The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-15
SAYS "U' HAS COST
LESS THAN CAPITOL
AIumnus StartIes the Regents
by Comparison of State
Expenditure

At meeting of the university
regents c. ]. lockwood, an alumnus OF
the university, startled the board with
a statement to the effect that the total
cost of new buildings and the cost Of
maintenance since the beginning, paid
by the state, less the fees received
from students, was 100000 less than
the state has expended in its new state
capitol at st. Paul.
The statement caused something Of
a sensation at the meeting of the re-
gents. but its accuracy is disputed by
those who should know.
Il know nothing about the sources
of Mr.. Rockwood's figures" said Chair
man J. F. Jacobson of the state board
of control yesterday, but I am inclined
to doubt the accuracy of his state
ment"
IF this statement is true" said c. s.
Gould, of the board of control, "it is
news to me- The annual cost of main
tenance of the university is close to
100000. At this rate, nine years of
maintenance of the university would
pay the $4,500,000 that the new capitol
cost. This does not provide, in the
figuring, for the costly group of build
ing that fringe the campus at the uni
versity, nor for the forty years of its
existence"
Plan for Campus
Mr.. Rockwoods statement was made
at a conference of alumni of the uni
versity with the board of regents, at
which the alumni proposed a plan for
creating a campus for the university,
entirely free from buildings. The plan
suggested by the graduates of the uni
VerSity contemplateS removing the old
mechanic arts building and the engine
house at its rear farther back towards
the river and locating the main build
ing to be built next summer on its site.
The mechanic arts building is old and
the advocates of the plan say that the
removal of the engine house to a point
nearer the railroad tracks would even
tually pay for itself in the saving in
the cost of transferring fuel Located
on the railroad tracks, the item of haul
ing the coal would be saved.
The same general plan suggests the
grouping of the medical buildings on
the river banks, and the creation of a
natural park close to the river. The
estimated cost of moving the buildings
and buying the land is $150000.
If the campus is to be free from
buildings, the physics building, which
was originally located on its present
Site BECAUSE 1t was SAID lQdC a site
nearer the railroad tracks affected the
delicate electrical apparatus in the
building, will have to be removed. The
site now under consideration for the
main building, to replace the historic
structure destroyed in October, is on
the campus near it's University avenue
side, but there is objection by the
alumni to locating it on the campus.
Scheme Not Practical
while the alumni made a very
strong showing" said Elmer E. Adams,
an alumnus of the university who is
member of the board of regents, land
their plan has the merit that it would
preserve the symmetry and beauty of
the university grounds, to put it into
operation would cost an Immense
amount of money. do not believe that
it is practical now, and hence it will
never be practical, for the new build
ings must be erected as soon as posi-
BILE. The plan is much like Cass Gill
bert's scheme of state capitol ap-
proaches. 1t doubtless combines many
artistic considerations but 1t is scarce-
ly practical. The proposition was
therefore laid on the table.
Among the alumni present were:
Mayor-elect D. Percy Jones, of Minne-
apolis;s F. B. Snyder, W. F. Webster,
G. ]. lockwood and William Carroll.