Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-19
SEEK TO AVOID VOTE IN LEGS.
LArURE ON DIRECT CUES.
TON At ISSUE.
REVIVE EFFORT TO SECURE
APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSION
Sentiment Of Legislature Certain to Be
Against Condemnation Of State
Board Composed Of College Presi.
dents, Attorney General and Others.
Special to Times-Republican.

! Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, FEB. 19.-Oppcnents of
the state educational institutions have
again revived the plan Of avoidance Of
a direct showdown on the college
( controversy by the creation Of a COM
! mission 10 determine ana report on the
| whole question OF the scope and func-
tions Of the state university, the teach
ers' college and the state college. There
does nos seem TO be very much doubt
now that If there is insistence on a
vote Of the legislature conGennirg the
state board of education and ordering
e reversal Of the action taken, II will
fail. and the belief also is gaining
ground that no matter what is done it
Will not be final settlement
Il is because of this that tue move
,nent has been revived for temporary
commission OF investigation. The house
committee on state edrca rionai
institutions has before il bill! which,
would create the commission. II will
be put thru the house first, since the
attitude Of the house is more clear than
that Of tie senate. The board Of edu-
{ Cdi4CII Wa. oppose lce Dlii.
The bill would place the matter in
! the hands OF q commission consisting
of the presidents OF the three colleges.
the attorney general and five named
ty the governor a year and a half
Of Investigation and inquiry would pro-
ducs a report, So it is stated, that
would command the confidence Of the
people.
Legislatures intentions Plain.
In the various and surdry lobby dis
cussions OF the college controversy by
members Of the legislature, the asser-
ton has been frequently made that the
Legislature never had in contemplation
at any time. nor any of the legislative
leaders, that the single board plan for
the state educational Institutions would
ever result in serious effort TO cur
tail Implications a. the college. Some
Of the older members Of the senate,
whose memories still serve them well,
caused to be dug out OF the session re-
ports evidence bearing on this Gues-
ton.
They found that there was entered
in the journal OF the senate On March
IS, 1904, the following report from the
visiting committee to the state uniyer-
sity. consisting OF Hon. Frank l. May
tag, their chairman Of the senate ap-
prop,iationS committee, and Hon,
Frank F. Jones, chairman OF the honse
appropriations committee. now a Lead
Ing member OF the state senate, ana
that similar report was signed py i
visiting committee that went to A!nes,
except as to the last paragraph, oE
George W. Durham, A. w. Buchanan
and P. H. Gregory. The report adopted
and made OF record was:
Your committee after an earnest
enGeavor to get an understanding OF
the needs Of this school; to understand
the magnitude OF the enterprise, botn
in its work and expenditures. to know
what has been done for the school by
the state in the way of appropriations
and by the school Inanag eMent IN car
rying out the promises made and plans
proposed, have become firmly con-
WINGED that no legislature or commit
tee thereof can. in the short time al
lowed for that purpose, become so con-
ve-sant with the workings Of the in
| s,i,utions, with its actua! present
pressing needs. or form suca judgment
Of its probable growth and future
needs, IS to be able to safely iegisiate
for il in the MISTER Of appropriations.
Definite Aims Sought.
1--WE believe in the interest OF the
! -axDave-s of the state and its educa :
sional institutions. there should be
! chosen q competent board Of manage
nent for the three state educational
institutions, in whose hands snouic be
placed their financial management;
o.
will De possible TO expend the moneys
Of the state more judiciousiy than mas
heretofore been done: that only uncer
such management can the most urgent
need be known and met. and eacn IN
stiIurion ne assured KS fair and ap-
propriate share of the state money to DO
the work it should do.
1--WE believe that such management
will ultimately do away with mucii
unnecessary duplication in work and
unnecessary expenditure OF the state
appropriation for EDUCATIONAL ihstltu-
tons on proper basis. We GO there
fore heartily recommend the estao-
fishing and appointment OF sueh j
board.
For the engineering department. 1t
is the judgment Of your committee that
10 buildings should be erected and tnas
the department should be discontinued
entirely, for the reason that We nave
at Ames, one of the finest engineering
halls in the country, and We beheVe
that all expenditures in this line should
be concentrated in one place"
This report is the basis Tor the ac-
ton taken which led to the investiga-
tion and final report on which the new
state board of education was founded.
At that time leading members OF the
legislature saw clearly how impossible
it was for the legislature. itself to ar
rive at any complete understanding OF
these institutions. and attention was
called to the beginning then being
mace of the policy In duplication In
work and expenditure.