The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-08-29
THE STATE hoard or CONTROL.


THE STATE BO4RD OF CONTROL.
It was only after q long drawn out
and holly contested struggle that the
lew which placed all the charitable,
correctional and penal institutions OF
the State under the management OF, a
central board OF controlwas enacted at
the last session Of the legislature. It
was not the intention ofythe trainers of
the law to include the purely educa-
tional institutions. The friends Of the
measure knew that they had prodig-
ious fight on their hands and tried to
avoid a row with the university and
normal school interests, knowing full
we'll that a subsequent legislature
would see to it that the financial man
agement of these institutions would be
vested in the board of control. But
the legislature would not have it so.
The BILL was amended to include the
educational institutions. But there
was defect in the title of the bill.
This defect, which was purely tech
meal, was discovered before the gov:
ernor attached his signature to the bill,
and the matter was thoroughly dis
cussed at the time.
Pursuant to the provisions of the law,
Gov. VanSant selected three first-class
mention. S. D. Leavitt, Hon. G. A.
Morey and Hon. W. E. Lee-as the
first board of control. An unfortunate
accident befell Mr.. Morey which ne.
cessitated his retirement from the
board and Judge Gould, of Winona,
was appointed in his stead; and Mr..
Gould is also a man of unimpeachable
character and integrity. AS was ex-
pected, the board of control encoun-
tered opposition from the start; but the
normal school board waived all defects
in the law and unanimously agreed to
comply with the clearly expressed in
tention of the legislature. The normal
board and the board Of control worked
together in harmony until the board of
control insisted upon strict compli-
ance with the law which prohibits any
expenditure of money in excess of the
amount appropriated for a specific pur-
pose, or diverting an appropriation for
any other purpose than that clearly
expressed in the law. The board of
control also refused to sanction the
payment annually of $500 to each of the
resident normal school: directors as
something entirely unwarranted under
the law. Then the cordial relations
existing between the two boards were
severed. Members of the normal board
gave to the public press the contents of
letters that were marked ''personal
and confidential" and with a great
flourish of trumpets announced that the
board OF control was attempting to die
tate the curriculum and management
of the normal schools generally, and
that the normal school board would no
longer officially recognize the board of
control. This Notwithstanding the fact
that numerous normal school vouchers
had already been passed upon by the
board of control. But the normal
school directors reckoned without their
host. The State auditor believes
in a strict compliance with existing
laws, and he has refused to audit any
and all bills from the normal schools
unless the same have been first passed
upon by the board of control, as ex-
pressly provided for by statute, and
there is not the slightest possibility of
the auditor receding from the position
he has taken, unless the supreme
court of the State declares the law un-
constitutional, or until the legislature
acts. The high and mighty President
Ankeny of the normal board may call
the action of the State auditor a
''trick,' but just at. present the
auditor holds the ace, and it is worth a
bushel Of Ankeny's two.spots.
If Gov. 'VanSantswere to do his duty,
he would remove from office immedi-
ately the obstructionists on the normal
school board and replace them with
men who would obey the law; men who