Milford chronicle., 1929-12-20

"The greatest natural deposit in
the State of Delaware seems to be
sand, so that the work of an engi-
neering experiment station should
be carried along the lines of devel-
opment of uses of Delaware sands
for the making of concrete, for the
making of glassware, and for foun-
dry molding sand.
There are also large deposits
of clay in Delaware, some OF 1t OF
such a character as to appear to he
excellent pottery clay for use in
making the finer grades of china.
There seems to be tremendous
field for development of this natur-
al resource.
There may be further field for
the development of the State fruit
crop waste, particularly in the man
ufacture of alcohol for combustion
as a fuel. 1t appears to the writer
that there is a good field also for
the refrigerating engineer in the
development of better methods of
caring for the Delaware fruits, so
that their use may be carried on
throughout the year, thereby in
creasing the value of the fruit crop
at the time when it is ripe and pro-
viding better class fruit during the
spring and early summer before the
new fruit crop is harvested.
I'm organizing an Engineering
Experiment Station, action of the
Board of Trustees or Directors of
the Institution is usually the first
step. Most of the Experiment Sta
tions have then been confirmed by
Legislative action.
"The administrative officers of al
most all of the Engineering Expert
ment Stations consist of Director,
who is always the Dean of Engineer
ing. He is assisted by committee
of from four to eight men, appointed
by the Board of Trustees. These
men are usually the Director, AS
sistant Director, and department
heads in the school of engineering
or the heads of the Departments Of
Physics and Chemistry. The mem
bers of the Experiment Station Com
mittee, except for the Director and
Assistant Director, as a rule, receive
no compensation from the Expert
ment Station. In organizing an Ex-
pertinent Station all the states have
been very careful that the organi-
zation of an Engineering Expert
ment Station did not become a
means of raising the salaries of the
teaching force.
"Of the full time men in the Ex-
pertinent Station, the first man to
be employed is the assistant to the
Director. This man serves as the
administrative officer in charge of
the detailed work of the Station. He
keeps the Station records, follows
up the various Stations projects,
edits the Station bulletins and acts
as secretary of the Experiment Sta
ton Committee.
Engineering Experiment Stations
are being operated in the various
Land-Grant Colleges on funds vary
ing from nothing to $303,602 per
year. In talking with the several
directors in Chicago, I learned that
the consensus of opinion seemed to
be that the minimum amount for
which an engineering experiment
station might be successfully oper-
ated was $4,000 per year. Some sta
tions have been established on less
than this amount available, but in
talking with the directors of these
stations, 1 learned that they were
established primarily to be eligible
for government funds at such time
as they are available and that the
work done by such stations could
not be considered as creditable or
successful.
Below is a budget showing the dis
tribution of funds considered the
minimum for which an engineering
station may be successfully cper-
ated:
Salary of director, $1,000; assist
ant director, $4,000; station mechan-
ic, $500; publication, $1,000; &d-
expenses, $100; project
Is projects, special appa-
ratus, tools, labor, etc., including
teaching assistants to teachers who
are carrying on station projectsJ,
$5400; total, $4,000.
"a bill known as Senate Bill No.
$500 has been introduced by Sena-
tor McNary into the United States
Senate and is now in the hands of
the Committee on Agriculture and |
The bill provides for fin |
ancial assistance to Engineering Ex- |
pertinent Stations in Land-Grant |
Colleges. AS written the bill pro-
yides:
(a)-Financial aid amounting to
10000 the first year and increasing
in annual increments of $4,000 to a
maximum Of $4,000 per year.
(b)-The bill applies only to an
engineering experiment
station" or one that "shall be organ
zed and established within three
years."
(c) No provision is made for the
of funds by the State or
my other source.
(d) Administration is vested in
he Secretary Of Agriculture.
(e)-Not more than so of the
funds shall be expend-
ID for construction, purchase, pres
,rvation, repair or rental of build
ngs or grounds.