100 EXPEHIMKNT STATION HKCORD. 



lAkv (lie pit'sidcnl of {\\v colli'^'. (lie dircctoi' iiiii-l be n <roo(l jlldp^e 

 of men noedi'd lo carry on the statioirs work, and his jud<i:ment nuist 

 ho lar<i;ely relied upon in matters pei-tainin*? to the staff. For the 

 hoard to ivmove competent men against his advice, or to force upon 

 him men who are evidently incompetent or unsuited, is unjust to 

 him and to the men of his statT, for it de<i:rades the positions and 

 is leflected in a lessened efficiency for which the director is not 

 responsible. 



The position of the dii-ector recjuires that he should be given large 

 latitude and free(h)in in carrying out the general policy of work 

 and expenditures which has been approved by the board. It is 

 worse than useless for the board itself to attempt to deal with matters 

 in detail; and it is unjust to the director, with the responsibilities 

 which his position carries, to hamper him by undue restrictions, or 

 through his relations with the college as a whole, the farm, or other- 

 wise. And the scope of his i-esj)onsibility should rarely be broadened 

 to include the management of the college farm or the college forest, 

 or other functions which have no particidar relation to the station's 

 activities. With the rapid growth of the stations in appropriations, 

 variety of work, and demands upon it, the director who follows mat- 

 ters up as he should has plenty to do, and if he has any spare time 

 he may better devote it to some investigations of his own rather than 

 assume additional duties which may endanger the success of his 

 administration. 



The practical character of the station has made it especially sub- 

 ject to undue interference in matters of detail. This grows out of a 

 failure to realize the actual function of the board, a false concep- 

 tion of what is im})lied in the "control " of the station, and a lack of 

 appreciation of the recpiirements of scientific work. It implies a 

 feeling that the specialists employed to administei- and conduct the 

 station's oj^'ralions are not practical in business ailairs and often in 

 their work, and need supervision of a kind which the director can 

 not be relied upon to give them. Although prompted by the kindliest 

 motives, it may l)ecome humiliating to nun\ of science, and in elfect 

 be a restriction of academic freedom to which their work entitles 

 them. It has often made positions in the stations seem undesirable 

 and unattractive to men trained in the more liberal institutions. 



In some instances members of the board have, with the best of in- 

 tentions, undertaken to direct the work in certain lines, contrary to 

 the judgment of the station officers. Being practical men and keenly 

 interested in the station's work, they have felt that their position war- 

 ranted their interference in minor details, or the imposition of re- 

 srictions and limitations. The attempt to carry out undei'takings 

 that were insisted u])on by the boai'd has more than once resulted in 

 misuse of the federal funds, which has had to be adjusted later at 



