The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-04


investigate the managing and manage
ment of the burlesque university that
is dienitied and sustained by the preten-
tious title OF "Rhode Island College OF
Agriculture and Mechanic Arts" may fur-
nish something OF surprise 10 most of
the members OF the General Assembly and
the people at large. The Investigation
has disclosed incompet ency OF manage
ment, extravaganza OF expenditure,
startling disproportion between the
amount OF money used up and the results
achieved, wastefulness of the public
funds, an offensive disregard of the in
terests Of the state and the authority OF
the Assembly in the conduct OF the insti-
tuition and practical failure in about
every purpose Tor which the college was
founded.
The committee, making its report unan-
imous do not bring so severe an arraign-
ment as this in so many words, but the
facts and figures presented point the
charges. The committee cop}ines its re-
buke and accommodation to the meth
ods that have been practised in the mat
ter of doing work and contracting obliga-
tons without authority and then going
to the Assem- ply and demanding to know
what the latter Is going TO do about II.
To follow the results of the investigation
to their natural conclusion would have
compelled the committee to recommend a
radical overhauling OF the institution
and the dismissal of its leading authori-
| ties and that they hositated, or perhaps
could not unite, at this step is not to be
wondered at, scandaious as the facts and
| figures are.
| 1t may be recalled that the investigs-
| tion was the outcome OF efforts on the part
of this newspaper, representing measure
OF intelligent public opinion that de-
manded to have the subject looked into,
to, have the college moved from its remote
and isolated location, the opportunity
| for doing this easily and economically
| existing because the most important
college building had been destroyed by
| fire and il was proposed to rebuild. The
General AssmeDly, however, saw fit to re-
build on the old site and so keep the in
stitution out OF public reach. where its
I student body would be forever limited,
/ where its usefulness would be forever
handicapped and where the public could
not get at it to learn what was going on
except on exhibition and dress parade
appropriation for the work proposed. In
fact, the Assembly was practically COM
pelled TO make such an appropriation as
the managers at Kingston had been fore
handed enough to begin work and con-
tract bills assuming that the authority
for the same would be given. Then they
drove the Assembly into taking up tho
work. 1t is interesting to note that the
same tactics have again been employed. ).
the investigating committee finding more
work under way without authority, which
the Assembly will be asked to pay for ana
proceed with, and SO further help to make
permanent the "college" ON Kingston
Hill, where 1t can be conducted with the
least possible advantage to the State and
the young men and women for whom it
| Is established, and the most advantage to
JOHN HOSEA wAsHBURN, its president,
whose ability and capacity for his job APP
pear to be more certain of recognition the
farther off from the public they are exert
ed and the less they can be looked into.
Following the defeat of the movement to
relocate the school for the benefit
Of the youth OF Rhode Island, the man.
agement of the institution demanded,
with great flourish Of trumpets, an "in-
vestigation"-pot an investigation of the
matter that had been at issue, the re-lo.
eating of the school, but Of the conduct
and management OF the school, as to
which no one had, up to that time, pub
licly found much fault, although it was
suspected that matters were not being
conducted in the very best possible way
up in Kingston Hill. The management Sc
cured the appointment Of committee
on their own terms and for the purposes
named by themselves and the committee
went TO work. The report indicates that
this committee has done its work thor
oughly. 1t has probed deeply and
has exposed serious mismanage-
ment 1t has performed public