New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-06
NEARING CASE
CAUSES U. OPP.
FACULTY INQUIRY
investigation Into Tenure
of Office of instructors
Ordered.
PROVOST SMITH
REPLIES TO NEARING
Saws There Was No Idea OF
CURLING Free Speech or lnjur-
ing Professor Personally.

-r-,r- s.,- Co--c,pord.r. - Ths Tribune
Philadelphia, Oct. 5.-The faculty OF
the University Of Pennsylvania to-
night took its first official action IN
the situation growing out Of the dis
missal last spring Of DR.. Scott Nearing
bv the trustees because OF his out
spoken radicalism. To-night's action,
in the opinion OF Or. hearings adj
herents, while apparently conservative,
IS really a direct approach to the heart
Of the free speech controversy. II was
In Tho form Of a resolution calling for
the a9pointmeut of a faculty committee
OF eleven 20 investigate the tenure Of
Office of instructors at other universi-
ties.
Ii is hoped 20 determine the question
as TO whether college professors are on
The same basis I'm the matter Of their
crIplovment as hired man who can be
dismissed al the whim Of his boss. lhls
question was raised some time ago by
DR.. Liehtuer Wilmer in an open letter
addressed 90 the officers Of instruction
az the university
Wilmer Letter on Case.
In his letter Dr. Wilmer allied on the
faculty 20 test by law the right OF the
trustees 90 drop Dr.. Nearing. lie said
the onc-year contract, the form under
which DR.. Nearing was engaged, was
aDparently a subterfuge and a subven-
aoa Of the clear intent Of the univer-
sitv charter. Nobody seemed 20 know,
he declared. when the rules and regu-
iations of the board of trustees were
adopted or to meet what contingencies,
and the Interpretation Of the rules IN
the Nearing case reduced an officer oil
instruction TO the status OF a day
laborer.
me charter Of the university, Dr..
Wilmer ccntended. contemplated no
other kind Of appointment than one
for an indefinite term in the cases OF
instructors, and provided only one
method of dismissal from office. mat
method. he said was that due and
timely notice Of such intended removal
shall at all times be given, and that
no person or persons shall at any time
be removed at the same meeting IN
which such removal shall be proposed.
Report at Next Meeting.
DR.. Wilmer was present at to-night's
meeting. which was held IN College
Hall behind closed doors, but he took
no part In the discussion. The resoiu-
ton was introduced by Professor L.
A. Singer and was unanimously
adopted. it calls for a report at the
next monthly meeting
The unanimity Of the vote By the
faculty" one Of the members said. rs
significant. 1t shows that we are of
one mind that TIE time has come to
settle the nature of a professors EN-
The trustees have not made
themselves clear as TO what their att,
tude on this matter is. John c. Bell
and DR.. White have issued statements
on the Nearing case, but they have
not cleared up the situation. The
board Of trustees meets next Monday,
and maybe something definite will
come out Of that"
Il is at this meeting that the petit
ton signed by 1900 students, asking
for DR.. Nearing's reinstatement Will
be presented to the trustees.
No Stir from New Incident.
The withdrawal Of James II. r. Crom-