Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-17

now govern the business methods Of the
board. the most rigid scrutiny prevails. No
contract for supplies of any kind. except Of
strictly an emergency character, is made
without competitive bids and these only
accepted upon direct authority of the
board, and this authorization being signed
by at least two members of a standing com
mittee. The vouchers for the yme
must be also signed by the members OF
the committee; these are filed In duplicate
with the secretary of state and auditor OF
public accounts. Under this system direct
authorization and responsibility is had.
Every item of expense is tabulated and the
vouchers filed with the officers named.
1t is eminently proper and absolutely
necessary that the public should be advised
Of all matters connected with the manage
ment OF the affairs OF the university, and
/ am sure I voice the feelings of the govern
ing board when / say 1t is their earnest
desire that every one should know exactly
what is being done.
When the Board o. Regents made their
estimates two years ago they entertained
the hope that the re-Naluation OF real estate
would add at last $4,000, to the fund for
1903. The legislature concurred in this view
and appropriated $4,000 to mmen the
construction of an engineering building. In
the early part of this year, the contract
for the erection of this building was let,
the contract price being just about 800, 900.
At the last meeting of the Board of Re-
gents, following the suggestion of the leg
~islature. they set apart 10000 from the in
creased revenue Of 1905 for the completion
Of this engineering building. Two years
ago there was 10000 reserved from the
temporary university funds for permanent
improvements on the state farm. The
woman's building, which houses the de-
partment OF home economics, has been
completed and equipped. A new boiler
house and stack, with heating and power
facilities, has been constructed and put into
operation, but it was found that the limit
OF 10000 was insufficient to do this and
also provide for other improvements which
were authorized by the last legislature, and
the regents have drawn upon the resources
OF the biennium now closing to the extent
of $13, 500 for a veterinary building, and also
$500 for much needed improvements On the
farm campus, comprising walks. drives,
grading and seeding and putting the build
Ing sites on the farm into presentable con-
ditions, and they hav ealso remodelled the
electrical plant on the city campus so that
llgnt ana power is transmitted 10 the state
farm.
Unfortunately in providing funds for all
these improvements, which were absolutely
needed, the regents have been. IN quite a
number of cases, unable to pay a sufficient
salary to keep intact its teaching staff, and
we AVE just lost four valuable men on this
account, two of which have gone to state
universities which rank far below our own
in matter of enrolment, and only by tho
most rigid economy have we been able to
find funds to hold several others who were
called at much larger salaries than we
were paying or could pay, and we have now
several heads OF departments who are stay
ing with the university. although it is at
a monetary loss Of from 500 to 500 per
year.
At the present time it is almost impossible
to house the students that are enrolled. The
department OF botany has about go on the
roll. DIT. Bessey's room will only hold
about half that number, and, at present,
he is working a double shift. The botanical
laboratory is crowded The same thing is
true in the department OF chemistry. the