The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-04-02
one SCHOOL HEAD
FOR ENTIRE STATE.
Efficiency Commission Recommends
That Superintendent Have Charge
of Executive Functions
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Would Have Nothing to do With Re.
gents of University-Both Should
Agree on Matters of Importance

St. Paul, April Especial to the
Pioneer)-While the constitution
seemed for a moment to put some hin
drance in the way, it is believed that
the Educational Commission and the
educational group of the Efficiency
Commission have worked out be-
tween them plan by which the state
educational system from the alphabet
class to the postgraduate course may
work in rhythemic harmony and
carry out from one end to the other
President Vincent's favorite policy of
team play.
The constitutional question was
simply his-that when the state in
it's fundamental law declared that
the university, as it had been, should
be the state university in perpetuity,
it incidentally provided, as any good
lawyer will tell you, that the re-
gents should be the governing body
of the university. Not but that the
regents can be modified in turn
For example, the very first state leg
islature changed the membership
from twelve members elected by the
legislature to three ex officio and nine
appointed by the governor And
since then various legislatures have
told the regents that they must pro-
vide a course in Scandinavian Ian
guages and literature; that they
must make the state treasurer their
treasurer; that they must also buy
their coal from the board of control;
ad other similar instructions.
Not Distrub Regents
So that it is plain that the regents
govern the university and the legis-
lature governs the regents. There
fore, the conference of these two
bodies has agreed to recommend that
the general supervision of the state
educational system shall be under a
state board of education, which shall
appoint the state superintendent, and
put in his hands all the executive
functions that have to do with the
common schools and the normal
schools of the state. That leaves the
regents to govern the university I'M
disturbed, but when any question
arises affecting common interests,
then it is proposed that these two
boards shall be required by law to
confer. The law may prescribe that
their decisions shall be binding on
both bodies but it is not necessary
that it shall. If two bodies of rea-
sonable men are required to meet and
thresh out a subject that lies be-
tween them, it is not to be supposed
that they will fail to reach an agree
ment, or that when an agreement is
reached either body would forsake it..
The recommendation seems to have
the unanimous support of the Educa-
tional Commission and of the mem
,bers of the Efficiency Commission
who took part in the conference, ex-
cept that John A. Hartigan of St.
Paul, who is a member of both bodies
was firm in his opinion that unifica-
ton should go further and would
have preferred a constitutional
amendment, if necessary, to make the
university part of the same fabric
as the rest.
The policy of both sides, however,
has been to accomplish what can be
done without resorting to agitation
for changes in the constitution and
it is the belief of the majority that
substantially everything that is
wanted will be accomplished by free
and open discussion around table.
Working Together
''In the last few years." says C. P.
Craig chairman of the Efficiency
commission, '4the clash between the
different members of the states edu-
cational system has disappeared
They are working together now. We
believe they will continue to work
together. We believe they are
ready to agree on all things for the
best interests of the state. That all
that need be done is to provide a
place where they can come to an
agreement"