Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-01
.S0L0NS SEEK A
PlANT0TAKEUP
SCHOOL FIGHT
Manner of Solving Knotty
Educational Problem is
Worrying Legislators
Anxious to Finish 1t.
lBY ORA WILLIAMS. |

Des Moines, Jan. 31.-Some decid-
edly knotty problems are ahead of
legislators in dealing with the college
controversy.
The first thing is to decide how to
get the matter fairly before the legis-
lature, and yet not open the door for
an unseemly wrangle nor yet to permit
|of an effort to overwhelm the legisla-
ture by crowded galleries and manu-
factured sentiment. Are there to be
lpxa,lic hearings? III SO, witD is to be
heard: WIFI they be in COMMITTEES
rooms or large halls?
The college resolutions are now in
the hands of the respective state edu-
|cational institutions committees of the
two houses where they may receive
full consideration. Joint meetings are
desired in some cases. 1t has already
been virtually decided that if hearings
are to be had, they must be in one or.
the other Of the legislative halls so
that all members of the legislature
may attend and be informed.
or course the state board of edu-
cation will be invited to appear and
|state just what is proposed in the
final working out Of the plans for CO
ordination of the state educational
institutions. A number of the mem
bers say that they do not know what
Is proposed and are in the dark as to
the meaning of some things. They
Will ask the board. the body designated
by law to have charge of the college
administration, to give report of it's
work.
Then. on behalf of the various reso-
lutions opposing the work of the board
and colleges, representatives OF the
various organizations formed for fight
ing the changes will be heard, There
have been from one to a dozen OF
these representatives on the ground
all the time. but they will be asked to
make their statements in public.
But what about college presidents,
members Of the faculty. and others
connected with the colleges? The
committees are in doubt as to whether
to invite them and put them to what
NAV be an embarrassment OF conflict
with their employers. -~--
Whatever is done will be done as
quickly as possible, for All the men,
bers want to get II out of the way as
soon as possible. representative Car.
son. Of Davis county who is not an
alumnus of either college. states that
in his opinion there will be some sort
of COMPROMISE offered that will set
tie the whole d'fT1culty without any
serious rupture. between the colleges
and the state authorities.
Now the entire matter Of state edl-
cational institutions is TO be handled
by the committee created for that pua-
pose. at least in the senate. and there
, will be no, longer an effort made to
divide the work of deciding on new
normal schools from that OF deciding
on the needs and rurposes Of the three
Estate colleges. Senator Arney, chair
man of the committee on educational
institutions, in moving that the normal
bills be all referred to his committee,
declared that unless the committee
was to have the bills which properly
belonged to it the committee should
he abandoned and plainly intimated
that it would do so. He gave assi,r-
ance that the committee is one which
will give fair consideration to all the
bills properly before 1t. Senators who
represent constituencies desiring nor
nal schools made haste to back up
and give assurance that they had con-
f'dence in the committee and would
have no objection to its acting. The
committee is in fact very strong one;
hut the significance of the action is
that it permits handling the entire
problem presented by the report of the
F, board of education by one committee.
w. O. Payne OF Nevada. who in times
past has been aggressiyely favorable
| to q redistricting Of the state for con-