Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-23
Majority of State University
Alumni Believe the Regents
Have Acted Wisely
REGENT JOE ALLEN TALKS
Says That Instead of There Being Evi-
dence of internal Discussions, the
University Is Running Along Smooth
ly-students All Over the State Do
ing a Splendid Volunteer Work.
Special TO Times-Republican.

Eus of opinion among friends of the
Iowa State University here is that the
board of regents have done about the
only reasonable thing that they could
have done in regard to the campaign
which had been waged against the
president. 1t is the dissatisfied ones
that are willing to talk and make more
trouble, If possible. While the great
ma jority of alumni and others believe
+ that the sooner the incident is forgot
ten the better for all.
I'VE took action which we believed
to be right" said Regent Joe Allen, on
his return from Iowa City, on the Way
to his home in Pocahontas. The &C
stion speaks for itself. The action was
unanimous and was taken on a full
understanding OF the subject. But the
university is running along smoothly.
There is no evidence of internal dis
sensions The belief may prevail that
the university is much disorganized
and work at stand-still. Far from
this, the university is doing splendid
work there is much zeal and earnest
ness among members of the faculty,
and there Is a spirit of loyalty to the
institution among the students that
will make for great good in the fu-
ture The students have organized
for volunteer work in every part of the
state to increase attendance and to
help the university. They are planning
Cor that which will be of great bene-
fit Ii other friends of the university
viii do as much it will be to their
credit"
State Superintendent Riggs, Carroll
( Wright and others of the board. speak
in much the same way. AS a rule the
regents prefer not to be quoted in re-.
gard TO the matter except In general
terms. but one does not have to talk
with them long before discovering that
the board was in dead earnest in the
Iowa City.
"A great deal of the trouble in the
faculty. said regent, was found to
have come from misunderstanding
For instance there was a teacher of
Greek who had grievance. A year
ag6s the board found that there was
too much teaching force In Greek for
the work done, Investigation showed
that one teacher who was giving an
average of eight hours a week to the
work was getting S1,5la a year. The
board voted to continue her but re-
duced the salary. This was done
against the vigorous protests of Pres
ident MacLean. This matter was
brought up against the president and.
the accusation made that he had caus-
ed the reduction of salary in this case
and thus Inundated a worthy member
of the faculty. When the records were
produced the charge melted away.
Then there was the grievance of some
members of the faculty because OF the
allegation that in naming dean for
the college of liberal arts President
MacLean had acted without consulting
his associates and that in naming Prof
Weld for the place he had offended
others: The falsehood in regard to this
was quickly exploded when the records
of the board Were produced and 1t was
found the regents had made this selec-
ton and this without consulting the
president. Yet the falsehood about the
presidents alleged disregard OF the
faculty in this matter is still being
circulated by those who desire to tear |
the university down. These are given ]
as samples of what we have found !
One by one every accusation against |
the president went to pieces in the
light Of the records and facts.
But the newspaper men who became |
the willing tools of a few of the former |
students" continued the regent, "reck- |
nned not on what would be the result If |
we acceded to their demands. To have
done so after their brutal attack on the |
president would have been disastrous |
Suppose we had. discharged MacLean
The clique OF professors who had done
the talking would have been on top.
They would have assumed an arrogant
position of triumph. What could we
have done to secure another president?
suppose we would have offered the
place to some competent man. He
would naturally have asked us IL we
We're going to let him be president or
1t the faculty under him was to be the
boss. What could we say to such an
inquiry? We never would have got any
man of conspicuous ability to accept
the presidency. We would have entered |
upon an era of uncertainty and doubt.
and it would have covered years of |
trouble for that institution. That which
was demanded of the regents would I
have been the most disastrous thing
for the university that could possibly
have happened"
1t is probable that by this time the
owners of the farm and privte tele-
phone lines in the state have discovered
that change was made In the law as
to reporting, and that the compiling of
reports and preparation for assessment
is in new hands this year. Under the
new law this was placed in the hands
of the secretary of the state executive
council, and Secretary Davidson has
been going after the delinquents IN
way DO suggest to them there is to be
no trifling with the law. He will lay
before the executive council this week
q list OF telephone companies that have
failed or refused to report, and ask the
council to affix penalty for the fail
ure. He has the names OF several hum
dred OF them. The impression Is out in
the state, largely thru the looseness of
the law in the past, that the phones
which are private property and merely
used for accommodation and social in
tercourse do not have to be reported.
Blanks for reports come back without
any statement as TO the number of
phones in use, but with the statementi
that the farmers own the. phones, each
one for himself But the law is rigidj