Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-10-18
President of the University of
Minnesota Opposes Educa-
tional Board of Control
SAYS 1T DEeRADEs INSTITUTIONS
President Northup Thinks Ut is a
Clumsy Continuance and That the
Regent Plan for Each Institution is
Far More Satisfactory to All Con-
cerned.
cerned.

educational institutions of Minnesota;
and he believes that Iowa would make
a mistake were it to adopt the idea
which has taken form in this state ana
concerning which a legislative com
mission is now making careful and
painstaking investigation with the eX-
pectation of making recommends
,tion to the next legislature on which
such a system may be predicated, II
the report turns out to be favorable.
THE proposition is an outrage
Gus thing" said President Northrop at
the Slavery yesterday.
There has been a little talk of 1T
in Minnesota, it is true, but know OF
no movement which indicates that the
idea has any considerable strength. l
have been told that in Iowa there is
a movement toward such an end.
81 regard the proposal as degradfn
to the institutions and degrading the
educational ideals. believe that every
educator would SO class it. l hope
never to see the system adopted"
In Minnesota there is a board OF
control of charitable institutions adj
ministering q system somewhat SINH
lar to that on which the institutions OF
this state are managed. The original
bill provided for placing under the
board of control the charitable 1nsti-
tutions Of the state. A member OF the
legislature from county in which
such an institution was located. seek
ing to kill the bill, offered an amend
ment including the educational insti-
tutions, counting that the friends OF
these would rally and defeat the meas
ure, but they did not do So The
measure passed in that form.
But the title to the act still covered
only the charitable institutions. The
question was as to whether this would
cover the educational institutions also,
the constitution requiring the title OF
an act to include all of its purposes.
The five normal schools of Minnesota
supposed that they We're included in
the scope of the new statute and be-
gan to observe it's provisions, affecting
them, on that basis. The state uni
versity did not do so. Within few
weeks the normal schools became rest
i've. Finally they appealed to the
courts to determine whether the title
of the beard of control act was suf-
fcient to include the educational as
well as the charitable institutions. The
court decided that the title was broad
enough to cover both and that the act
was valid, so far as that was concern
ed.
But the act specifically provides that
tho o11tknyIfv of tho hoard NJ
shall extend only to the bills of the
educational institutions and that the
board shall have no authority as to the
educational work of the institutions,
as to the choice Of instructors, as to
the fixing Of salaries Of instructors;
but the bills incurred by the institu-
tons for suprles must be approved by
the board .rol.
After Il been declared con-
stit4tions. .!uca tional institu-
tions went legislature to secure
the passage OF an act which would
specifically exempt them from the OPP
Grafton of the board of control statute.
The house passed such measure, the
senate passed one similar but not iden-
teal, the board Of control and the gov
ernor each urged the legislature to pass
such measures, and the institutions
themselves wanted out. But the as
sembly had a controversy as to one
point, and the houses failed to pass
Identical bills, so that the original
board OF control act still stood.
The board Of regents of the State
University then decided to place the
institution under the board of control
law, so far as 1t was thought to ap-
ply. The institution has been working
that way for a year or so. 1t is rea-
sonably satisfactory.
"The board is reasonable" said DR..
yesterday, "and the regents
are reasonable, and the institution is
being run on strict business basis, as
always There Is but little friction
under this arrangement. But it is a
clumsy contrivance, at best, and 1t is
productive of no benefit to the insti-
tuition that is perceptible. 1t is true
that we have learned some things from
the board of control Among others
we have discovered the value Of sin
gle purchasing agent. Possibly we
would have discovered this on our own
motion. but we now know the value of
such an agent, and we expect to retain
that idea. If finally we are released
from the board Of control altogether.
"There are five normal schools, and
the university in Minnesota. The uni
and the agricultural college are
definitely and permanently solidihed.
number Of years ago an effort was
made to separate the institutions, but
It failed. II was bitter fight. They
charged that the university was not
giving the attention to instruction in
agriculture that that interest deserved.
Why, twenty years ago there was no
scientific agriculture: today it is a
science and may be taught as any 9TH
er science.
"The board OF regents of the univer-
sity is composed Of the governor, the
Of public instruction,
and the president of the university. as
members ex-officio. and the other nine
members are appointed by the gov
amor. ] have been with the institution
twenty years. and I know of but one
charge Of questionable conduct having
oeen lodged against a regent. and that
was many years ago. and did not per-
tain to his official duties as a regent.