The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-02-29
DEFENDS supT. CARY.

| In leuVeT W tLc "H" "unoC rEOS
Press T. ]. Neacy Of Milwaukee backs
Supt. Cary in his recent letter on the
University. Mr.. Neacy's letter, in
part, is as follows;
Taxpayers and others who keep il
touch with public affairs must have
found the discussion interesting that is
now on between the state superinten.
dent of schools and the president OF
the University of Wisconsin.
President Van Hise's last reply to
Mr.. Cary's third shot should anywhere
pass muster as piece of guileless
U. of w. literature; this much Of it,
for instance; SIT may be noted in
passing, however, that the state super
intendent in this letter takes stand
against progress by belittling research
and investigation for the advancement
of Knowledge, just as he did in previous
letters by arguing against the use Of
experts in matters of government"
The research" work and "expert"
service that President Van Hise lays
so much stress on as being part of
the work of the "fellows on the hill, "
as general thing, is on the same
plans and specifications of that render
ed to the city of Milwaukee in connec-
ton with the so-called milwaukee
Bureau of Economy and Efficiency"
A half score of professors and other
hangers-on of the U. of w. are named
on the roster Of the bulletins issued by
this so called bureau of economy.
These professors, according to the
vouchers on file in the city comptrol-
ler's Office, have drawn many thousands
of dollars from the funds of the city of
Milwaukee, and all the city has in ex-
change to show for this outlay is lot
of gossip tabulated from the depart
ments and issued in bulletins, favored
to suit the taste of the city administra-
ton.
There never has been more than
pretense to render expert service, and
what is more there is not anybody
in the roster who is not merely
long on theories; consequently, while
their work to date has cost the city of
Milwaukee lot of money it amounts
to no more than old paper.
President Van Hise, undoubtedly,
would like the public to surmise that
there is great demand for the pro-
fessors to act as experts in matters of
government, when, in truth there is
a scramble by the professors to secure
such jobs-some of the professors OBJ
tanning that way double the salary
they get from the university.
The conundrum is, how has this un-
seemly scramble for outside ''per
diem" jobs reached its present far
proportions without the
board of regents discovering that such
loose, unbusiness-like methods on their
part has not only robbed the univer-
sity of the services or these professors
for which they were engaged, but it
also demoralizes the entire force of
instructors, and is unjust to those who
give all their time to the work of in
1t has been rightly claimed that
much of the abnormal cost of running
the university is chargeable to this
outside work and double pay.
Therefore, one of the first things the
regents should cut out in connection
with the university is to permit no
one, from the president down, to take
contracts for outside work while on the
payroll of the university unless the
received for such ex-
plorations be turned into the univer-
sity treasury. We're this done it would
put crimp in the bogus demand for
experts. No man can honestly serve
two rival masters. The fact that the
university has increasingly run to seed
in extravaganza, is in large measure,
due to the professors being "for hire"
while the work at the university that
belongs to them to see to is neglected
or entrusted to others.
Another feature connected with this
per diem" double pay is, that it robs
its recipients of self respect, that they
seem not to appreciate the predica-
ment it places them in before the
public.