The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-20
President Barringer Is
Sustained by Vote
of z to 2.
MINORITY FILES
DISSENTING VIEW
Report Argues That Alumni
Should Not Have Put the
Board in Position of Trial
Court-Two Members Ask
for Priddy's Resigna-
ton.

BY vote OF to 0. after two
hour session consumed in reading
/ the majority and minority reports and
! in argument, the board of visitors of
| the Virginia Polytechnic institute yes
! terday dismissed the charges brought
| against President Paul b. Barringer
! by the welfare committee of the
| Alumni Association. The minority re-
port was rejected by the same vote.
| On the adoption of the majority re-
| port the vote was as follows:
!: Ayes--J. NJ. Barker, J. D. Eggleston.
| 1r., H. NJ, Smith, Jr, j. S. Musgrave.
! Peyton F. st. Clair, Charles G.. Kizer
| and J. Cullen Darlington
| Nays-R. j. Noel and Leslie D..
Kline.
The only absentee was L. e. John
! son. president of the Norfolk and
| Western Railway, who was detained at
| his home because of illness in his
| family. Mr. Johnson sent letter
concurring in the majority report. he
| being member of the committee ap-
| pointed to present It..
| Duties of board.
Nearly half of the report as adopted
| is consumed in An argument relative to
| the respective powers. positions and
| uut!es ol Tue OIL NlSltOTS anu
| organizations of the alumni. The board
takes the ground that upon 1t is i'm
! posed the duty OF general supervision
| of the affairs of the institution, and
! that with this duty comes a responsi-
| bility for the success or failure of its
! efforts.
/ This being the case, it is contended
| that the responsibility cannot properly
| be shared by others. When members
of a committee of alumni" the report
reads. ARE 10 be allowed to sit with
/ the board OF visitors, to aid in their
| deliberations and shape their decisions,
as was done at the meeting in. June,
| there Is evidence OF; ayconfusion OF
!, proper ideas. OF lass., * Snawlsdgs OF
proper procedure, and lack of conf
! dence in the board. together with
I a seeming desire to usurp delegated
authority, all OF which spell disorder"
| II is not denied that an educational
| institution is fortunate when it has a
! body of loyal alumni. devoting its time
! and thought to the interests of the
| school. But it is contended that the
| prerogatives of the board Of visitors
| and the fealty of an alunnus should
not be confused. If the argument OF
! the welfare committee that an
| alumnus is capable by reason of his
| experience student at arriving at
! a fair estimate of that which helps
| or hinders an institution, is sound
| says the report, then it is the students
| who are best qualified to dictate the
! government of the school.
/ Why Counsel Was Barred
1t has not been the custom in Vir-
/ sinia TO allow counsel before boards
of visitors of educational institutions,
states the report, this being the rea-
son for the refusal to allow attorneys
| for the welfare committee and for Dr..
Barringer to take part in the investiga.
| ton. AS to the exclusion of ex parte
evidence. it is argued that the intro
/ duction of atfidavits would have been
4 an injustice to the president.
The action of Chairman Lawrence
| Priddy, of the welfare committee, and
! his associates. in printing and cir
| culating the charges is much deplored
IF there is any spirit of unrest or
anxiety" it is said. "as to the V. P. L.
1t is largely due to this course. We
cannot but reach the conclusion that
a determined effort was made to force
1 public opinion. and adverse comment
I upon the institute before the investi-
| cation was held. 1t will take time and
patience TO i've this down. but 1t is
! hoped and believed that the institute
4 VIII CHiS' = Y VII 'AiS ~ SSliS dtloI
/ stronger and more useful
/ Only a few of the more mportan,
/ charges are dealt with In each case
no ground for criticism against Dr.
Barringer Is found. a caution Is
however given the students regarding
the publications In their college paper
.1he Tech" The report reminds
them that there are certain proprie-
ties which must be observed and Ger.
tain lines which cannot be passed
| With these admonitions the board
feels 1t proper to leave the matter
in tho hands of the proper committee
on publication
Report OF Minority.
The minority report signed by
| Messrs, Kline and Noel, is carefully
and conservatively worded. There is
no general comment nor criticism,
many of the charges being taken up in
numbered order With a statement rs
| to each. These charges include moi
! only those which We're admitted us
I, evidence at the investigation. but also
1 Others which We're excluded on The
/ ground that they had been previousl,
disposed of.
1t Is stated as fact in the minority
| report thar during the present admin.
istration at Y. r., I. there has beenSt
/ decline in the number of students anG
4 noticeable waning of the esprit dc
a CORPS, Sales of tuberculous cattle ant
infected hogs are mentioned, The pay.
ment Of claim to Mr., Bell, loca
| farmer for which The college received
nothing, is characterized as due to q
lack Of proper organization in the
agricultural department.. AS to thu
/ DR., Quick claim. II Is said that thI,
officer, who did some work for ths
L,nited states ESperiment station
i should and would have been paid on
i of government fundsSif his claim hat
sIsbeen audited and presented In time
4 and that the loss fsthis money "A wa.
\ due ia failure TO observe ordinary bus
4 mess rules
Rather serious is one OF the state
4 isments, regarding which tho minorit,