The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-08-30
TAKES A HAND.
Auditor Dunn Won't Recognize
the Normal Board.
Says All Normal Vouchers Must Come
Through the Board of ContrOl.-Presi.
dent Ankeny's Statement.

Minneapolis Journal:
1t is war, and war to a finish, be-
tween the board of control and the
state normal school board.
State Auditor Dunn will refuse to
recognize the state normal board, and
will honor no vouchers coming from
them. He announced this decision this
morning, after long conference with
the three members of the board of con-
troll Governor Van SAINT and Deputy
Auditor Iverson also took part in the
conference.
Mr.. Dunn said to the Journal:
We will stand by the law as the leg
islature passed it. AS far as this Office
is concerned, we propose to pay no
vouchers from the normal schools In
less they are o. K. d by the board of
control
No warrants will be issued unless
the vouchers come from the proper
channel and that channel is the board
of control. The law is constitutional,
so far as we know. We are not the
supreme court.
The normal school board recognized
the authority of the board of control,
which has let contracts for work on
the normal schools. This Office has
also honored vouchers for expenses of
the normal schools which came
through the board of control. We will
continue to do business with the board
of control alone.
This means that salaries and bills
from the normal schools will be held
up indefinitely, unless the normal
board eats humble pie and comes back
under the wing of the board of con-
troll, or else wins in mandamus pro-
ceedings against Auditor Dunn.
From Aug. 1 until last Saturday
the board of control was recognized as
the financial head of the normal
schools. Saturday afternoon the nor
NAL school board rescinded its former
action and announced that it would
henceforth ignore the law, relying on
the opinion of the attorney general
that it is unconstitutional in so far as
the educational institutions are con-
cerned. This week warrants came in
from the normal schools approved by
the resident director, and not presented
to the board of control. George II.
Clark, resident director at Mankato,
wrote Auditor Dunn asking him to al
low them $500 out of the furniture
fund to procure supplies for the man
ual training department. The board
of control had struck out the items of
expense for manual training, ana Di-
rector Clark appealed to the state audi
tor.
G. A. Morey, resident director at
Winona, wrote the state auditor, ask
ing him how the vouchers for August
should be made up, in accordance with
the estimate of the board of control, or
under the old plan.
o. b. Clark, accounting officer at
Duluth, wired asking that the contrac-
tors get their warrants at once, though
TIC NOuSlC1S Hdu uOU UOOu
by the board of control.
These communications came while
Mr.. Dunn was absent at Bemidji, sell
ing land. He was sent for and arrived
this morning. The queries brought
the matter squarely before him, and
he called the board of control and the
governor into consultation with the
result just related.
Attorney General Douglas was alb
sent from the city, and no repres enta
tive of his Office was invited to the
conference. sit is not matter for
the attorney general, said Mr.. Dunn
this morning, SIT is for this Office to
decide, and we will stand by the law. -
1.-The law was all right with the
normal board" he went on, ''till the