Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1884 [PAGE 217]

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To the Trustees of the Illinois Industrial University; G E N T L E M E N — I n r e s p o n s e to a r e q u e s t from t h e E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e , I b e g l e a v e to p r e s e n t t h e following special r e p o r t , c o n c e r n i n g the affairs of s u c h d e p a r t m e n t s pf t h e U n i v e r s i t y as c a r r y on e x t e n d e d b u s i n e s s t r a n s a c t i o n s c o l l a t e r a l to t h e i r e d u c a t i o n a l duties. I a s k p e r m i s s i o n to p r e s e n t a few p r e f a t o r y s u g g e s t i o n s : 1. I t s e e m s evident t h a t n o n e of t h e s e d e p a r t m e n t s w e r e at first e s t a b l i s h e d , or e x i s t now, p r i m a r i l y for b u s i n e s s p u r p o s e s . E a c h is a n d should be a n e s s e n t i a l p a r t of t h e e d u c a t i o n a l m e c h a n i s m of t h e University, a n d its b u s i n e s s r e l a t i o n s are m e r e l y s e c o n d a r y a n d i n c i d e n t a l . T h e farms, t h e s h o p s , t h e l a b o r a t o r i e s a r e o r g a n i z e d for p u r p o s e s of i n s t r u c t i o n or of scientific r e s e a r c h . If t h e r e s u l t s in a n y of t h e s e d e p a r t m e n t s c a n b e m a d e m o r e v a l u a b l e or p r a c t i c a l by the i n t r o d u c t i o n ot c o m m e r c i a l b u s i n e s s , s u c h i n t r o d u c t i o n is p r o p e r , a n d if, farther, s u c h w o r k m a y m a k e t h e d e p a r t m e n t wholly or in p a r t self-supporting, t h a t result m a y be gratifying, b u t should n e v e r be d e m a n d e d a s a crit e r i o n of usefulness to t h e University. On t h e o t h e r h a n d , if- t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n of c o m m e r c i a l b u s i n e s s in a n y d e p a r t m e n t should be found to i m p a i r t h e efficiency of t h a t d e p a r t m e n t as a m e a n s of i n s t r u c t i v e or scientific usefulness, t h a t w o r k should be laid a s i d e e v e n if it m i g h t a d d its m o i e t y to t h e finances of t h e University. If, t h e n , it should a p p e a r t h a t a d e p a r t m e n t is a s o u r c e of e x p e n s e to t h e University, t h a t fact should n o t be c h a r g e d a g a i n s t t h e d e p a r t m e n t as a demerit, p r o v i d e d t h e d e p a r t m e n t is o t h e r w i s e a d m i n i s t e r e d in a w a y to furnish v a l u a b l e e d u c a t i o n a l or scientific returns. T h e f a r m s s h o u l d not furnish a n e x c e p t i o n to t h i s g e n e r a l principle. B u t it h a p p e n s t h a t we h a v e a q u a n t i t y of land l a r g e r t h a n is n e e d e d for o r d i n a r y p u r p o s e s of e x p e r i m e n t . T h e u s u a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n s of soils, s e e d s , m a n u r e s , m e t h o d s of c u l t u r e , etc., m a y b e efficiently c o n d u c t e d on a m u c h s m a l l e r a r e a of land. B u t t h e m a n a g e m e n t of a l a r g e farm is in itself a n e x p e r i m e n t of g r e a t i m p o r t a n c e , a n d it affords an o p p o r t u n i t y for a c l a s s of e x p e r i m e n t s in b r e e d i n g , feeding, etc., w h i c h could n o t a s well be c o n d u c t e d u p o n a s m a l l e r scale or a r e a . I n t h e s e e x p e r i m e n t s t h e q u e s t i o n of profit b e c o m e s i m p o r t a n t . I t is r i g h t to a s k of o p e r a t i o n s of s u c h b r e a d t h n o t only w h a t do t h e y t e a c h ? but also, d o e s it p a y ? Yet even h e r e t h e e x p e r i m e n t will be a c c o m p a n i e d with i n c r e a s e d e