Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-09-18
Three Station Biologists Called.

infoe Statiou osoto&iSt6 called.
In common with the other depart.
ments OF the University Of Maine, the
Maine Agricultural Experiment Station
at the opening of the war rendered it's
staff and facilities to the state and 10
the, Federal Government. From the
beginning the Director Of the Station
has served on the State Committee on
Food Production and Conservation and
In other minor ways the members of the
staff have tried to be helpful. 1t 10 a
great compliments to the Station, al.
though it will interfere somewhat with
it's work of investigation, that three
members Of its staff have been "requisi-
toned" by Mr.. Hoover for the period of
the war. Although this will involve a
delay in the analyses of accumulated data
and in publishing the results of certain
studies-particularly the cooperative
breeding experiments that are Just CON-
ing to q close-wo appreciate, as will
the citizens Of the State for whom We
work, that the exigenciss coming out
Of the war were bound to interfere with
normal work Of department Of invssti-
CATION. Because Of the national emer-
gency the public Of the State will
doubtless be interested In q brief
account Of these temporary changes in
the Station Staff, In the work being
undertaken at Washington by three
members of the Staff in the office of the
Federal Food administrator, and in the
way the animal and plant breeding work
of the Station is being kept on.
Early in June Mr.. Herbert c. Hoover,
who has since been appointed by
President Wilson, Food Administrator
of the United States, requested Doctor
Raymond Pearl, who has been for ten
years Biologist of the Maine Agricultur-
al Experiment Station, to come to
Washington to organize the Statistical
Department of the United States Food
Administration, and act as the Chief of
this Department for the duration OF the
war. In view of the national emergency,
this request amounted practically to .
and after careful elaboration
the authorities Of the University Of
Maine and the Maine Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station decided to grant
Doctor Pearl leave of absence, without
salary, for the duration of the war In
order that be might undertake this
work for Mr.. Hoover.
Similar arrangements were made In
regard to Doctor Frank n. Surface,
Biologist In the Experiment Station,
and Mr.. John Rice Miner, C0mputer In
the Biological Laboratory of the Ex-
pertinent Station. Both of these men
had worked with Doctor Pearl in the
Experiment Station for many years, and
he felt it to be necessary to have their
aid In the organization and development
of the large statistical problems IN con-
nection with the Food Administration.
II 10 to be understood that the arrange
ments above described do not mean In
any sense that the Agricultural Expert
ment Station will permanently lose the
services of these men. They are
simply on leave Of absence for the durs-
ton of the war, and will return to their
work In Maine when the emergency Is
over, In the meantime, the Experiment
Station has been extremely fortunate IN
being able TO make arrangement to
carry along the work of the Biological
Department, both along animal husband
rv and plant breeding lines without
undue loss. This fortunate result comes
ABOUT lEOh tWo SoASsf
policy which the Experiment Station
has pursued for some years past Oh
acting as a department Of graduate and
research study in agriculture 70 the
University of Maine. Through this
relation q number of young men have
been given advanced training In the
Biological Department and then gone
ont to positions elsewhere. One OF
these men, Doctor John w. Gowen, VINO
spent a year In graduate work In the
Experiment Station, and has since taken
bis doctors degree in Columbia univeI-
sity. the Station was able to call osck
to take charge of the animal hus6andry
Investigations during Doctor Pearrs
absence. The second reason that the
work 10 able to 60 on without being too
seriously affected by this emergency
dislocation is that great pains have oeen
taken ss . matter Of policy to build up
a loysl and efficient corps OF assistants
in the Station. The benefits OF THIS
policy are being reaped at this time
wbsn a serious disturbance OF the In.
ysstiostional work of the station must
otherwise have resulted.-CHAs. II.
WOODS, Director.