The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-25
ELEMENT OF MYSTERY.
No One Seems to Know Exactly
What Is Wrong.
Details Upon Which the Officials
Are at LOggerheadS.

The Washburn trustees intimate thaI
they will go ahead and establish a med
ical department of their own, independ-
ent Of the Kansas Medical college, if the
merger fails.
The future of the Kansas Medical col
lege is not known. There is a rumor
that 1t will pass into the control of the
Kansas state university The dean OF
the medical college, Dr. J. f. Mlnney,
admitted this morning that the hahsds
university has been trying TO secure
control Of the school.
In their utterances for publication tn-
Officers OF both Washburn and the Med
ical college are very guarded 1t IS
lfnt denied on either side. however. that
tie consummation of the merger Is III
grave doubt One of the Washburn
beard of trustees said this morning;
IF the deal Rith the Kansas Medical
establish its own medical department.
This action was authorized at the last
II ceting of the board of trustees At the
present time the proposed merger STANDS
il exactly the same condition II dld
three months ago Washburn IS ready
to carry out its agreement. There IS
nothing further to be done except to
deed the Medical college property to
Mashburn college"
The Washburn trustees broadly hint
that the reason for the failure Of the
merger is that the officers of the Mod
ical college have managed to secure
II hisger price for their property from
the Gtate university.
On their part the Medical college au-
thorI;ies claim that they are waiting or
a ttmmittee to report on The arFarge-
r1rDt OF the details of the 'rallst ar ani
that the only thing which 5iocks the
nerf eI is the refusal on TIE part ct
WASN'T urn to agree that the NJ adical CO..
leGe shall continue to run as 1t D. eSSnt.
Certain physicians in the city who
consented to talk say that the reason
Medical college has come to the con-
clusion that it will not gain sufficiently
by the transfer. They say that the Med
ical college can do better work as an
independent Institution They claim
that the trustees of the school are op-
posed to consolidation with any college
whatever
One physician said that the scheme to
consolidate the Medical college with
Washburn is the idea of Washburn peo-
pie. and was doomed exclusively by the
friends of Washburn: that the Medical
college, as it is now operated, is a mon
ey making institution, its revenue be-
ing larger than its disbursements every
year. and that it would lose it's identity
if merged with Washburn.
The Kansas Medical college is a pri-
vate corporation. in which most of the
stock Is owned by DR. Minnev. In the
last analysis. DR. Minnev has the con-
troll of the institution though the truS-
tees. and faculty are nominally in con-
troll When the merger was first being
talked of. the Washburn trustees sub
mtted a lengthy document to the fac
ulty of the Medical college giving the
plans and specifications for the consoli-
dation. The Medical college faculty by
a unanimous vote accepted these terms.
The members of the faculty also control
the board of trustees. and it was sup
posed that the acceptance by the medi-
cal faculty was equivalent to ratifica-
tiOn by the trustees The trustees, now
ever, have never taken formal action on
the matter. Washburn asked them to
do so in time for the Inauguration of
President Plass but instead the trustees
appointed a committee Of which DR. b.
D. Eastman was chairman. to consider
the advisa bility of the merger. This
committee has never reported, and until
IT does the trustees of the Medical col
lege claim that they will do nothing fur
ther.
DR.. Eastman said today: THE COM
mittee was appointed to thoroughly in
vestigate the plan and to report on the
proposition to the trustees. The COM
n1ittee has not yet made any report and
no definite action has been taken"
The very fact that this report has been
delayed so long, for no apparent reason,
is good evidence that the Medical college
is pienning to close its negotiations with
Washburn. and drop the consolidation
plan.
DR.. J. E. Minney said today: THE Medi-
cal college wants some assurance that
Washburn will continue to operate ii as
medical college. The trustees claim
that they can not make any such agree
ment which will he binding upon their
y successors We want them simply to say
that If at any future time, the property
of the Medical college is converted t.
any other use than that of a medical
school. it will revert to the donors OF
their heirs. This is no more than is fire.
quently stipulated in transact ons of this
kind. I suppose that il was stipulated
when Washburn gave $4,000 to Washburr
name. and if Washburn should change
that name. l suppose it would no longer
he entitled to that money. Our PROPOSE
tion is perfectly fair
One Of the trustees of the college was
asked II Washburn would agree to such
% a stipulation. He said: "The trustee.
have never been asked to make such al
agreement that that I don't know whai
they would do. but I am under the i'm
precision that there would not be III,
slightest obje elton to making an agree.
ment that .Washburn would continue Il
maintain and operate a medical depart
ment. Nothing else is contemplated. If
however, It is proposed to fix it so tha
Washburn can not sell the present Metli
cal college property and use the money
to construct other buildings for the Medi
cal college. then there certainly would b,
an objection on the part of Washburn
For my part. l am taking this thing yer,
easy We have made the Medical colleg,
q fair proposition. and it can either ac
cent it or reject it We have no DISPOSE
Medical college. But of course we fnsis
that the trustees of washburn college b,
given full control of the pronerty."
EFFECT ON FOOTBALL.
One point which will of course be of in
tarest to the public is the probable erec