The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-28
REGENTS SEEK PEACE
WITH THE BOARD
OF CONTROL
The Two Bodies Have a Con-
ference Which Ends With
Every Promise of a Har-
monious Understanding
Being Reached With Slight
Concessions on Either
Side.

Having failed to secure legislative
emancipation from supervision of it's
financial affairs by the state board of
control, the board of regents of the
state university has consented to take
steps toward a treaty with the board
of control. Through the initiative Of
the regents conference was held yes
terday, and those who were present
express the belief that the negotiations
thus opened will result in some sort of
compatibility beWeen the two boards
in the management of the affairs of
the university.
Regents Take Initiative.
AT the meeting of the board of re-
gents last week a committee which con-
sisted of j. r. Wyman, A. E. Rice and
Thomas Wilson was appointed to con-
fer Withthe board of control and Gov.
Van SAINT was requested to act with
the committee and participate in the
conference. In accordance with that
arrangement the governor called a
meeting which was held at his resi-
dence in the Aberdeen yesterday after
noon and which was attended by all
of the members of the committee above
named and all three of the members of
the board of control, James A. Martin,
S. w. Leavett and o. B. Gould. When
seen last evening as to what was done
at the meeting, Gov. Van SAINT said:
Our conference was from the very
nature of the case somewhat informal;
but the ground was gone over thor
Oughly, and there is no doubt but that
the two boards will come to an agree
ment and will work together in har-
mOny; and the board of control will
continue in control of the financial af-
fairs of the university, as contemplated
in the board of control law"
Slow in Giving In.
From the creation of the board of
control the board of regents has re-
belled against the authority which the
law gave the former board over the
financial affairs of the university and
has taken an antagonistic position.
First the regents declared their indie
pendence, and finding themselves I'M
able to hold that position, submitted
for a time to the inevitable and under
protest permitted the financial affairs
of he university to be managed by
the board of control. Then a new plan
was adopted and the legislature was
asked to pass law which would have
university without financial supervision
of any other body, but that law failed
of passage and the regents now find
themselves where they were in the first
place.
The history of the former contention
between the two boards is compre-
hensively set forth in the latest report
of the board of control. as follows:
History of the Controversy.
'The law clearly places the financial
affairs Of the university under the
management of the board of control
leaving its educational policy in the
hands of the board of regents, This
fact is emphasized in the decision Of
the supreme court in the case of the
normal school board VS.. the board of
control.
1--WE deemed 1t our duty to administer
the law as we found it, and on April
10, 1901, opened correspondence with
the board of regents having that OBJ
Ject in view. The board of regents
declined to submit their finances to
our control, as provided by law, and
after long delay, during which they
obtained an opinion from the attorney
general on the question favorable to
their views, correspondence terminate
ed on July II, 1901, in a letter from
the late President Pillsbury, of the
board of regents, as follows:
In view of the situation, it seems
TO the board of regents quite clear that
1t had no right, power or authority to
recognize the board of control as hav-
Ing any authority or jurisdiction over
any of the affairs of the university.
that such recognition, if attempted,
would be wholly Intellectual
After the decision of the supreme
court referred to, we again made re-
peated efforts to assume control of the
financial affairs of the university I'M
der the law, but the board of regents
in every case have either evaded our
proposal or declined to recognize our
authority"
Further the board in it's report re-
Iates that the state auditor refused to
pass the vouchers of the university
without they had first been approved
by the board of control, which in time
resulted in the temporary surrender
Of the regents.
Will Pull in Harmony.
James A. Martin, chairman of the
BOARD of control, said to The Globe
last evening in regard to the confer
ence of yesterday afternoon. 81 am
convinced that everything can be so
arranged that the two boards can
pull together in perfect harmony.
Messrs. Wyman, Rice and Wilson. the
members of the committee representing
the board of regents, certainly showed
every disposition to be reasonable and
10 recognize the authority of the board
ol control The situation was discussed
In very friendly and still a very
businesslike way, and we have ali
agreed that by keeping off one anoth-
er'S cOrnS the two boards Should no ob1o