The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-25
THREE OF THEM OUT
Professors Maiden, Foster and RyOn
Retire From the College.
Mr.. COOPER'S EXPLANATION
He Only Regrets That the Action
Was Not AIKEN a Year Ago
AS to the Charges of
Eric Hon."
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Helena, March 24.-The action of the
local executive board in dismissing
Professors Luther Foster, A. NJ. Ryon
and b. +. Maiden from the college fac
ulty was unanimously approved to-day
| by the state board of education by
adopting the following resolution:
Whereas. The right of the executive
board of the agricultural college to dis
charge any member of the faculty
whenever IL deems such action for the
best interests of the institution. is af-
firmed by the provisions of section 1926
of the political code, and
Whereas. The executive board, in
the exercise of this right. is the best
qualified to intelligently weigh ali the
facts bearing upon the merits OF any
case under consideration; therefore,
be IL
Resolved. That the action of the exc
cutive board in the matter of the resig-
nation of Professors Ryon. Maiden and
Foster be, and hereby is, approved"
Professor 3. F. Maiden met the
charges of friction" by filing with the
state board letters from each member
of the faculty and station staff endors-
ing his work and testifying that there
had been nothing but harmony between
them. President James Reid wrote a
very fiattering letter testifying to Mr..
Maiden's worth as a teacher and citizen
and saying that there had been no
friction" between Mr. Maiden and
himself.
At yesterday afternoons meeting.
President Reid, who is a member of the
board of education, concurred In the
resolution approving the action of the
local board In accepting Professor Mai
denis resignation, which resignation
was accepted, according TO the only rea-
son given by the board. on account of
friction" In Mr.. Maiden's case. at
least. the state board approves OF his
dismissal for reasons that it has docu-
mentary evidence. is not true.
At yesterdays meeting A. NJ. Ryon
appeared before the board to answer
any questions on the matter that the
board might choose to ask him. Then
Walter Cooper of the local board was
heard. Mr.. Cooper said there were no
charges of incompetency against any
one except Professor Foster. Mr.. Coop
er, 1t is said by friends of Professor
Foster in this city. is not on friendly
terms with Mr. Foster. A part OF the
official proceedings before the board af-
ter Professor Ryon had made his state
ment is as follows:
Governor Richardson your infor-
nation, Mr.. Cooper. let me say that
Professor Ryon appears before the
board to make the statement that IL an
investigation is made by this board on
the charge made by the executive
board that there has been friction in
the agricultural college, speaking for
himself and the other two members of
the faculty whose designations have
been accepted, he asks that the board
appoint a committee to go to Bozeman
and investigate. He further states
that the expression, as 1t is made In
Bozeman, is almost unanimous against
the action of the board. and that the
people there who are friends of the in
stitution are demanding an investiga-
ton, so that If the charge that is made
by the executive board, or. rather, the
reason given by the executive board. is
not sustained, the real reason for their
discharge may be made public: and the
board of education, after hearing him,
thought that, as you were here and are
the only member of the executive board
who is in the city. we would like to
Mr. Cooper-Now. gentlemen, as a
member of the executive board, will
say that we have not made any spe-
cific charges against any of these gen.
tlemen, but 1t has been coming to the
knowledge of our local board for a year
past from different sources-largely
from outside sources-from our farm
ers and people who come in contact
md ha hstef-
ness with them in one way and an
other-facts from which we have form
ed the conclusion that there has been
/ friction. and we decided there must be
a cleaning out OF that institutions: that
is all there is OF II. Now. as far as
Professor Foster is concerned. he is the
only man whose work has been unsat-
isfactory. A United States inspector
or superintendent OF agricultural col
leges, came to our college last year and
he stated TO US that OF all the colleges
he had visited in all the new states
throughout the entire Northwest ours
was the best organized he had visited
He stated that unquarfiedly and with
out solicitation on the part OF the
board We have employed Professor
| Foster for three years as an agricul-
turist He has charge OF the grain
experiments. The inspector notified the
| board that the work done by Mr.. Fos-
ter was worthless 50 far as its scienti-
| &c value was concerned. The first ex-
| preston that has come from the local
! board Is before you now, or on hle here.
We stand upon that proposition. and
think this board should sustain US.
do not know that / have much more 10
! gay about IL. one thing Is certain, we
| ere rO- getting along as nicely as we
ought 70. and we think we have done
the riglt thing. The charges made
| have been talked over as people IN
| little community do. That these men
have their personal friends l have no
doubt They would be poor men. would
they not. II they had lived there for