Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-09-23
University Regent Talks About
the Board of Control For
Educational Institutions
REGENTS WILL NOT OPPOSE 1T
Thinks the System Has Many Good
Points, but Power of the Executive
of Each Institution Should Not be
curtailed and Given to An Outsider
State News.

board OF control" said Judge Babb, the
First district member Of the board OF
regents of the State university, in Des
Moines yesterday. "But l also can
conceive of an administration any
thing but ideal on the part of such
a board. 1t depends on the kind OF
board, the kind Of law under which
| it is acting and the system that it "a
| dopts. So, you see, it is impossible
| to say what one thinks of the broad
proposition of board Of control for
the educational institutions, without
stopping to consider some of the con-
ditions and details.
| MIR. Berryhills idea, understand
| is to have board of control Of three
| members, or whereabouts, and elective
! by the people. Now that does not ap-
peal to me as being a satisfactory ar
rangement. I do not believe the peo-
pie would indorse the proposition; and
believe that the alumni would OPP
pose it bitterly. 1t would throw the
institutions into politics. on the spot.
Certainly no one would indorse that.
Zone of the claims made for the
institution of the new system is that
it will tend to remove rivalry and COM
petition between the states colleges.
1t is not valid reason. Competition
among the institutions for students is
an excellent thing, and 1t tends to keep
up the spirit of loyalty among alumni
which is something not to be discount
ed among the influences for the up
building of the institutions.
"No, the fact is that the source OF
all of the agitation for the establish
ment Of a board of control system in
Iowa is the objection which members
Of the legislature have conceived to
what they call lobbying on the part
of the officers of the institutions for
suitable appropriations. That is the
origin of the agitation. During the
debates last winter the legislature, in
some instances, bitterly assailed the
officers of the Institutions for appear
ing before the assembly to ask for
money. 1t was an essential duty. The
idea has grown that If the institutions
were all managed by the same body
the legislature would not be petitioned
for large sums of money and that
there would be no log rolling etc.
am quite certain that if there had not
been this so-called lobbying before
the legislature, and which was abso-
lutely necessary, there would never
have been any force in the agitation
for the establishment of the single
board of control for the three. That
may be a sufficient reason for the
adoption of the new and totally UNI
tried scheme of management for the
higher educational institutions of the
state, but it does not appeal to every
one, perhaps. in that light"
Judge Babb referred to the fact that
the principal business of the board of
control in charge of the penal and
charitable institutions of the state re-
lates to business matters, exclusively.
He did not develop this idea, but it is
apparent that the boards time is ia
ken up with the purchase of supplies
for the institutions, the management of
the $4,000 acres of land owned by the
state and valued at about 100000, the
conduct of the industrial plants con-
nected with the institutions, and other
business matters relating purely to in
come and production. The educational
institutions have no inmates to feed,
clothe and house; no farms to manage
economically and till diligently, no in
dustrial plants to compete CONNER
cially' with private enterprises. In
other words, the thought is that the
business of the two classes of insti-
tutions is wholly dissimilar.
The reference was made to this sub
ject in the course of remarks about
the necessity and desirability of at
tempting constantly to employ three
men in the management of the institu-
tons.
Men Probably Needed.
cit would seem to be entirely use
less to enlist the time of three men in
the work, if such board were estab-
lished," said Judge Babb. Certainly
they would find some difficulty in find
ing work to do to keep them all busy.
A much more reasonable and effective
plan would be to create board of
| nine members, or perhaps one from
| each congressional district, the board
| to hold stated meetings and to have
a secretary whose time would be
wholly employed in the performance
of his duties at an office at the state
| house, perhaps. There should be an
active executive committee in charge
| of the work of the board. Certainly
the legislature would hesitate about
stripping from the presidents of the
| institutions all of the power and dis
oretion which now is vested in them
as experts, and for which they are paid
large salaries.
ut is we'll known, 1 suppose, tina
the board of control of the presen
institutions has highly Endorsed the
financial management of the univer.
| sity for example. 1t is given the
power to inspect the financial affair;
Of the educational institutions. It has
highly complimented the university
This was presented to the last legis-
| latura, if I remember correctly, by
| some of those who We're favoring the
institution.
"And / have just been Informed thai
the state university has purchased its
coal supply for the current year al
prices cheaper than those paid by the
board of control for the other institu-
lions. Judge I<inne of the board TOLD
me the price that the board paid fol
it's supply for the ensuing year today
and it is higher than the regents have
paid for coal for the university This
is an indication Of the careful fnancia
management of the institution"
No Fight Against 1t.
Judge Babb said that he knew o.
no organized fight against the estab.