The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-10
IT is OPEN WAR NOW
GAP BETWEEN NORMAL DIRECT
ORS AND BOARD OF CONTROL
HAS WIDENED
LEGAL FIGHT rs INEVITABLE
Board of Control Has FEatIy Re-
fused to Appoint the Resident
Directors as Purchase
ing Agents.

In a letter to A. II. Ankeny, of Min
neapolis, as president of the state nor
NAL board the board of control has, as
was predicted by the . | o b e. fatty re-
fused to appoint the resident directors of
the normal schools as purchasing agents
and disbursing officers of it's board. This
refusal is plainly final and is regarded
by the board of control at least as clos
ing all negotiations between the two
boards looking toward a settlement OF
their differences. The members of the
normal board also are inclined to think
that an amicable adjustment or the mis-
understanding between the two boards
will not be impossible and that the courts
will have to be called upon to define the
rights and functions of each body.
LETTER TO ANKENY.
The letter of the board of control to
President Ankeny is as follows:
AT a meeting of your board Oct. 5.
MessrS. Leavitt and Gould, of this board,
being present and the subject of the dill
ferences between the two boards being
under consideration, we were given 10
understand that the normal board would
not permit the presidents OF the SchoolS,
or any other employee of your board, to
accept an appointment as our purchasing
agent; that you desire us to appoint your
resident directors as such purchasing
agents, and if we declined to do so, We
must make the selection upon our own
judgment.
"In Difference to the wishes of your
board, We have given the matter careful
attention and reached the conclusion that
we cannot make the appointments you
desire The purchasing and disbursing
officers which the law makes 1t our duty
to select and appoint will be, OF course,
the direct representatives of this board,
with whom we must confer concerning
oil mo fprC rotating 6nAnclAt l.
fairs of the several schools.
Aside from the fact that the obvious
intention of the legislature, by the act
creating this board, was to separate the
financial from the educational control of
those institutions, it is well known that
certain of the resident directors have as
sumed towards this board and the indi-
Viduai members thereof such an attitude
of hostility as to make an amicable and
efficient cooperation with them 1mpoS-
sible.
Certain contracts have been made by
the resident directors contrary to law
and ir. open and aVowed defiance of the
wishes of this board, payments on which
must, in the course of business on the
plan you suggest, come before this board
for settlement with the approval OF Such
resident directors, and mus produce I'M
mediate conflict between the two boards.
Under such circumstances, even though
we should waive our views as to the
spirit and intent of the law, we could not
nope LOT tndC cOTQldl -CO-CpSIdthlh
tial to the successful operation OF the
schools.
1--WE shall be pleased in the future, as
we have in the past, to act upon all estt-
mates and other matters coming before
us with the approval of your board which
are conformable to law, and to facilitate
as far as in or power the educational
work in which you are engaged, but the
law under which We are acting must at
all times be our guide
MUST GO TO THE COURTS.
Discussing the refusal of the board of
control to accept the terms offered by
the normal board, President Ankeny, of
the latter body, said yesterday that the
next step would be of the nature of legal
proceedings to determine the respective
powers of the two boards. He did not
say what the nature of those legal pro-
ceedingS would be, and it is doubtful just
what mode of procedure can be adopted
since, it is understood that the supreme
court of this state has held that one
branch of the state government may not
mandamus another branch.
There is some doubt as to whether the
board of control would be under the law
an executive branch of the state gov
eminent. 1t is supposed, however, that
someone of the persons holding claims
against the state, and unable to secure
his pay by reason of the vouchers being
n6lQ up, Will Dr1nS manuaHluS proceed
ings against the board of control or the
state auditor.
Yesterday the board of control received
vouchers from the Duluth, Moorhead and
st. Cloud normal schools for August ex-
penses. They came through Secretary
Olsen, of the normal board, with mere
ly a brief letter presenting them for con-
sideration by the board of control, and
without further comment. The Moorhead
accounts had been received before from
the president of the school direct, but
the others had not before been presented
in any form.
The vouchers from the Duluth school
include number of estimates on the
construction work, and the pay rolls
upon which appear the salary of Presi-
dent Bohannon for. the month of August,
$500, and the salary of Mr. Phelps as resi-
dent director at $25. The Moorhead
vouchers include the salary of Resident
Director Nye, but among those from ST.
Cloud the salary of w. B. Mitchell as
resident director does not appear.
The pay rolls for the Winona school,
which were presented some time ago by
Resident Director Morey, have already
been allowed and paid