The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-17
TAKE A FIRM HAND
THE BOARD OFF CONTROL REPLIES
TO THE NORMAL.
BOARD
REJECT TERMS OF AGREEMENT
Concessions Asked by Normal Di-
Rectors Are Refused ON Gem
eraI Grounds-HarmOny
May Yet Prevail.

The board of control yesterday DIS
patched it's reply to the recent proposal
of the normal board in regard to adjust
ment of the differences between the two
bodies.
Mr. Lee was the only member OF the
board of control to be found at the office
of that department yesterday, the other
two gentlemen having gone to their
homes to spend Sunday and not yet re-
turned Mr.. Lee still declined to make
public the text of the communication
received by his board from the special
committee of the normal board, which
consisted of President Ankeny and
Messrs. Mitchell and Hammond; but be
did state that the board Of control had
declined to accept the terms of agree
ment offered by the committee.
Mr.. Lee admitted that the board OF
normal directors in the communication
from it's committee still demanded that
the resident directors of the five schools
be made purchasing agents of their re-
spective institutions and that they re-
ceive the salary of $500 per year each, al
lowed them under the former system OF
management. That was the fundamental
feature of the proposition, and further,
the normal board maintains its right to
determine what supplies shall be bought
for the schools and what the quality and
quantity of those supplies shall be. By
way of conciliatory measures the COM
mittee suggests that the resident diree-
tors in performing their functions as
purchasing agents shall act under the dis
rection Of the board of control, and in
compliance with such rules as that board
may lay down for their guidance, and
that they shall make monthly reports to
the board of control.
AS to the question of appointing the
resident directors as purchasing agents,
it was upon that ground that the two
boards first split, and the board Of con-
troll is no more willing to concede the
point now than in the beginning. Mr..
Lee said yesterday: I'VE have declined
to do that on the ground that it would
be out of harmony with the intent and
the spirit of the law. The five resident
directors would be a majority of the
normal board, and under .ne plan pro-
posed the purchasing power would prac>
tically be left in their hands. This we
do not believe was the intent of that
law In fact we hold that under the
law the board of control has absolute
control of the financial affairs of the
schools"
Discussing the situation in general
way, Mr.. Lee said
SOME HOPE FOR HARMONY.
I'VE still continue to think that the
two boards can act in harmony; but it
is only by honest cooperation with the
best interests of the state and the
schools as the paramount considerations
that that will be possible. 1t would be
absolutely impossible, to definitely de-
fine the functions and powers of each
of the two boards in the management of
the schools for the reason that the tinan-
cial and educational interests SO fire.
quently encroach upon one another. We
consider that their board should certain
ly be permitted to designate such sup
plies as they may need for use in. the
educational work, and for that matter
their wishes should rule as far as possi-
bic in the selection of all supplies, but it
may, be that the fund will not always
stand the expense entailed in the pur-
chase of the supplies they may select
and then it will be necessary that there
should be harmony between the boards
that we may agree as to what is best to
be DONE
Speaking of the prospects of a settle
ment between the boards. Mr. Lee said:
THE only real obstacle I can see is the
question of the appointment of the resi-
dent directors as purchasing agents, and
with that out of the way I think we
could very easily agree