The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-20
HE TALKS FREELY
OF STATE BOARDS
PRESIDENT NORTHROP DISCUSSES
MINI. AFFAIRS IN IOWA.
He Goes on Record as Preferring Pres
emit Board of Control to Threatened
Educational Board, but Prefers the
Board of Regents Plan Above All
Others.

President Cyrus Northrop Of the Min
nesota university gave an address at
Des Moines Tuesday, in which he dis
cussed the board of control idea in the
management Of the state university.
b iii i fof s neR to
a state. board Of education to take
charge of the educational institutions
of the state, and asserted that under
the present arrangement by the state
board of control and the regents, things
were working. satisfactorily to all par
ties concerned.
"The proposition to create state
board Of education in Minnesota is
outrageous he said. II regard the
proposal as degrading to the institu.
tions and degrading the educational
ideals. 1 believe that every educator
would so class it. l hope never to see
the system adopted.
"The board of control is reasonable
and the regents are reasonable, and tho
state university is being run on
strict business basis, as always. There
is but little friction under this arrange
ment. But it is clumsy contriyance
at best, and it is productive of no bene-
tit to the Institution that is percesptlble.
| 1t is true that we have learned some
| things from the board Of control.
Among others, we have discovered the
value of single purchasing agent. Pos
sibly 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 beard Of control
altogether.
ga board of regents of twelve mem.
bers has some advantages over board OF
control Of three members, for instance.
| On the latter, the member who is gull
ty of questionable things certainly
| Lo,v
portunity than on q larger board. It
ought to occur to any one, also, that
the larger board brings together in the
management of an institution more
ideas, more interests, broader field
| Of suggestion, and more competent
management than would be possible un-
der small board with multiplicity
Of duties.
"Moreover, it is proposed to make a
majority Of the board Of control con,
troll in the management Of affairs, and
majority of three would be two; and
since the board is n-nartizanFthat
is, bi-partizan-the control could well
become political in character.
"The board Of control Of charitable
institutions has as it's business, largely
commercial interests-the buying anl
selling of things, the purchase of fooe
and clothing for the thousands Of un
fortunates who are the wards Of the
state. That IS the business or the DOarc
Of control. But the university feeds nc
one; the university clothes no one
the university produces no articles Of
commerce to be sold to the best advan
tage; the university manufactures moth
ing to be disposed Of.
"And if there were board Of three
members to manage all Of the institu
tions, it is suggested that it might b.
supremely difficult to find men VIII
| would be cOmDetent not Only to man
age the business of the institutions il
superior manner, but also of the ex
perience and success in educational line
which would qualify them to be tn
heads Of. the very institutions the,
MANAGE