509

2 Agricultural Experiment Stations.

on the 1st of October; and in view of the fact that nine months of the present fiscal year
are not provided for in any of the appropriation bills, I beg to suggest to you the propriety
of calling the especial attention of Congress to the matter, in order that at an
early day it may make an appropriation for said nine months in a special bill, or by
appending the same to a deficiency bill, which will, in all probability, be passed very
early in the session.

I am led to make these suggestions to you from the fact that within the last few days I
have received a letter from the chairman of the committee appointed by the late agricultural
convention to look after this matter, asking me to call your attention to the subject,
that an appropriation may be obtained from Congress at the earliest practicable moment.

Very respectfully, M J. Durham,
The Secretary of the Treasury, Comptroller.

State College, Centre County, Pa., December 8, 1887.
Sir: In reply to your verbal inquiry as to the number of States and Territories in
which agricultural colleges or experiment stations have been so organized as to entitle
them to the appropriation provided for by the act of Congress approved March 2, 1887,
commonly known as the "Hatch Act," I beg leave respectfully to say that at least one
such college or station has been established and is in operation in each of the thirty-
eight States, and in the Territory of Dakota.

It is possible that one or more of the Territories besides Dakota may have established
such institutions; but no information of such a fact has come to the notices of the Association
of Agricultureal Colleges and Experiment Stations, and I have no reason to suppose it to exist.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant.
Geo. W. Atherton.
The Secretary of the Treasury.

The sum named in the bill now reported, viz, $585,000, is thus in accordance
with the estimate of the Treasury Department, and is to enable
the payments to be made for the four quarters of the year ending June 30,
1888, as provided by the said act of March 2, 1887, and early consideration
of this measure is asked, for the following reasons:

The act of March 2, 1887, providing for the establishment and maintenance
of at least one agricultural experiment station in every State was hailed
throughout the country as opening a new era in the development and progress
of American agriculture. Everywhere the act was regarded as immediately
operative and carrying with it the necessary appropriation for the
new work to begin on the 1st day of July, 1887. Institutions in various
States, thus interpreting the law, made suitable arrangements, providing
buildings, purchasing equipment and materials, and engaging the services
of competent men. Agricultural students and investigators resigned lucrative
positions to engage in the work of the new stations. Thus every preparation
was making for active operations to begin as contemplated by the law,
when the decision of the oficers of the Treasury Department caused a general
suspension, with much embarrassment, more or less absolute loss, and
wide-spread disappointment.

In several States trustees of these colleges are prohibited by law from in-
curring and indebtedness, and the great work provided by the said act of
March 2, 1887, stands in abeyance until a special appropriation for the same
is made. In agricultural experiment time is of the utmost importance, and
the whole growing season of the year 1888 will be lost to the work in some
of the States, unless action be taken by Congress before the end of the
month of January.

The subject is, therefore, one of especial urgency and the public interests
require its immediate consideration.