Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-03-01
Graft Alleged and Brought
About Hold Up.
NO CHANGE NOW
Board of Managers of Experims n
tai Station Say No Farm
at This Time.

eStlng chapter OF the effort to locate
the South Jersey Experimental Farm.
The story follows:
Last Monday, about thirty men from
Salem county, met the Board of Man
ayers of the New Jersey Experiment
Station at New Brunswick, to ascer-
tain why the purpose OF the NacFar-
land farm at Monroeville had mot
been completed; why the Legislative
appropriation was allowed to lapse,
and to learn about the probabilities
of having the matter re-opened.
The Elmer Chamber of Commerce,
Salem Chamber of Commerce, Salem.
Grange, Elmer Grange, Salem County
Board of Agriculture, and Woodstown
Chamber of Commerce were repre-
sented in the gathering.
Nearly all of the members of the
Board of Managers We're present, and
the meeting was held in the chapel
on the College grounds, DR.. SDemar-
est's office proving to be too small to
accommodate the visitors.
President S. H. Wright, of the FL
mer Chamber of Commerce, opened
the proceedings on the part of South
Jersey, and after a short address
called on S. P. Foster who stated to
the Board that it had been rumored
that attempted bribery was the real
reason why the MacFarand farm had
not been purchased, and he asked per-
mission to put j. Earl MacFarland,
the owner, on his oath, before the
meeting with view to proving to the
Managers that Mr.. MacFarland was
not personally responsible for any
wrong doing and that he had ND
knowledge that wrong was being done
until after the alleged wrongful acts
if any, had been committed
This brought matters to a focus,
and the Board of Managers ordered
the secretary to read all the minutes
of the various meetings, bearing ON
the purchase of the farm and the
question of bribery.
The minutes showed that the Board
voted in February 1916 to buy the
MacFarland farm at Monroeville; that
at later meetings other steps were
taken to acquire the property; that
the matter Of search OF title was re-
ferred to the Attorney Generals Office,
but that the search showed good
title excepting for some technical de-
fects which it was thought could be
easily remedied; that rumors of bri-
berry had bobbed up, an investigation
committee appointed, and that the
committee had reported that it did
not find any members of the Board
had been influenced in his decision by
an offer of bribe that it had come
to the Board that the Attorney Gen.
eral had pronounced the investigation
no investigation at all, and that the
Board had then requested the Attor-
ney General to make an investigation,
but it had never been made, but that
the Attorney Generals Office had sent
certain data to the Prosecutors in
Salem and Cumberland counties ask
ing them to indict certain parties
charged with offering bribes.
After reading the minutes in regard
to which the Salem county contingent,
by invitation, asked questions, there
was warm discussion which showed
up considerable feeling between men,
bers of the Board. 1t was held by one
faction that the completion OF the
farm purchase was impossible under
the circumstances, without leaving
stain on the members. The other fac
tion held that the Board had bound
itself to take the farm and should
have forced completion Of the pur-
chase regardless of the charges.
Prof. Lipman stated that he had
personally been offered compensation
if he would use his influence to have
the MacFarland farm selected. He
said that Charles Seabrook, member
of the Board (not present last Mon
day. had stated that he had been Of
fered 100000 to vote for this farm,
been approached and offered 100000
for his influence, which he indignant
ly spurned. None of them charged j.
Earl MacFarland personally with the
attempted bribery, put one member