The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1903-01-28
A Number of State Institutions Attempting
to Get Out from Under the
Board of Control.
If Certain Institutions Are Removed it
Will Be the Beginning Of the
End of Control System.

now OeIOfe the legislature is Inc
taking out from the care Ct tt e
board of control of Normal schools
and the University Of this State
Among many of the members it is
commended that the university is
nothing more than rat-hole for the
emptying of the money of the State
that the theoretical professors of
the institution have but very little
idea of the actual financial manage
ment and feel as though they can
expend the State 5 money as they
please-and consequently the insti-
tuition should not only remain ur-
der the care of the board of control.
but that the latter board should be
given absolute power in the matter
of it's financial management, some
thing the board does not now | os-
sess. It is stated that so reckless
has been the management of the
finances of that great educational in
stitution that for some time after
the late John S. Pillsbury passed
away the accountant was issuing
checks with that gentleman S sig
nature attached, he having signed
up a number of them before he was
taken previously i'll prior to his de-
mise.
Regarding the Normal schools it
is stated that they have been better
managed, from a financial stand
point, than has been the university,
and that the officers IN charge of the
expenditures have shown a great
deal better tact in business. The
contention is quite freely advanced
that the University ought to remain
! in, and that if any institutions are
to be removed from the board of
control they ought to be the Normal
schools.
But the removal of any of these
institutions from the board of con-
troll means the breaking down of a
barrier, which, once broken, may
wipe out the entire board of control
system. For instance, Representa-
tive Morley of Owatonna introduced
the first bill of this kind into the
house. He asks that the Univer-
sity, the Normal schools, the Fari-
bault Institutions and the State
school for INDECENT children at Owa
tonna shall be taken out of the con
troll of the board. AS certain as this
is done will also come the wiping out
of the board of control. The bill
was under discussion before the
house committee on general legisla-
tion last Friday, and strong SEN
timent crept out for the indefinite
/ postponement of the measure. But
Legislative courtesy interviewed, and
it was decided to refer the measure
to a special committee of five, of
which Mr.. Clague is member.
This committee was instructed to
make certain investigations and re-
port On Saturday morning Messrs.
! Clague and Fosseen, two ofthe com
mittee, went to Owatonna and
dropped in on the school manage
ment like surprise party. They
ascertained the reasons why this
. management wanted the school out
of the board of control, compared
the expense under the board with
that of previous years, and the two
gentlemen returned home Saturday
evening firmly convinced that the
school never had done better than
under the management Of the board.
When the quick investigation of the
Faribault institutions is had it is
! freely admitted that the report will
| be about the same.
But the bunch ofmembers having
the university and normal schools
at heart will have to secure a ma
jority vote of either branch to carry
their bill to take those institution
out OF the care Of the board. In or
der to do this a combination may be
necessary, aud this may take other
institutions out, aud if any one Of