Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-04-06
MORE ABoUr THE coLLEGE r.

Irustee Purncll.
Editor Gazette: We regret that the
communication from Dir. Purnel, mem
Der Of the Board Of Trustees of Delaware
College, III your issue of Monday last,
coupels us, i'll justice to the institution
and to tho board of trustees to ask space 10
make denial Of some points in that letter
and an explanation of others.
1t is true, as alleged, that frequently
committees are assigned certain work with
full power to act; without this power the
College would practically he at a stand-still,
as there are but two meetings of the board
| in each year--one in March and one in
| June. The doctor comedies this, so his
| objection is pointless.
The board has also. as is alleged, Endorsed
| the action of these committees, usually
| unanimously. Showing the committees
| had done their duty To the satisfaction OF
| the board.
| As 10 the committee on revision of sal
| aries, the president of tho College was APP
| pointed a member by the unanimous vote
4 Of the board, and DIR, Purnell, himself
member of that committee, offered the
! motion to increase the salary Of the presl-
| dent $1,000 above what had been preyl-
| ously paid, viz, 81, 500. In that commit
tee il was shown BY official statistics that
the average salary in similar institutions
was for president over $500 and for pro
fcssors over 81 800 per annum. The board
adopted tie report of the committee
almost unanimously. While the president
was present at tile meeting Of the com
mittee he neither presided nor voted in
| his case.
The committee on instruction and dis
cpline, in December last. at the request of
representatives of the Alumni, did make
temporary arrangements to have elocution
taught and selected Professor George b.
Hynson, now president of the National
81. ..G la
delphia, to fill that post as instructor. so
well pleased was the board with the action
of The committee that with one dissenting
vote CDr. Purnell'sl they ordered the
arrangements to be continued.
The committee explained fully why
they had acted and that the arrangement
was temporary previous to the decisive
Endorsement of the board at their
March meeting. The committee under
previous resolutions of the board was
fully empowered to employ necessary in
structors and tutors below the grade Of
professors. The salary of the instructor
in clocution and oratory does not exceed
S45l a year,
With regard to the building committee
exceeding its powers, and erecting build
ing as is stated, costing 5000, no such
building has been erected and no state
inent was made that il would cost beyond
, 5000, when completed.
At the June meeting of the board the
building committee was instructed to pro-
, vide for the heating of the College build
ings; a central plant not in any building
was decided upon, with boiler that would
= both heat the buildings and furnish power
for the mechanical department.
, As this boiler stood uncovered and ex-
posed to the weather, the committee
, thought it best to protect it. The general
: | government in substance required a wood
| n
! The committee found that such shop and
: the boiler house could be combined most
!. !. economically. They therefore put up the
!, she'll OF such building and waited for the
board of trustees to give them further in
+ structions. The board again by unani
! nous vote, one dissenting, instructed the
i committee to complete the work, indoors
: ing the action of the committee, and VIZ
+ are obliged to the doctor for concedinE
4 that "the gentlemen composing these tw(
~ committees are of the highest character.
4 word rs to the professor OF agricul
. ture. The leading object of this college i
!, the teaching OF agriculture and the me
= chanic arts. Without provision for such in
!, struction the State and the college ooult
= not draw dollar from the national gov
y eminent. But how teach agriculture with
/ out n professor of agriculture? 0neinplie
! the other. How employ professor with
! out paving him? lie Is paid the same saar,
"
y Of il is paid by the College. He is ais
, agriculturist and meteorologist of the eN
= pertinent station and part Of his salary j
y paid by that institution. His time, a
/. present, not being fully occupied as pro
J, fcsser of agriculture -four recitations
il week., he is helping in other department
i that are over-crowded and, therefore
q q teaches % students in French, his humble
% of recitations varying from eight to Ii pc
ii week. The professor previously hayin
=, French in charge has % recitations wee
~ in Latin, Greek and French, nearly so pc
# cent more than the required mum Der; heno
=, the necessity of calling in help fror
.. another department.
The president attempted to make thi
IA explanation at the meeting of the boar
n when the question was asked by ~
I, Puruell, but was courte0usly told by th
70 presiding officer tChief Justice Lore> tina
10 the whole discussion was out of order.
- The prolessorship of agriculture is M
y continued under some committee as D
=, Purnell asserts. The professor of agricu
~ ture was regularly elected at the mectin
y. Of the board Of trustees in June, 1891, ;
ii the record shows.
n There is no College professor rooming
= the building, buta comparison with formt
nj experience shows that the students wei
y, 70 never better behaved than they are d;
81 present
The doctor could not have read I'll
nd presidents report carefully, though it WI
If assigned to his care rs chairman of
10 special committee. He states that 20
reading the presidents report afterwar,
al il was found that there were Two student
ri. in French The presidents report do
H. not state at all how many students thel
iii are in French. The subject is not the
ed mentioned. Had any statement been MAJ
he il would have been that there are % und
cr the care of the professor of agriculture
ed addition to those taught by Professor Coz
ng we'll
as As regards the committee on exam
i'll nation ii was explained in lime last th
to the date for the final examinations
ng always to be found in the calendar of Il
tee catalogue. II was also explained at tn
IN. meeting, at which the doctor was n
or present, that in addition to this motto
til written notice would be served OH q
committee in the future.
of The criticism of tine letter of Alondi
ne does the College and the board of truste
lis serious injustice. Delaware College TIT
'as tees will be glad to have everybody int
he ested in the College, even the critics, col
so and examine the work of the College al
,ht the magnificent equipments of the yario
ub laboratories which have been built up
ing the last few years by the expenditure
ors the national fund and the faithful al
re- energetic work of the professors.
TO The College officers will gladly she
he how every dollar of the receipts has be
on, iudicionsly expended in making the G
nus Iege one Of the best equipped institutio
for instruction III both the arts al
ent sciences in this country, Few colleg
ses, have so complete an equipment.
uld 1t is true, the number of students is Il
has large, for delaware is a small State, b
zen after all the number is larger than it h
ons been in the past, and the percentage