ANNUAL REPORT. 10 His Excellency, E. W. WILSON, Governor of West Virginia: DEAR SIR:-I have the honor, herewith, to submit the report of the financial condition of the West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1888, as required by Act of Congress establishing the same. Morgantown, W. Va., January 29th, 1889. * JOHN A. MYERS, Congressional Legislation. The Congress of the United States passed an Act, entitled "An Act," to establish Agricultural Experiment Stations in connection with the colleges established in the several States under the provisions of an act approved July 2nd, 1862. This is what is generally known as "The Hatch Act," approved March 2nd, 1887. It was the intention of Congress that this should become opera 6 tive July 1st, 1887, but, on account of some ambiguity in the wording of that portion of the act appropriating the $15,000 annually, the Treasury Department refused to allow the money to be disbursed; and it was not until additional legislation by the Fiftieth Congress, securing to the Experiment Stations the $15,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1888, that any steps could be taken towards the organization of the Experiment Station in this State. Under the provisions of section IX. of the Act, the Governor accepted the appropriation for the State of West Virginia, and the Board of Regents of the West Virginia University at their meeting June 9-13th, 1888, accepted the conditions of the same. State Legislation Necessary. By the provisions of the act of Congress, additional Legislation upon the part of the Legislature of West Virginia is required at its present session, in order to secure the further advantages of the appropriation to the State. This is given to the State by the general government, for the sole and special purpose of benefiting the agricultural interests of the State, and this fund should be accepted by our Legislature without hesitation; providing as it does, for the farmers of the State, free of charge, to secure authentic information upon all matters of importance connected with their business. For disseminating a knowledge of principles already known, but not generally practiced by our farmers; for the discovery of new principles, and the investigation of unsolved and new problems; for the study of the soil, with the causes of its exhaustion and the best means of improvement; for the investigation of the causes, and means of prevention of the ravages of diseases among plants and animals; for improving the stock of the country, and instructing the farmers in better and cheaper methods of raising all of their products, for encouraging the farmers to study more and to farm better, for determining the quality of seed in the market, and for introducing new varities and improving old, and for the developement of new enterprises among the farmers. We may reasonably expect the agricultural interests of the State to be materially benefited. The State of West Virginia Has Never Secured for Its Land The State of West Virginia has never provided a farm or made any special provision for utilizing the money derived from the appropriation of 1862. This State has never secured a farm for the establishment of a College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, as other States receiving the Land Grant, have done, and to properly use this appropriation to advantage in the manner pursued in most other States, an Experimental Farm and proper buildings should be provided. No funds under the control of the Board of Regents are available for the purchase of such a farm, and until the State provides one, the line of work of the Experimental Station must be adjusted to the necessities and conditions prevailing. The Policy of the Board of Regents. The policy adopted by the Board, has been to expend the first year's appropriation in building, and equipping the Experiment Station. It was deemed wise by the Board, in view of difficulties presented, to build a chemical laboratory, completing it, as far as possible from the first annual appropriation, as the Station must have space for offices, laboratories and buildings for Experimental purposes. The available appropriation of $3,000 is not adequate to the demands, but it is all that is available by the conditions of the Act. It was therefore ordered by the Board of Regents that the appropriation for 1887 be divided as follows: "Ordered, That out of the appropriation for the year ending June 30th, 1888, the sum of $3,000 be expended for an Experimental Building, said expenditure to be made by a 'Building Committee' of five." "Ordered, That $5,000 be expended for a laboratory for the Station." "Ordered, That $2,000 be expended for the purchase of thirteen practical libraries of Agriculture, Horticulture and Veterinary to be placed one in each Senatorial district of the State. That the library purchased for each Senatorial District be placed in the custody of the Regent of each District to be by him kept, for the use of the farmers." Ordered that $3,000 be expended for the purchase of a ReferenceLibrary for the Station. Ordered that the residue of $2,000 be expended for salary of Director, traveling expenses, and expenses of Building Committee, &c. In entering upon the discharge of my duties as Director, I have endeavored to carry out to the letter, all of the orders of the Board of Regents, and to confirm the work of the Station to the policy which I found outlined for me. The financial statement given below, accompanied by the certificates of the Auditing Committee, and all other officers of the Station connected with the disbursement of the funds, should be ample_guarantee that sufficient safe guards have been thrown around the funds of the Station, to protect them from being expended, otherwise than as provided for by the Board. No action was taken by our authorities until very nearly the close of the fiscal year, and it became necessary to convert the greater portion of the first annual appropriation into property of value for equipment of the Station, in order to save it to the State. No experimental work could be done in the short time remaining. WEST VIRGINIA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. Status of Government Appropriation for First Year Ending June 30, 1888. State of West Virginia, county of Monongalia, ss: We, the undersigned Auditing Committee of the Executive Committee of the West Virginia University, do hereby certify that we have this day carefully examined the bills and receipts from which are made up the foregoing statement of the disbursement of the appropriation by the General Government, for the use of the West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, for the year ending June 30, 1888, and that we found the same correct in every particular. Given under our hands this 23d day of January, 1889. C. L. SMITH, I, John A. Myers, Director of West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, do hereby certify that the bills paid by the direction, and under the provisions of the Board of Regents of West Virginia University, from the funds derived from the Congressional appropriation for maintaining the West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, for fiscal year ending June 30th, 1888, were examined by me and found to be correct, and that the same together with receipts of payment, were all duly and properly submitted to the Auditing Committee of the Board of Regents of the West Virginia University; and the balance sheet as herewith submitted, is a correct copy of the summary as shown by our books and records. Given under my hand and seal this 29th day of January, 1889. JOHN A. MYERS, [seal.] Director. |