appropriation
For Enterprise.

The farmers of South Jersey will
not soon have the advantage of an
experimental farm which was planned
by the advanced agriculturists and
for which the Legislature provided
an appropriation of $4,000. The loss
to the agricultural interests of South
Jersey is due wholly to scandal and
methods of a combination of interests
which had for their object of selling
property to the State of New Jersey.
The recent effort made by Salem
| County people to reopen the matter
| Of providing for the South Jersey
| farm, and the further effort of Mon
roeville interests to force the sale of
| it's property, brings the whole matter
again to view and makes it desirable
that the real facts be set forth in
| direct statement.
The Board of Managers of the New
| Brunswick Experimental Station were
given the responsibility of selecting
farms best suited for the purpose of
| experimental work in South Jersey,
and that Board appointed commit
| tee to- make thorough investigation
| and survey Of the South Jersey dis
trict and report back to the Board
with recommendations. The commit
tee spent an entire year in making an
exhaustive survey, going in all South
| Jersey counties and personally in
! specting and making careful analysis
of more tnan fifty farms.
Immediately after the appointment
of the committee. the Monroeville peo-
| pie began an effort to influence the
| action of the committee and of men,
| bers of the Board. The Pioneer has
the absolute word of members of the
State Board that offers of money were
\ made to them in order to influence
them to have the Monroeville farms
| selected.
The special committee following it's
year of survey, recommended the
purchase of the Finley farms which
are admittedly the best adapted farms
in South Jersey for the purposes set
forth by the State.
The Board of Managers of the Ex-
perimental Station received this re-
port, and after open and free discus
sion, the recommendations of the
| committee were adopted by the Board,
and the Finley farms were ordered
purchased.
Following this action which was
unanimous one of the Board, the Mon
roeville promoters started out on
new tack. Certain members of the
Board were assured that the Mon
roeville people had been discriminat-
ed against and that they were never
given fair opportunity to present
their advantages This is directly
| contrary to the truth. The Monroe
Vile promoters personally inter-
viewed every member of the Board
and used influence to sway the judg-
ment of members. There are several
direct accusations upon the part of
members that deliberate attempts
were made to bribe.
In statement made by DIR. Lip
man, Director of the Experimental
Station, he says that by deliberate
Misrepresentation, the Monroeville
interests enlisted some sympathy and
the Monroeville people were told to
appear at the annual meeting, which
they did in mass. The Cumberland
and Gloucester county people were
not notified and Monroeville simply
stampeded the Board of Managers
and as result Of the demonstration
the matter of purchase was re-opened.
The Glassboro interests were glad of
an opportunity to have the matter re-
opened as it presented another chance
for Gloucester county.
Then followed the visit to the Glass
boro, Finley and Monroeville farms
by the entire Board of Managers, and
this visit was followed by the meet
ing at New Brunswick which was a ]
memorable one. There was much log
rolling, deadlock brought about by
the contending forces and finally af-
ter repeated balloting Monroeville |
farms were selected by a bare ma
jority vote.
Not long after this action upon the |
part of the State Board, there cropped
out the stories of Misrepresentation
and influence, and the members Of the |
Board were far from satisfied to take |