EDITORIAL. 205 



of the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts yiQ]d at present about 

 $6,500 a .year, and about $l(),000of this mono}'^ had accunudated in the 

 State treasury. The State attornej^-gencral held that it was not avail- 

 able to the college until it had been specifically appropriated by the 

 legislature. The college authorities thought ditferontly and carried 

 the matter to the supreme court of the State on a mandamus proceed- 

 ing. The court decided that this money was in the nature of an income 

 from the land scrip, for the expenditure of which provision had been 

 made in the Morrill Act and subscribed to by the State in its accept- 

 ance, and hence that it was not subject to further legislative action. 

 This decision places the funds in the hands of the State board of edu- 

 cation, which has charge of all the State institutions. The funds may 

 now be appropriated by this board for specific purposes the same as 

 any other funds of the college. 



In Wyoming, where about $15,000 has accumulated from the leasing 

 of portions of the land scrip, the legislature has already taken action 

 upon tills matter, but of such a nature as practically to withhold the 

 funds from the university. The contention has been made that this 

 money is subject to the same restrictions as prescribed by the Morrill 

 Act for the proceeds from the sale of the land scrip, and that there- 

 fore none of the principal can be used. A bill passed the last session 

 of the legislature directing that the principal be invested in 5 per cent 

 par bonds, and the interest applied to the university. Up to the pres- 

 ent time such an investment has not been made, and the university, 

 which holds that the money derived from leases is itself in the nature 

 of interest on the land endowment, as the principal has not been 

 encroached upon, is compelled to await the action of the next legis- 

 lature. Unless this law is repealed it will prevent the university 

 deriving any material benefit from its land grant for a long period, as 

 the constitution of the State prohibits the sale of any of its pul)lic 

 lands for less than $10 an acre. 



Preliminary plans for a new agricultural building for the use of this 

 Department have recently been accepted by the commission of award 

 appointed for that purpose. Some months since this commission 

 invited architects to submit plans for such a building, outlining the 

 general requirements and some considerations to be takiui into account. 

 In compliance with this invitation ten architects sul»mitted plans, 

 which have been passed upon by the commission, resulting in the 

 acceptance of those of Lord & Hewlett, of New York. These plans 

 contemplate a magnificent marble structure of classic design and 

 imposing proportions. The features are a main building or front 

 something over 300 feet in length, with wrings at either end extending 

 to the rear for the accommodation of the various laboratories. The 

 front and wings are four stories in height, with a well-lighted base- 

 ment under the whole, and provide 158,400 square feet of space. 



