62 



•Cooperation Between the Stations and the I'. S. Department of Agriculture. 



This being the special order for the hour, E. A. Bryan, fhairiuan of the 

 comuiittee of the association on cooperation, submitted the following report : 



Your committee on cooperation between the stations and the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture would respectfully report that satisfactory progress has 

 been made so far as the details of the arrangement of any cooperative work 

 undertaken by the stations with the Department of Agriculture are concerned. 

 Questions, however, of the most fundamental importance, involving the relations 

 of the two institutions, having arisen, the executive committee of this asso- 

 ciation, on the invitation of the Secretary of Agriculture, held certain con- 

 ferences with the Secretary, a report of which has already been made to yon. 

 It therefore .seemed expedient to your committee, pending the period during 

 which the executive committee was dealing directly with the problem, to 

 submit no further reconmiendations in the premises. There will doubtless 

 continue many questions for adjustment which will require the services of a 

 standing committee, there being a similar committee appointed by the Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture for that purpose. 



E. A. Bryan, Chairman. 



E. A. Bryan. It has been evident. I think, to all members of this association 

 that for some years a number of questions have arisen between the experiment 

 stations and the Department of Agriculture which would require adjustment. 

 It was perhaps with a view to these questions that a few years ago a committee 

 on cooperative work was appointed by this association, which from year to 

 year has made reports. These reports were usually brief and related mainly 

 to certain details of the contracts which might be made between the experiment 

 stations and the Department of Agriculture relative to any given piece of 

 cooperative work which might be undertaken by them. As this report indicates, 

 very satisfactory progress has been made in that direction, but it has not been 

 so apparent that the whole matter is settled by the arrangement of these small 

 details. In fact, it has become moi'e and more apparent that there are still 

 more fundamental questions that remain unsettled, and while the policy of 

 the committee thus far has been rather to avoid than to court nuich discussion 

 in this body, yet the time seems to be ripe for a full and free discussion of the 

 whole question involved. 



The rejtort was accepted. 



A lively discussion, conducted ^^ ith frankness but good feeling, followed, in 

 which it was maintained that a clearer definition of the respective functions 

 and limitations of the Department and the experiment stations was essential 

 to more effective cooperation, and that the complete autonomy and independence 

 of the stations in administrative and in scientific work, but with increased 

 funds, would tend to make them more effective cooperating agents. Full con- 

 fidence was expressed that a way would be found to prevent any apparent an- 

 tagonism or duplication. 



The following resolution, introduced by W. II. Jordan on behalf of the execu- 

 tive committee, was adopted after debate : 



Resolved, That this association emphatically recognizes the great services 

 which the National Department of Agriculture is now rendering to the science 

 and practice of agriculture, and to the institutions here represented, by its help- 

 ful cooperation with the agricultural experiment stations and by its able coor- 

 dination and wide dissemination of the information secured within itself and 

 by the experiment stations ; and this association views with disfavor any move- 

 ments which, either hy legislation or otherwise, shall tend to disturb or lessen 

 the nuitually advantageous relations which now exist between the Department 

 of Agricultiu'e and the experiment stations of the several States. 



Rcsolrcd, That this association is firmly of the opinion that the continuation 

 and development of these nuitually hel]>ful relations between the Department 

 and the stations and the maintenance and progress of efficient research in 

 agricultural science demand that the autonomy and paramount position of the 



