132 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVII. No. 1206 



worthy contributions to agricultural sci- 

 ence, it may safely be asserted ' that the 

 conditions under which the scientific efforts 

 of the department are conducted are not 

 those which most fully inspire and nour- 

 ish the research spirit or permit the most 

 effective and economical application of 

 time and energy to the study of problems. 

 This is due to the fact that many of those 

 persons who are expected to be fruitful in 

 scientific results are so inextricably en- 

 tangled with the distractions attending 

 propaganda and administrative duties that 

 the essential repose of mind, opportunity 

 for study and reflection and continuity of 

 effort, are not possible. The opinion is en- 

 tertained by those familiar with the situa- 

 tion that until research efforts supported 

 by, and maintained within, the Federal 

 Department of Agriculture are separated 

 from their present environment we may 

 not expect the most efficient application of 

 thought and energy to scientific studies. 

 , So far we have dealt chiefly with ques- 

 tions of the internal policy of the agricul- 

 tural colleges and experiment stations. Let 

 us now turn to a consideration of the in- 

 fluence of certain external conditions of the 

 nation and states. 



A movement has developed during the 

 past few decades which is of great signifi- 

 cance to national and state-supported insti- 

 tutions and is regarded by those who have 

 come under its domination as a menace to 

 the efficiency of agricultural education and 

 research. Reference is made to the marked 

 tendency toward the centralization of di- 

 rective authoritj'' over institutions main- 

 tained by public funds. It is evidently be- 

 ing assumed that greater efficiency and 

 economy of energy and funds will result if 

 upon the management of such institutions is 

 superimposed through the authority of a 

 department, bureau or commission, national 

 or state, control that is essentially admin- 



istrative in character. Evidently it is now 

 assumed that it is more or less dangerous to 

 leave with the management of certain na- 

 tional or state-supported institutions the 

 liberty heretofore regarded as essential to 

 successful administration, especially of 

 education and research. In a few states 

 where this movement is most marked, ad- 

 ministrative officers have come to speak of 

 themselves as "rubber stamps." The offi- 

 cers of certain of our colleges and stations 

 surely mustTealize that they have lost their 

 official autonomy to a considerable degree 

 and that they should not be regarded as 

 wholly responsible for the policy and con- 

 duct of the institutions over which they 

 have charge. Is there any justification for 

 this? Does it arise in the conviction that 

 the colleges and stations have adopted 

 wrong policies, employed incompetent men 

 or wasted public funds? So far as can be 

 discovered, it does not originate in charges 

 of this nature. 



Before discussing this situation in de- 

 tail, let us outline what are the conditions 

 essential to the successful direction and 

 maintenance of education and scientific re- 

 search. It is generally agreed that these 

 are freedom of administrative initiative, 

 such organization and relations as are 

 stimulating both to the teacher and to the 

 research worker and the possibility of 

 maintaining a continuous policy in the con- 

 duct of any institution that is organized 

 for the purposes named. A college or sta- 

 tion must have a staff of workers, and its 

 management should be at liberty to em- 

 ploy and develop this staff without let or 

 hindrance within the limits of its financial 

 resources. No regulations should be im- 

 posed which prevent the retention of satis- 

 factory service on a salary basis consistent 

 with the costs of living or which makes it 

 impossible to meet in a reasonable way the 

 competition for efficient teachers and in- 



