The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-12-09
EDUCATIONAL SUR
YEY COMMISSION

Concerning the discussion over the
Educational Survey, which resulted in
the resignation of II. d. Billinghurst,
member of the commission, for the
reason that the State University is not
included in the survey, President A.
w. Hendrick addressed the following
letter to the Nevada State Journal,
which was published in a recent issue
of that paper:
"December 6, 1915.
To the Editor of the Nevada State
Journal, Reno, Nevada.
Dear Sir:-
Since in your issue of Sunday, De-
eember 5th, you have addressed to me
public inquiry as to my views of
the function of the Educational Survey
commission, | beg to reply in the fol
| lowing open letter:
The act creating this commission, it
appears, has been construed in various
ways. As the preamble reads, the com
mission might be expected to consider
all educational agencies, both public
and private. As you will note, it does
rot say all state educational agencies,
but simply all educational agencies;
but the member of the House, who in
trodueed the bill for the act creating
the commission, has affirmed that at
no time did he have the University in
mind as included in its provisions, and
that at no time in the discussion of the
| bill in the Legislature was anything
said which implied such an inclusion.
In this situation, the commission
concluded after careful consideration,
that a survey of tse University by it
was not intended and emphasized this
conclusion by a very large affirmative
vote Personally, I understand the law
though broadly worded-was intend
ed by the Legislature to apply espe-
! cially to the rural schools. It was not
my understanding that the school sur
vey was to comprehend an investiga-
| tion of any particular schools, and
hence the commission would not be
making an investigation of the Reno
public schools as such, but only as
part of the school system.
As to ny own position in the mat
| ter, I would say, first of all, that in
my opinion that State University is
under a form of control which makes
4
and which enables the people of Neva-
da to inform themselves promptly and
] easily as to its conduct The board of
| regents is directly chosen by the peo-
pie, and there is in addition an hon
orary board of visitors, representative
of every county in the commonwealth,
! appointed by the governor. 1t lies
within the easy reach, therefore, of
! every voter and taxpayer to acquaint
/ himself with the administration of the
/ University in any particular, either by
direct approach or through an inquiry
addressed to either one of the boards
above mentioned. l venture to add,
| although it may seem quite unneces-
sary, an expression of my own willing
ness and desire that any question that
| arises in the public mind as to the
University should receive the fullest
public investigation.
| That / should take, however, an act
| i've part in the work of the commission
| in case and in so far as it proceeds to
/ survey of the University, raises a
| question of propriety which it seems
/ to me can be answered in only one way.
Manifestly ] could not properly par
| tieipate in such an inquiry. On the
/ other hand, | am always glad when the
people of Nevada give time to a con
| sideration of their State University,
since the result is invariably increased
recognition of its public usefulness
and a greater determination for its
adequate support. If there appears,
/ therefore, a general demand on the part
of the people that the University
should be included in the present sur
vey, and if the commission should de-
eide to undertake such a survey, ]
would say, speaking for the Universi-
| ty, that it would welcome the inquiry,
and for my own part would ask that
it be conducted by some special agency
so that neither / nor the executive see
retary of the commission (whose ser
vices the University has contributed to
its labors) shall he in any way con
neeted with the inquiry, since that
would necessarily lessen its significance
and value to the people.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) A. w. HENDRICK,
n ;