EDITORIAL. 107 



considerable incoiivenieiici': and the attitude of directors in resist- 

 ing such attempts has resulted in comijlications of a serious char- 

 acter, sometimes leading up to removal. 



In some cases all travel is forbidden members of the staff, thus 

 detracting from the accuracy and efficiency of their work. Rides 

 are imposed })roviding that the work shall not entail any actual ex- 

 pense, or endanger the good appearance of the herd, or interfere 

 with certain plans or operations on the farm. In other instances 

 all requisitions are i-equired to be signed by a connnittee of the board 

 before purchases can be nuide, entailing annoyance and delay, and 

 implying a lack of confidence in the administrative officer. Again 

 members of the board have arrogated to themselves the purchase of 

 certain live stock and supplies, the superintendence of building 

 operations, the management of branch stations, the control of labor, 

 and similar matters pertaining directly to the station's work. In 

 one specific case a member of the board was detailed to take personal 

 charge of the outdoor, work in spring, to see that the seed was prop- 

 erly put in, and other details of experimental work carried out in 

 accordance with his ideas. 



While these things in themselves rarely affect the station work in 

 a very serious way, they are petty and annoying, and detract from 

 the dignity of positions in the stations. They indicate a wrong atti- 

 tude and idea of duty, which sooner or later make trouble. Such 

 activities can not be said to be of any real advantage to the station, 

 and they ])revent it from getting and retaining high class experts 

 in the work. 



The planning and conduct of the work of an experiment station 

 should be left to its expert officers. The best trained men possible 

 should be secured, and then they should be given ample facilities 

 and time, and left to work in accordance with scientific methods and 

 principles. It should always be kept in mind that an experiment 

 station is primarily a scientific institution ; that its purpose is to 

 bring science to the aid of agricultural practice; but that it must be 

 allowed to work this out in its own way. 



While th(>, necessity for security and permanency in the staff is 

 more generally recognized than formerh^, there have recently been 

 several instances of violation of this principle of justice and efficiency, 

 and of unwise activity on the part of the board in relation to the sta- 

 tion staff. In one case the director and several members of the staff 

 "were dismissed without notice, and positions on the staff were filled 

 by the board without the assistance of a director in selecting the men. 

 The board itself was obviously not competent to choose men for such 

 positions. The result was that in less than a year several of the new 

 men were dismissed ; and in continuation of the former policy the 



20872— No. 2—10 2 