x p e n s e , a n d t h i s e x p e n s e will r e d u c e t h e profits. I n t h i s c o n n e c t i o n it s e e m s p r o p e r to s a y t h a t t h e G r i g g s F a r m s h o u l d n o t be c o u n t e d a s p a r t of t h e a g r i c u l t u r a l d o m a i n of t h e University. I t is a n o u t l y i n g b o d y of l a n d t o o far from t h e University F a r m to be economically m a n a g e d in c o n n e c t i o n t h e r e w i t h , e v e n if the latter were n o t a l r e a d y quite large e n o u g h for its legitimate p u r p o s e s . I t is simply a piece of p r o p e r t y w h i c h t h e University h o l d s until such t i m e as it m a y be*profitably conv e r t e d into s o m e o t h e r form of capital, like t h e l a n d s o w n e d by t h e U n i v e r s i t y in N e b r a s k a o r Minnesota. It should, firstly, pay its own e x p e n s e s , w i t h o u t draft on t h e profits of t h e University F a r m s , and if beyond t h a t it yields a n y i n c o m e , t h a t should be t u r n e d over <at o n c e to t h e U n i v e r s i t y t r e a s u r y . N e i t h e r its profits n o r its e x p e n s e s should figure in t h e b a l a n c e s h e e t of the. U n i v e r s i t y F a r m . 2. T h e Agricultural d e p a r t m e n t is t h e only one w h i c h h a s h i t h e r t o r e g u l a r l y a n d formally r e p o r t e d a s t a t e m e n t of its b u s i n e s s t r a n s a c t i o n s , o t h e r t h a n t h e a g g r e g a t e s of i n c o m e and outgo found in t h e t a b u l a r s t a t e m e n t s of t h e B u s i n e s s Agent. While t h e p r o s p e r i t y of a d e p a r t m e n t is not to be d e t e r m i n e d simply by t h e fact t h a t it is e i t h e r m a k i n g or losing m o n e y , t h i s m a y yet be a n i m p o r t a n t factor in m a k i n g u p a conclusion. At all e v e n t s it would s e e m to be i m p o r t a n t t h a t t h e T r u s t e e s should k n o w w h a t t h e facts a r e . It will not be e a s y for a n y of the d e p a r t m e n t s to m a k e an e x a c t s t a t e m e n t , now, a s it w o u l d be if a c c o u n t s h a d been k e p t with s u c h a r e p o r t c o n s t a n t l y in view, yet it is believed t h a t no i m p o r t a n t d i s c r e p a n c i e s exist. T h e r e p o r t of t h e Agricultural d e p a r t m e n t w a s m a d e at t h e last m e e t i n g to D e c e m b e r 1,1883. As an i n v e n t o r y of p r o p e r t y is t a k e n only once e a c h year, a n d t h a t in D e c e m b e r , it wTill n o t be e a s y to c o m p a r e exactly t h e p r e s e n t condition with t h a t of March 1,1883. I t is t h o u g h t t h a t t h e s t a t e m e n t s of t h e last r e p o r t will be sufficient for t h e p u r p o s e s of t h i s inquiry, especially as t h e a g g r e g a t e of farm p r o d u c t s for t h e s e a s o n c a n n o t h a v e c h a n g e d m a t e r i a l l y since t h a t d a t e . T h e l a n d s in U r b a n a a n d C h a m p a i g n b e l o n g i n g to t h e University m a y be classed t h u s : L a n d s u s e d for a g r i c u l t u r a l p u r p o s e s : T h e E x p e r i m e n t a l farm, a c r e s 90 c The Stockfarm, acres 410 500 L a n d s u s e d for h o r t i c u l t u r e , etc 53 L a n d s u s e d for public g r o u n d s 33 R o a d s , i n t e r n a l a n d e x t e r n a l p l a t s for y a r d s , etc 34 T h e G r i g g s farm Total acres T h e a g r i c u l t u r a l lands h a v e b e e n u s e d t h u s : In pasture I n meadow Tillage: Corn , Oats Rye Wheat Miscellaneous 160 770 160 160 80 55 33 8 4 180 Total acres Of t h i s l a n d 20 a c r e s h a v e b e e n u s e d specially for e x p e r i m e n t a l p u r p o s e s . 500

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