ADDRESSES 307 



part of wisdom to settle upon our future policy. While the 

 bill was being debated in the House, Senator Merrill intro- 

 duced a measure into the Senate providing that the college 

 annuities should be paid from any unappropriated sums in 

 the Treasury. This bill passed through two readings and 

 was then lost sight of in the greater interests of the war. 

 It is the unanimous opinion of your committee that either 

 that bill or one of similar import should be passed. 



In response to the many requests for information respect- 

 ing the detail of officers to the colleges, a personal interview 

 with the Adjutant-General of the Army was secured, and 

 the order of the War Department forbidding the detail of 

 any officer for any service until after the report of the peace 

 commissioners was sent out hi a circular letter to each pre- 

 siding officer. While it would seem impossible at present 

 to secure any details, would it not be for the best interests 

 of this Association to place itself on record, either now or at 

 such time as may seem suitable, respecting the value of 

 these details to the colleges and the country at large? The 

 law distinctly states that in the details to the several States 

 preference is to be given to the colleges of agriculture and 

 mechanic arts. It further states that officers must be de- 

 tailed who are agreeable to the authorities of the different 

 institutions. Both these provisions have been disregarded 

 in two or three instances. It is recommended that, when 

 action is taken, the whole subject of these details be care- 

 fully reviewed and that colleges receiving officers on their 

 faculty be allowed a choice in this matter. 



The order of the President during the late war, allowing 

 a certain number of second lieutenants to be appointed from 

 the colleges, did not entirely secure the result intended. 



