Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1914-06-18
UNIVERSITY REMOVAL
SHOWS fine WORK OF
PROFESSIONAL LOBBY
Agitation Brought to Front to
Shunt Public Interest From
Bona Eide Problems.

Lincoln. Neb., June 17.-Nebraska
people are using the initiative. Under
| mat provision OF the law the voters Will
pass upon two important questions. wo-
man suffrage and university removal.
| at the next election The campaign for
equal suffrage is already organized and
IN action. The question of university
removal Is being organized by Compel
eht men workers for and against the
removal proposition.
~ is proposed to remove the univer-
slty with its 1000 students. and it's Is
SUBSTANTIAL school buildings out into
tlle country, at OF near the state farm.
Where the state agricultural college is
located.
Up to four years ago, nobody con-
nected with the university had thought
ol abandoning the present campus Mo-
pouy mad thought of this until 1t was
mace an issue in the legislature four
Years ago Nor was the question raised
tlen by the friends Of the university.
Inc question was launched by a var
,ety OF special interests-the railroad
interest. the stock yards interests, the
llquor interests and insurance combine,
whose representatives thought out this
university removal scheme along with
! .iie scheme OF removing the state cap
,tol from Lincoln. not with the view of
having either of these scheme really
carried out. but to shift the clamor of
me press and the public from the regu-
iation of these special interests that did
not want to be regulated.
through the entire legislative ses-
SION OF Tour Years ago the shrewd lob
nSlsts held the legislators in dane
lng attitude of excitement and confu>
sion around the removal threats and
, Mheh the session was over, with no
,,'r,r,l 20 the special interests. the lobby
io'iIed with amusement at the success
ui the bluff that had frightened the
Lincoln people out OF their boots.
~ the succeeding meeting of the leg
lsialufe, two wears ago, it was agreed
DS inc lobby that the joke of removing
, a,,e state capital could not be played
asaln successfully. but that the re-
lnoVal OF the university would furnish
new and exciting topic.
Inc street car concern that could
MAKE 100000 year hauling the 1000
stuIents back and fourth from the in
la university. the big land owners
that could sell their lands ana their
plotted town lots to the state. could he
relied upon to attend to the matter of
organizing the fight and keeping it up.
Many times during the past years, in
olher states as we'll as Nebraska. the
lohg headed thinkers worked out such
pans as This to shunt the active public
1 mnrin aW way , from genuine problems.
l Durlhs the last session of the legisla-
, ,ure the members were pulled and
hauled and kept dancing from one end
OF the state house to the other, and
!ne newspapers and the public worked
in1o spasms of agitation. around the
,,nI removal question. They en-
listed. or drafted. or procured, one Of
1he university regents who Travelled to
number OF state universities and re-
turned with the report that he had paid
ms own expenses for the travel and
mat he had learned that the Nebraska
school must be removed. out on the car
me, out by the miles of plated lots.
out to the state farm.
Ihey got the active support of the
Omaha newspapers, got the outgoing
governor, who is interested in some of
the vacant lots got the legislature raz-
Iie -daZzled and finally got the removal
scheme submitted to a popular vote.
NOBODY seems to be especially inter-
ested in the removal except the travel
ing regent, who assures that he is nav
ing his own expenses.