LEG. DOC.] By Mr. Hall: PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE. UNIVERSITY Q. Do you know of any foundation for the reports regarding the nemciency of the management of the institution and its officers that have been circulated through the public press? A. I never knew of any good foundation for those reports, other than the institution is not so popular as all the people wish it well would like to have it. It does not have the praise that Cornell has, nor the praise of some other institutions. I have no doubt that the damaging reports circulated are by men who can not have the institution managed to suit their own selfish ends. I have no doubt that many others, not knowing the truth with regard to its management, have attacked it. Ignorance is the reason I assign for this treatment. Some of the men in good farming communities have shown a disposition to attack it, and yet they never avail themselves of its advantages. Many of their sons could go there and get great benefit if they would. There are many of them capable of criticising the course of training in the institution. Of course they criticise the management of the farms, and perhaps do that subject justice. It is impossible to run the farm with a set of half-grown boys and do the work. That would be a good argument. You only have these boys a small portion of their time; the balance you expect them to be thorough students and men of good education, and also labor and do first-class farming. By the chairman : Q. Studying and working on the farm do not go well together with boys? A. That is the secret of a good deal of the want of success; the reason why the institution has not been successful. It is to my mind the reason. To carry out this act, as I understand it, requires the attention of the student all the time. Now, in order to carry out his studies, which would be to work out of doors and work in, the same attention all the time must be made by the student. Practically, the next day he is not in a condition, mentally or physically, to work. All kinds of farm work occupy him, and he must study the books the same day and also do his class-room work. There is no doubt about it. A man can not learn to be a good farmer in four years and devote all his time to it. Before a young man enters the college department he is expected to learn to read and write. If he had that amount of experience on the farm, and started in there to finish up his course in practical farming, he might do a great deal finishing up. A great many students go there, not knowing anything about farming. There is a right way and a wrong way to do it, and it can not be expected in four years' time put there. By Mr. Hall: Q. Do you know anything about the expenditure of money in connec tion with the experimental farm-what has been its tendency towards the college—that is, has it been a benefit or a detriment? A. I do not think it has been a detriment. Many good results and much useful information has been gathered through those experiments. It was not the fault of the experiments. Q. You have reference to the Central experimental farm? A. I was speaking in regard to all, Eastern and Western, but speaking more particularly of the Central. Of the system of experiments on the three farms, I am satisfied the money has been expended in good faith. I think they were of practical benefit. IA. Professor JOHN HAMILTON, recalled: By Mr. Alexander: Q. You have given as an answer to printed questions, a statement of the names and salaries paid to the different professors in the college? Q. You have stated that your position is that of business manager and treasurer? A. Yes, sir. Q. What salary is attached to the position you hold? A. One thousand dollars in money, a house, and the keeping of a horse. Q. The house is valued at how much? A. Two hundred dollars. Q. Then your salary is $1,000; house rent, value $200 a year, keeping of a horse ; any other fees or perquisites? A. No, sir. Q. What are the duties of that office? A. As business manager, I keep the books of the institution, and also those of the Central experimental farm, pay out all bills, pay orders of the president upon the treasurer of the college for such bills as may be due. I pay the professors of the college, and by authority of the executive committee, issue notes of the business manager for current expenses of the college, and for bills that are already due. As treasurer, I am the custodian of the funds of the institution. The offices are distinct. It is understood that the treasurer receives no salary. He never has received a salary. By the chairman: Q. Then your salary is for business manager? A. Yes, sir; I have charge of certain employés about the institution; the erection of buildings, repairs of buildings, and the giving of orders for such things as professors may need in their various departments; paying different bills and accounts with the various farms-these are the general duties that devolve upon the business manager. Q. Have you anything to do with the experimental farms? A. Not now. Q. How fully is your time occupied with these duties? A. Well, I can hardly say. I am not engaged as much as I was three or four years ago. At one time I was professor of agriculture, had charge of the three farms, had charge of the entire business of the college, and was also its treasurer. I considered I had more work than two men could do well, and my health gave way under it. Q. When was the office of business manager created? A. I have been business manager since, I believe, 1873-about that time. I was financial agent, which is virtually the same thing, at a previous period, 1867, from the close of 1867 and during 1868 up to February, I believe, of 1869, when I resigned. Q. Are there no other permanent offices to which salaries are attached, connected with the institution, not given in the list of professors? A. Yes, sir. Q. What are they? A. The salary of the superintendent of the farm and the I suppose you do not want me to make any distinction between salary and wages?