Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-06-29
SOULE REPLIES
To CHARGES BY
DR. Pr. BAHNSEN

| ATHENS, Ga, June 29.--In reply to-
charges preferred by State Veterina-
rian P. F. Bahnsen against Andrew
NJ Soule, president of the State Col
| lege of Agriculture as we'll as against
the college and Special Examiner
Cheatham, of Atlanta, President Soule
has issued the following statement:
"The investigation of Dr. P F. Balm
sen, state veterinarian, by Mr.. Cheat
ham, was neither suggested nor instf-
gated by me. / knew nothing of this
Investigation until Mr. Chaatham, in
his official capacity as auditor, called
upon me to furnish him copies of cer-
tain correspondence from my Office.
files. This l did upon his official re-
quest. / have never seen either the
report of Mr.. Cheatham of DR.. Balm
sen. This constitutes all that know
about the investigation of Mr.. Cheat
ham,
Concerning DR.. Bahnsen's charge
that the hog cholera serum plant of
the state College Of Agriculture has
been mismanaged and the farmers OK
Georgia charged excessive prices for
the product thereof, the records of the
Institution speak for themselves. The
State College Of Agriculture is under
tie management and direction Of a
board of trustees, made up of reputa-
bic and distinguished citizens or deor,
gia, of which the state commissioner
OF agriculture is member, and in
full possession of the facts touching
this question. / act under the direc-
ton Of this body and execute its or
ders, which are given only after q
most careful consideration.
"The cost of manufacturing serum
Twas necessarily higher in the begin
ming, as the plant had to be built from
the ground UP. But the price charged
the farmers has been lowered from
time to time as the situation justified
such reductions and the farmers have
never been charged cent beyond the
amount necessary to cover expenses
under an economical administration
The college has never accumulated pro-
fits from this plant. 1t has taken
considerable effort to make it break
even.
THE original law provided that the
serum should be manufactured by the
college and distributed by the state
veterinarian. The duty of fixing the
price, therefore, devolved specifically
upon DR.. Bahnsen, and whenever he.
fixed the price the college met it as
soon as the trustees could be called
together to authorize it. So effective
ly did the college meet the competf-
ton of all the commercial serum
plants of the country, the price of 80
cents per hundred c. c. was finally
reached, whereupon DIR. Bahnsen re-
quested in writing several months since.
that it be increased to $100 per 10G
C. c., as he could no longer buy it at
IS cents per 100 c. c.
"As to the charge of DR.. Bahnsen
that the college failed to lls..1g.faetuFe
sufficient quantities of serum to meet
the demand of the farmers of Geor-
gia, the record shows that the trus-
tees were unable to obtain from DR.
Bahnsen a specific statement as to the
approximate amount Of serum re-
quired.
Or. Bahnsen's statement that he
was treated discourteously before the
board of trustees or officials present, is
absolutely without foundation in fact
"As president of the State College OF
Agriculture. l have more important
business than a controversy with DR.
Bahnsen. The State College of Agri-
culture has accounted in service to
the people for every dollar appropriated
to it. 1t has never swintled the farm
ers of Georgia out of cent. When it
has sold them serum, it sold prod
uct worth every cent charged for it
The records of the college are open to
the public. The record of the presf-
dent of the college is open and above
board. No charge made by DR.. Balm
sen or any one else can disturb OF
change in the least the truth as re-
vealed by the record. -
ANDREW NJ. SOUI4E-