Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-03

l. Inc cOlleSe mas never spent
dollar of state or national funds for a
banquet, and does not feed the people
that come to the excursions. The
money spent in connection with an eX-
cursion is for printing, circulars, post
age, labor, renting large tent, and the
employing of a band; for their travel
ing expenses and similar legitimate eX-
penses in the advertising department.
This small excursion fund each year is
among the wisest expenditures of the
college. The alumnal banquets and
similar entertainments are paid by the
citizens of Ames. the alumni and facul-
ty of the institution without cent of
loss to the state of Iowa.
"The statement regarding so-called
lobbying purposes is also unjust and
misleading and should be modified.
These expenses were incurred in ap-
pearing and giving information to the
general assembly regarding the inter
ests of the college, and include the
bills OF the members of the college
faculty and authorities whose duty it
was to present the several interests
of the college to the legislature. Ow-
ing to the tax levy the bill for the
change of interest of the agricultural
endowment funds, the extensive needs
of appropriations covering support
fund, new buildings and pure bred
stock, more than the usual expenses
of this kind were incurred for the year.
The clause But the expenses we criti-
else We're not of that character that
is for appearing and giving informa-
ton to the general assembly, is mis-
apprehension, for those bills include
the expenses of persons who We're di-
rected to be present for these pur-
poses. Not a cent of this money went
for cigar, a meal or any emolument
whatever to member of the legisla-
ture on anybody else, but it was mon
ey honestly and fairly expended in the
legitimate expense accounts of those
who represented the college before the
legislature.
SO. Not dollar of this money
came out of the state funds of Iowa,
but was paid out of the funds of the
national government from Washing
ton, as has been the custom of the
college hitherto We are required to
give report of these funds to the ma
tional government, and this reasona-
bic use has never been criticised.
"The paragraphs regarding pur.
phrases handling the property of the
state without check and many of
| the bills are evidently con-
tracted without authority are not
true to the facts. and give a very en-
roneous impression of the business
methods of the trustees. AT the be-
in Of ho hno dc
of departments submit an estimate of
the running expenses of their respect
| i've departments for the new year.
and invariably cut down to a mini
mum necessity by the board of trus-
tees. The head of each department
then expends his appropriation under
the advice and counsel of the chair
man of the committee, having to do
with his department, like in agricul,
ture; in engineering, the chairman of
the committee on engineering, etc
can be contracted only under the au
thority of the member of the board
of trustees who is chairman of the de
I partment in which the bill is to be
contracted. All new bills thus author.
| lLcu are pdoSSu vi Wy llS DOdlu dS d
whole. Any head of a department ov
errunning his allowance without con
sent will be required to pay it out OF
his own salary. The bill mentioned
of s16.05 paid a professor for expens
es in going to distant city to read
proof of the college catalogue, was
authorized previously because it was
an emergency occasion in the issue oil
nto11 D,,+
Each catalogue costs cents postage
By having the catalogues ready fol
distribution at the close of school COZ
to 800 catalogues would be distribut
ed free of postage, envelopes and clerk
hire, therefore saving about $40 tc
the expense account of the college
"A careful financier spending his owl
money would not have read the proo
at home. but have done the business
like thing that was done.
4 Frequent inquiries were asked by
the board of control about the pur
chase of such items at retail as putty
nails, etc. For the biennial period oul
putty account, purchased at retail
amounts to $2292, and the nails fol
the bienianl period to $5S.15. The
general average for the nails was
|, about cents a pound, though in {
, few instances the cost was more thar
this. The greater part of the putty
was bought for 2 and 21a cents {
pound, though some of it cost more
The most of these department appro
priations have to do with chemicals
scientific apparatus, microscopes, me
chanical appliances and general labor
atory supplies, the burden of which are
bought at wholesale and quite a goot
deal imported from Germany, ant
about the values of which the head o
the department knows better tnan an.
one else The trustees let everything
possible in competition and at con
tract prices, so that the phrases. with
out check and without authority d.
the business methods of the college ;
great injustice. The employment of ;
purchasing agent could not be unde
81, 400 to 81 900 year, while the suns
saved on the limited number of items
bought at retail upon the part of TIL
trustees would come to but few hun
dred dollars at most per year.
!, owing to the extraordinary calam
. tiles at the college in the loss of thu
feed barns, and the consequent asliin;
&c tba looiclatura for S90S 000 To re