Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-03-14
The BOARD or CONTROL,

The Legislature seems determined to
shear the board of control of q great
deal of its power over state institu-
tions. A bill to remove the educa-
tional institutions of the state from
che institutions managed by the board
has passed the senate and it is stated
that there is very little probability OF
It's being defeated in the house.
The creation of this board was the
distinctive work of the legislature OF
1901. It was claimed for this measure
that it would put the management of
state institutions on a sound business
basis and result in a great saving for
the state. And during the campaign
last fall we heard a great deal about
the saving of about $3.50, claimed
oy the board for it's first years work
Ii this was true-aud we have no cause
TO doubt that it was in the main so
then certainly the board does not de-
serve to have it's power diminished
without further trial of it's efficacy
Can any one give a sound rea.
why the state university and the nor
NAL schools should not be managed
in business like way just as we'll as
the other state institutions? If there
were any institutions that had not
been managed in a basinesslike wa,
before the board of control took hold
OF the matter they were the educa,
tlonal institutions. The university
has been q bottomless chest for re-
celVing ever-increasing appropria-
lions, without the people getting any
clear accounting for the money. The
people do not begrudge money neces-
sarlly spent in furthering the cause of
education, but that willingness should
not be abused by recklessness.
The reason at the bottom of the-at
tack on the board of control is that
under this new system state institu-
tlons have ceased to be a private
''snap" for the cities in which they
are located. Under the old system,
or lack OF system, the resident mem
Der of the particular board had a free
hand in managing the f; ancial end of
his particular institution. Being all
in the same boat, none of the members
felt like scrutinizing very severely the
accounts. That affairs we're managed
recklessly must be evident from the
fact that the new board could make
such large saving in the first year,
in spite Of the manifest difficulties in
taking hold of new work and the
fact that most necessa aries of life are
higher than they were the previous
year.
The spoil :men have determined to
regain control Of public institutions
Not daring to attack the law as a
whole they are trying to pick away
some of the institutions at a time.
Minneapolis, Duluth, St. Cloud, Wi
mona, Moorhead and Osatonna will
aid in the job because each one has
one OF the institutions to be excepted.
st. Paul cannot afford to quarrel with
the other institution towns as long as
the big capitol job is constantly call
ing for more funds. In union there is
strength, ard this community of IT,
terests has created a combination that
will very likely proove too strong for
the rest of the state to overcome.
The Minneapolis Journal has the
following sensible idea on the effect
of limiting the scope of the board:
The board of control has made what
is perhaps the most satisfactory dem
Onstration of economical management
known in the history of the state. It
has performed the hitherto almost
unknown feat of living within appro-
priations and actually turning un-
used moneys back into the state treas
ury.
1t would be reasonable for the board
to expect some evidence of legislative
appreciation of its work, the board be-
ing the creature of the legislature
But instead of so much as an express
sion of thanks, the legislature is now
at work limiting the boards sphere
OF usefulness as much as possible
"This board of CONTROL" it might be
represented as saving, 'has saved the
state $4,000. We will arrange it 50
that it can't save so much hereafter. {"
But having thus given an excellent
argument against limiting the power
of the board, the Journal editor re-
membered that he lived in Minnea-
polls, the home of the university, and
he weakened his argument by only
pleading for the retention of the
schools at Owatonna and Faribault,
but leaving the university aud the
normal schools free from interference
by the board The expenses of the in
situations the Journal wants retained
under the board are only trihes com
pared with amounts spent or wasted
by the institutions it wants exempted.
-. A Superstition.
There is q superstition to the effect
| that the foreign nr0dncar nava tho I'm