— and the salary of a woman who acts as matron of the institution. Q. Give the names and amount of salary paid those individuals. A. The name of the superintendent of the college farm and the Central experimental farm is William C. l'atterson. Q. Is he superintendent of only one? A. Of both farms. Q. Do you run them together? A. No, sir; run them distinct. They are contiguous, but have separate buildings upon them. Q. Give Patterson's salary. A. His salary is divided. Q. What is the aggregate amount he gets? A. The college farm gives him $600, and the experimental farm $200salary of $800. Q. Has he any perquisites attached to that? A. He has a house. Q. What is the rental value of that house? A. We place no rental value upon it; I suppose $200 would be sufficient rental. Q. What about the matron? What are her duties, and who is she, and what does she get? A. Her name is Mrs. Mary Harman. Her duties are to look after the office and the chapel; and if any student is sick, we place him in her charge, if he has no other arrangement. For her services we give her $2 50 a week and her room. We have a janitor, and we have farm laborers employed here by the month. Q. They are not really permanent employés-heads of departments, as you might term it? A. No, sir. By Mr. Roberts: Q. Have you a master mechanic? A. No, sir. By the chairman : Q. As general manager, do you direct the farming operations? A. No, sir; not now. I did when I was professor of agriculture. That matter has been turned over to Professor Jordan. Q. Of the experimental and college farms both? A. Yes, sir. Q. Well, whose duty is it to see how many acres of grass, wheat, and corn is put out? A. Professor Jordan's. Q. He attends to all these details? A. Yes, sir. Q. Does he buy the stock for the farms? A. Yes, sir; and Mr. Patterson acting for him. Q. You simply engage the laborers for the farm? A. I pay the labor. Mr. Patterson engages and discharges the laborers himself. I am generally consulted in the matter. Q. Mr. Patterson carries on the business of the farms, under the direction of the professor of agriculture, Mr. Jordan, in all its details? A. Yes, sir. By Mr. Newmyer: Q. Do the students ever go upon the Chester and Indiana county experimental farms for the purpose of studying these experiments? A. Not as a rule. Instances have occurred, but it is not the rule. Q. Then any information in regard to the experiments on the Indiana and Chester county farms he must derive from the published reports? A. When I was professor of agriculture I called attention to the experiments being conducted upon these farms, bearing upon the subject under discussion at the time. That I have frequently done, shown the results of these experiments. Q. Were the results of the experiments upon the experimental farms in Chester and Indiana counties made part of the instruction in the class in agriculture? A. Attention was called to the experiments that were in operation bearing upon the questions that arose in class discussion. By the chairman: Q. Were students, during your connection as professor, and since then, taken to the experimental farms and shown the manner of making these experiments and the results, as a means of conveying instruction? A. No, sir; they were not, as a rule. Q. Then the only means of acquiring any knowledge, in regard to these experiments and the results, is confined to the recitation-room or published reports? A. Yes, sir; and as students went over these plots by themselves. A programme of these plots was printed, giving the experiment that was carried on on each plot, and the plots were all numbered corresponding with the numbers in the printed programme. He could take the programme and go over the plots for himself, and see just what experiments were conducted there. By Mr. Newmyer: Q. Was that optional or not? A. It was optional. The manner of giving instruction upon the college farm (we call it the college farm so as to distinguish it from the experimental farm) was to give instruction in the branches pertaining to matters of husbandry. Q. He was given instruction there in the matter of manual labor? A. Not that only, but in the methods of treatment of animals; in the feeding of animals; in the study of the character and breeds of animals. Q. How about the value of foods for animals? A. That was usually given in the class-room instruction. One part of the system of practicums was to have the students read upon a certain subject, for instance, in animal husbandry, for one hour in the class-room, under the direction of the professor in charge, reading upon the horse for example, they were afterwards taken out, and the matter that they had informed themselves upon, in the class-room, was gone over at the barn by taking the horse from the stable, and going over the points which make up a horse for different puposes, for draft and speed, and horses for different uses, and so on with cattle and swine, and poultry and sheep, and getting at the characteristics of animals, getting practically acquainted with them. By the chairman : Q. Does the college management require a series of experiments to be made, by analysis, either on the experimental farm or on the college farm, of the value of corn, oats, shorts, timothy hay, clover hay, straw, and other articles in respect to their value as food for fattening purposes? A. They have not required it. It has been done, however, to a certain extent. Q. Recently? A. Yes, sir. Q. Have they ever been published? A. They are ready for publication. Some of them have been published, and the balance of them are ready for publication. Adjourned to meet at 7.30 o'clock, P. M. Met at 7.30 o'clock, P. M. WILLIAM P. HUSTON affirmed: Q. State what your official position is. A. I am what is known as search clerk in the Department of Internal Affairs. Q. State what this book is (indicating) that you have brought with you? A. It is indorsed "Minute Book, Agricultural Lands." Q. You brought that from the office of the Secretary of Internal. Affairs? A. I did. Q. What does it contain? A. It appears to be just the minutes of the Board of Commissioners for the sale of agricultural land scrip. The first in it appears to be the Act of Congress donating public lands to the several States and Territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts. After that comes the minutes of the board. First date, Harrisburg, 15th July, 1864; next, 2d August, 1864; next, December 1, 1864; next, December 5, 1864: December 17, 1864; December 24, 1864; January 5, 1865; January 21, 1865; May 5, 1865; May 11, 1865; June 13, 1865; June 21, 1865; June 22, 1865. Then comes that called "scrip," shown under date from July 5, 1865, to April 25, 1866. Then comes minutes, Board Commissioners, Harrisburg, May 10, 1866; May 23, 1866; June 14, 1866; July 11, 1866; August 16, 1866; October 18, 1866. Here Is something different: Executive Chamber, January 1, 1867; February 27, 1867. Here comes Surveyor General's Office, April 10, 1867; June 28, 1867; August 7, 1867; September 17, 1867; February 12, 1868; April 23, 1868. That appears to end it. Q. You did state that came from among the records of the office of the Secretary of Internal Affairs? A. Yes, sir; on file there-deposited there would be better. By the chairman : Q. That is the official record? A. Yes, sir; that is the official record. Minutes of the Board of Commissioners. HARRISBURG, July 14, 1864. In pursuance of the act of Assembly of the 1st of April, 1863, entitled "An act to accept the grant of public lands by the United States to the several States for the endowment of agricultural colleges," the board of commissioners was convened at the chamber of the Governor in Harrisburg. There were present His Excellency A. G. Curtin, Governor, and James P. Barr, Esq., Surveyor General. It being represented to the commission that the scrip to this State by the Government of the United States had been received, it becomes necessary to make such disposition of it as is required by the provisions of the act of Congress of the 2d July, 1862. |