, 1908-03-28


mission have received the careful at
%tention of the board. The governor of
the state was asked to attend the
board meeting when the commission
report was considered. He assured
the board as vacancies occurred 1t was
his purpose to appoint members so as
to gradually make the board non-par-
tisan. At the last meeting of the
board a local member moved that a
committee be appointed to revise the
bylaws of the board, with special at
tention to be given to clearly outlining
the functions and duties of the presi-
dent of the university and the respect
i've functions of the executive COM
mittee and the board of trustees. The
president of the university has been
requested to confer with this commit
tee in its revision of the bylaws.
The president of the university has
not been asked to resign by the board,
neither at the meeting of December,
1907, nor February, 1908. At the for
mer meeting, when the president was
present, the statement was made to
him that for one who held an as hon
ored position as he occupied II was
only just hat he should receive some
consideration, and in view of this,
that a straightforward statement of
facts was the only right and inst
method of procedure; that the presi-
dents administration had not been a
success If was so recognized and com.
mented upon over the state: if a
change we're to be made in the execu-
tive head of the Institution, the present
time was the proper one TO discuss the
question thereby giving the president
plenty of time to quietly seek other
fields. At the February meeting he was
not asked to resign. although there
was more than a majority in favor of
making a change in his Office.
The participation of a part of the
faculty in this question of a change
of president has caused unnecessary
agitation, and INSTRUMENTATION, and
interference in executive matters by
some of the faculty. These acts of in
reference are censured by the presi-
dent lei opposed to his purposes;
endorsed when unlawfully used to his
end.
Further, last June the secretary of
the board, at the nnual meeting,
asked to resign, if it would in any
way help the university and the ad-
ministration, or solve to any small de-
gree any real c" imaginary difficulties.
The board unanimously refused to
consider the proposition. The presi-
dent was at the meeting and made no
protest or objection to the action of
the board. Again, in point of fact, he
testified before the investigating com
mittee, in July, that the secretary had
in no way interfered with his duties
or h progress Of the university.
The accusation of graft made by Mr..
Morton last wear vas disproved by ties.
timony presented to the investigating
commission. Other attempts have
been u~nsuccessfully made to prove that
the funds of the university have not
been properly administered During
the scholastic year 1856 part of the
salary of the president of the univer-
sity. and also of two professors. was
paid out of the Morrill, or agricultural
fund this money coming from the fed
eral government. which restricts the
expenditure thereof to certain specific
purposes. When the annual report
was made. June 30. 1896. and sent to
Washington for approval for this fund,
the sum of So .S25 was not approved,
because the purposes for which it
was spent were not within the mean
ing of the law as interpreted under a
recent ruling of the department at
Washington. Expenditures made and
approved by the Washington depart
ment for the years 1S94-5 were used
for identically the same purposes as
those of 1856. which were rejected.
The new departmental ruling govern
ing the expenditures had not been
brought to the attention of the univer-
sity authorities. The money was not
misspent. but spent from a wrong
fund. The salaries were earned, the
money appropriated, at the annual
meeting of the board: there was a re.
ceipted bill for each expenditure. Had
the state income ak yielded as large
an income then as now. the items
could have been transferred to the
state fund and money spent from that
fund rather than having had 10 90 To