The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-08
PRIEST. NORTHROP
GIVES HIS VIEWS.
MAKES FAVORABLE IMPRESSION
r.. ON THE LEGISLATORS.
Addressed Committee of Legislation in
Favor of Bill to Remove the Univer-
sity and Normal Schools from Board
of Control System-L. w. Leavitt
Makes Reply.

President Cyrus Northrop Of the uni
versity made deep impression at the
public hearing last evening, before the
house committee on general legislation.
He spoke in favor of the bill to remove
the university and normal schools from
the board Of control system, and he
spoke with a feeling that carried con-
viction.
~ have put the best twenty years Of
my life into this university" he said,
"and I don't want to see, the work OF
my life and this great educational in
stitution destroyed by penny-wise and
pound-foolish policy. 1t is not q
education. Under the present. system,
with a twoheaded monster ever lowering
over the university, professors and stu
dents alike are downhearted and dis
couraged by the obstacles that arise. /
have no desire to say unkind things OF
the board Of control members, but the
have fniH the T heart in my work that had
before this mongrel system was thrust
upon us. Why this rope about the neck
Of the un1versity9
"Education need dis an, atmosphere OF
in research, searching for facts that
only God and time can disclose, does not
want to be stopped because it takes six
months to get an article that costs half
dollar. If this system is continued
our faculty will dwindle away. We Will
lose our best men and our scholars win VIII
en6hgh to seek good professors, pay
them adequate salaries and treat them
properly.'
President Northrop referred to the
whispered stories Of "graft' in con-
nection with the board Of regents, and
spoke with deep feeling. 81 have
heard these stories only today he
said. ~ have heard it said that one
member has determined to vote against
the Perley bill because he has been
told that under the old plan there was
graft for the regents. / have been a
member of the board Of regents for
twenty years. I have been a member
Of the executive committee for most Of
!, these years, and also clerk Of the COM
mittee. have taken down the proceed
, mittee has held, and I am here to say
that not a cent has been improperly
diverted by the regents. And now to
circulate these stories to win votes
against the university is Infamous"
j. I. Wyman1, president OF the board
the dual system. He said it was like
having bank with two presidents.
Direct evidence Of the hampering in
f1uence of the board of control on the
!, educational work of the institution was
, given by several members of the uni
! Versity faculty. Henry F. Nachtrieb
of the department of animal biology
told Of exasperating delays in securing
= chemicals and apparatus needed fol
y their work. Harry Snyder of the ex.
a perimental station gave some instances
- and said that the government appro
. I. priation of $4,000 for the agricultural
school was in danger Of being forfeited
by reason Of the board of controls sys
TEN of bookkeeping.
i DR.. T. S. Westbrook, state bacteri
I ologist, explained the Importance Of Sc
d curing supplies promptly for their work
: S. w. Leavitt Of the board of control
e made a sharp reply to the talks of the
university people. He declared that the
It board had intended to be neutral, but
3. was forced to defend it's position. HI
n made the direct charge that Dean Lig
/ gett of the agricultural school had beer
d against the board of control issued twt
n years ago. He complained Of the at
q tacks made on the board by universit,
IS publications, and inspired by member
of the faculty. He said:
There are some heads Of department
that have sat up nights studying how t
throw hindrances in our way and to pre-
vent our success. Some of them hav
spoken here tonight. If there had bee
the same cooperation between the head
Of the departments and the board Of con
troll, as with the board Of regents, ther
would have been less friction.
I believe in free speech, but 1t shout
be limited. 1t is time to call a halt whe
students in their papers and meetings al
attacking publicly a department Of tt
state. Some Of this talk about the boar
es, has come from the very shadow of til
H. university. Methods have been employe
,le to get out from under the supervision
is the board Of control that are simply di.
nd honorable.
U.s. The board Of control has tried to prt
it, tect the state against grating If y
Ills have found some employees drawing tv
mt salaries, we have cut off one of them, v
have arbitrarily cut out few things, b
led only in cases where we thought it W.
lat wise to do So Where we have made a. G.
ain of any kind, it was because we did n
an have the money. It Is honor enough f
nal the board Of control to bring the instit,
i'm ton thru without a. deficit. If the boa,
IAN Of regents would cut out some of t
egs dead timber in the faculty, a saw,
would be accomplished and make the un
ain versty a better institution. They ha
in teachers there that have passed the
usefulness.
ERR srN No action was taken by the comm
e 80, tee last night.