The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-24
Inquiries Whether They Author.
lied Templin Letter.
HAS NO FOUNDATION.
No Necessity for Refusing Stu.
dents Admission.
Calls Attention to the Increase
in Appropriations.

Duke today TO Dean Templin and GER
tain other members of the Kansas
university faculty for alleged fault
finding with the legislative appropria-
tions for the universit-- fol the next
two fiscal years. The governor has
sent to the board of regents of the
big school a letter demanding to know
on what and by whose authority the
statement was given out that 500 Kan
sas young men and womeE would have
to be refused admission to the uni
versity next fall because of lack of
funds.
The governor regards the statement,
credited to Dean Templin, as most
serious reflection, both on the state
and the university, as it puts the uni
Versity in the attitude of refusing ad-
mission to students. children of the
men who pay the taxes to support the
institution. The governor intimates
rather definitely that the university
belongs to the people of the state and
not to the faculty and the legislature
voices the peoples will when it makes
the appropriations for the school and
the faculty has nothing else to do but
do the best they can with the money
allowed. The governor also tells the
faculty that there is no legal way to
refuse admission to any students who
apply and who are properly qualified
for entrance
The governor in his letter, a copy
of which was sent today to all the
regents wants to know if there is any
officer in the Institution who would at
tempt to say that the $500, 600 increase
in appropriations for maintenance in
four years was not sufficient to take
care of the 400 estimated increase in
attendance and he also would like to
know who and by what right anyone
has any authority to refuse admission
to students to the university
The Governors Letter.
The governors letter follows:
To the Board of Regents of the Kan
sas University, Lawrence, Kan:
Gentlemen-My attention has been
called to an article, which has had
wide publicity in the newspapers
throughout the state, which says:
During the next two years about 800
young men and women graduates Of
preparatory and high schools of Kan
sas will be prohibited the right OF Sc
curing a higher education in the states
free educational Institutions
This article is based on certain state
ments made by Dean Templin after
conference of the heads of the schools
of the university called by Chancellor
Strong to consider the policy of the
school in the expenditure of the ppro-
priations granted by the last Iegis-
lature.
Please advise me if this statement
was issued by any one authorized to
-ent the university III matters L
this kind. If it was so authorized kind
lv advise upon what foundation such
statement was based.
1t is, indeed, a most serious charge
against a great commonwealth to say
that the doors of its greatest institu-
tion of learning shall be closed to any
hoy or girl who aspires to better equip
himself or herself for the battle of life.
The good name of both the state and
the university are involved in this mat
ter and will be injured both at home
and abroad If this statement is per-
Initted to stand unchallenged.
There was an appropriation made by
the last legislature of $4,000 each for
the years 1912 and 1918 for repairs, i'm
provements and upkeep of the univer-
sity grounds. The item for $4,000 for
1918 was vetoed by the governor which
left an average of $4,000 a year for the
above purposes for each of these years,
which in my opinion is ample appro-
priation to take care of the actual
needs of the institution for these pur
poses.
has had generous appropriations during
the last two sessions of the Legislature
and that the newspaper article, and the
statement upon which the article was
based, is not in any way justified by
facts.
Increase in Allowance.
The appropriations for maintenance
and repairs in 1908 and 1909, includ-
ing fees, amounted to approximately
$59O,000 and the total appropriations
available for the same purposes in
1912 and 1913 are $935,870. 1t will
thus be seen that on the basis of the
appropriations made by the last leg
isIature. after dedacting the $4,000
which was cut out by the governor,
the university still has $345,O00 more
money for the years 1912 and 1913
than it had to defray the expenses
during the two years ending June 30
190S and 1909.
There was a total enrolment of
2.21O students attending the univer-
sity at the close of the school year in
1909. During the last two years the
attendance has been increased by SO
students in 1910 and "a students in
1911 If this rate of increase is main
tained for two years more there will
be approximately $500 students in the
university at the close of the school
year in 1913 which is 400 more stu
dents than the enrolment in 1909.
Will any officer or responsible per-
son in authority at the state university
undertake to say that one-third of a
million dollars increase in appropria-
tions made by the last legislature is in
sufficient to provide instruction for
400 additional students which it is es-
timated will attend the university dur
ing the next TWO years, tnlS estimate
being based on a comparison with the
1909 enrolment?
If there is any authority vested. in
any officer of the state university to
refuse admission to any Kansas boy or
girl to that institution 1 shall be
pleased to have you advise me by
whom and in whom this authority is
vested.
The State university is as near to
my heart as any institution in Kansas.
but the university belongs to the state