The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-22
ALVA CAN'T
BENEFIT BY
LAND FUND
Must Stand Good for ANY
Normal Improvements.
CONTRACT HAS BEEN LET
But Strang SpoiIS All by His
Opinion,

Guthrie. o. T, Aug. Ex-Governor W.
~ Jenkins has definitely decided that if
any improvements are made at the North
western Normal school this year they
must be made at the expense Of private
individuals as the territory has no money
Tor Improvements at the Alva normal.
This decisions is based on the opinion
handed down by Attorney General Strang
whether or not the general school land
lease fund could be used for this purpose.
Judge Strang held that the appropria-
ton could not be made out of the school
land lease fund. as evidently intended
by the normal people.
1t was represented that the improve
ments which were TO consist of two class
rooms and two cloak rooms in the base
ment OF the buildings were badly needed.
Governor jenkins in order TO ascertain
just what the conditions Of affairs were,
sent a special commission consisting OF
Auditor i. W. Baxter and Rev i. b.
Rankin Of Edmond to Alva to ascertain
what was best TO CO under the circun-
stances and report the same 20 him. The
commission arrived at Alva and when the
investigation was made, il was ascertain
cd that contract had already been let by
President Ament for the entire work
which amounted to $3.50. This contract
had been let without the knowledge of the
Board Of Education for normal schools
which board has control of the Ava
school.
On MS return from @ trip 10 TonkaWa,
the governor heard the report of his com
mittee. it was explained to him that
the contract had been let and then the
proposition came up how the expense
should be met. This was on Saturday
morning and on Saturday afternoon Gov
ernor jenkins made the announcement
that no Official contract would be let and
that if the Improvements continued. the
people of Alva would have to make up the
necessary amount Of money to fulfil
-Aments part of the contract There
seems to have been a MISUNDERSTANDING
on the part Of the governor and Auditor
Baxter. A short time before Governor
Jenkins announced thar there would be
no Official contract let for the work. Bax-
ter stated that the work would 90 on as
the rooms were needed and that the
money would be taken from the general
school land fund. If this had been done
there would have been 40 limit to the
amount of money that could have been
appropriated to the use of the normal
school. II this fund could have been
'used Tor the normal under the same
principal it could have been applied to
the use Of schools scattered over the ter
ritory
The use Of the school land money in
connection with the Alva normal was a
rock on which the Barnes administration
struck Will terrific force. Tile last ter
ritorial legislature was asked to make I'D
dedeit and did SO. The Jenkins adj
ministration came up against the same
rock ana now the governor has seen lit
e. decide that during his administration.
the appropriations for the various schools
of the territory shall conform witch the
law regulating them As q matter of
fact The Alva normal has always been
q bone Of contention since it was erected
with every faction in the territory.
President Ament was mixed up in the
matter lest winter when the bin which
made The appropriation called for his res
ignauon. This was afterwards taken out
OF The bin. A niece of Governor Barnes
was one Of the instructors in the normal
at the time and last spring President
Ameut requested Of the board of regents
that she Doe removed from her position
just why this movement was made was
not clear to MANY people and the only
reascr which coald be assigned is that
Aucut Is getting even with the Barnes
crowd oH which he laid the blame Tor the