Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-02
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
NJ. SOULE
BY DIR. ANDREW M. SOULE

| considerable detail. This pamphlet
| shows, for instance, that the build
ings of the Connecticut agricultural
college, one of the smallest states
in the union, are valued at 2,102,-
1884. The buildings of the Michigan
agricultural college are valued at ST.
100000. The total working income of
| the Connecticut agricultural college.
aside from an appropriation for cur
rent expenses of $4,000 a year, was
$S51,1 The working income of
the Michigan agricultural college
was $1,79S,926. Compare this with
the $4,000 now available for the
maintenance of the work~of this in
stitution, and the disparity of our
resources becomes Immediately evil
dent.
| The states in question have not as
| large an investment in agriculture,
nor does the agricultural wealth
| created by their farmers annually
approximate that of Georgia.
These are but citations to Illus
trate our urgent need for an enlarg-
ed income if we are to keep abreast
| of the times in matters pertaining
| to agricultural education, and afford
our people desirable degree of lead
ership along these lines.
North Carolina has endowed agri-
cultural and technical education
most literally. Tennessee has done
the same thing, the income of her
state university now approximating
| $1,000,000. South Carolina, Florida,
Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and
Texas have all dealt most generous
| ly with their colleges of agriculture
and mechanic arts. Louisiana has
provided a fund of $5,000,000 for the
construction of buildings, and an in
come of a million dollars a year. for
the support of her state university.
! The income of the Georgia state col
| lege of agriculture per student is low
er than that of any other similar in
stitution.
These facts are cited for your in
| formation and as an evidence of the
| liberality with which higher educa-
| ton has been considered and endow-
ed in sister states. We cannot hope
to keep in line with the progress
made elsewhere without material
enlargement of our funds and SUBJ
stantial development of our plant.
| A most careful examination of the
needs of the institution makes it evil
| dent that a minimum maintenance
of $4,000 a year is now essential.
1t would not be possible, even were
| these funds in hand, to establish sew
eral new divisions which should be
created in order that the college may
| function properly and serve it's con-
| stituency successfully. We must en-
large our facilities for instruction in
veterinary. science, if we are to con-
tinue the work of this division bn a
| satisfactory basis. 1t will cost $780,
| 600 to complete the veterinary sci
ence laboratory already begun, and
at least two additional instructors
are needed in order to meet the
teaching requirements imposed upon
us by the federal department. of agri-
culture. The men selected for these
positions must be experienced teach
I ers, who can command good salaries.
The departments assigned them
must be adequately equipped and
supported. This would call for an
year
The state vocational board is ask
ing us to take over the salaries of
certain instructors and enlarge our
efforts along the lines of agricultural
education and home economics. It
would take $4,000 a year to effect
the changes which seems to be i'm
perative and which we have no way
Of meeting save through a substan-
tial increase in our maintenance
fund
There is not a division of the in
stitution which, isS not in need of at
least one instructor in order to care
for the present student body satisfac-
torily. The upkeep of our labora-
tories is a much more expensive I'M
dertaking than it was a few years
ago. In spite of the depression
which has prevailed, the cost of col
legiate supplies is now mounting
rather than declining. Much of the
equipment We now possess has been
in use for ten to fifteen years. A
considerable amount of it must be
replaced from year to year, and it
will take several thousand dollars an
nually for this purpose. 1t is easy
to see, therefore, that it will take a
minimum Of $125, 900 to maintain our
present force in effect, that it will
take, $500 a year to permit of the
establishment of any new divisions,
provide for the replacement Of worn
| out equipment, and accede to the re-
| quests made upon us by the United
| States department of agriculture
with reference to the veterinary divi-