Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-22
u. OF M. SERVICE
Continued from Page One,

the University or Maine, DIR. w. j.
Morse, director of the Experiment
Station and many others spoke in
behalf Of the resolve, the many needs
of the experiment station to carry
on it's work efficiently being set forth
at length. No opposition developed
to the measure.
The resolve for the appropriation
was accompanied by the following
statement of facts:
Needs Of Experiment Station
The statement of facts regarding
the needs of the Maine Agricultural
Experiment Station. and which ac-
companies the resolve, Is as follows:
THE experimental work of the
Station concerns problems that usu-
ally take several years for their final
solution. Any of these problems are
of such a nature that they cannot be
discontinued even temporarily with
out partial or complete loss of the
progress already attained. Much of
the work now going on was started
under pre-War conditions.
ut has been necessary to carry on
the work of the past five years on
the same appropriations as In 1917
and previous. Economic conditions
during this period have been such as
to materially reduce this income in
effect. The purchasing price of the
dollar has decreased materially. The
result has been that repression and
curtailnent has been necessary. The
Station has had to retrench until 1t
has reached the condition in which it
was approximately IS or 20 years
ago. The majority of other Expert
ment Stations haze at least been
given sufficient support by their
states to enable them to hold their
own. The appropriation below spe-
Gifted is not for expansion but Tor
return to a prc-war basis.
1.-THE Station staff has been reduc-
cd one third and the number of per-
sons giving full time to investigation
work has been reduced nearly one
hclf in the past 5 years. Every bit
of the field work of the two expert
mental farms that could be dropped
temporarily abandoned has been dis
continued in an attempt to live with
in the present income. The produce
tive work of the institution is, as a
result falling off very rapidly. yet
the calls for information and for as
sistancc upon fundamental and prac-
teal lines are increasing. 1t is upon
work of that nature done by this ana
kindred institutions that our present
efficient system of Agricultural EN-
tension OF this country is based. Inc
work of the station investigator IS
to produce the goods. while the eX-
tension man markets the product and
makes it available to tho pracucai
farmer. Hence if Station prOductlN-
ity slows down or fails to function
practical agriculture suffers in like
measure.
THE majority of the funds now
used for investigation work. when
in most States have been quite I'D
crally supplemented by states them.
selves, are supplied by the Federal
Governments 1t was plainly the in.
tention of Congress that the several
states should provide the necessaf!
land and buildings and their main
tenance for the Stations and that
the funds provided by the Federal
Government are in the nature OF an
endowment to be used solely for re-
search or laboratory work and Tor
general overhead expenses. In lact
Federal regulations largely prohlblt
the use of Government FUNDS Tor the
last mentioned purpose.
THE work of the Station is super
yised by the Station Council In the
! Council membership. In addition 10
three members of the Board OF Irus-
| tees of the University. the Presloeht
| Of the University the Dean or the
| College of Agriculture and the Conn
missioner Of Agriculture Of the state.
are included representatives chosen
III. tic state Grange. the state Pom
illogical Society. the state Dairy
mems Association. Maine Livestock
Breeders Association un0 the Maine
Seed Improvement Association. NO
work is undertaken by The station
Without the approval of the Council
and much OF it is undertaken az We
request of the representatives OF the
various state wide agricultural So
Cieties.
! AT the last regular meeting OF
the station Council committee con-
sisting Of Nj. =. +. Wasaourn. Com
missioner of Agriculture and NJ. ".
J G.. Hunton. representing me Maine
Seed Improvement Association. was
appointed to make thorough inVes-
tigation of the prcscny status OF the
/ Stations work and to determine what
additional financial support is nee
essary to bring it bac. 10 its pre-
yious efficiency. and to report 10 the
Board of Trustees of the University:
In their report they recommended
IT, at in Addison to the present ap-
propriation now received by the sta
| ton provision should He made lor
! general maintenance. for replace
ment of members of the stan VINO
have resigned or left the Staton :
employ and whose places have not
, been filed and for general emergency
work upon special agricultural prob
Ions which frequently ARISE in Varl-
ous parts of the state and require
special attention. For snese three
! items they recommended s9.ooo 1or
! the fiscal wear 19o3-24 ana $4,000 for
tthc fiscal year 1924-25.'
Dr.. Morse Speaks OIL Resolve
The situation of the experiment
| station in regard to the Federal
| grants was explained by DR.. Morse.
| director of the station, in the fol-
| lowing statement:
| For many years the investigation
work of the Maine Agricultural Ex-
| pertinent Station was carried on en-
tirely with Federal funds. This was
! before the State purchased the two
/ farms and placed them under the
charge of the station. In addition to
the management of these farms the
station has been directed to under
take lines of experimental work for
which Federal funds were inadequate
or for which they cannot be used.
Consequently for these purposes the
State made special appropriations.
the continuance of which were up for
hearing before this committee week
ago.
The income from the Federal Gov
ernment comes from two annual
grants of $4,000 each known respec-
lively as the Hatch Fund and the
Adams Fund. The Hatch Act, which
established the experiment stations
in the several states, as compared
with the Adams Act, is very liberal
with respect to the way the funds