The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1917-09-14
at least for the present.
Suits to Recover
University Property.

university property.
am sorry to be unable to say that
a favorable outlook is promised for
the suits filed to ascertain the status
of the leases, made by the Trustees
of the University number of years
ago, covering certain lands, lying east
of the Illinois Central Railroad
belonging to the University I
fear that the University will be de-
prived of much of this valuable prop
erty for many years, some of it per-
haps fifty years. In many instances
the records were lost and there has
been much difficulty in getting a
chain of the leases. For example Bill
! Jones would secure a lease from the
Trustees for fifty years; Jones would
sell this lease to John Doe whereupon
Doe would go before the Board and
get an additional fifty years on the
porperty when perhaps the first lease
had only run ten years. The leases
were made for practically nothing.
In my report to this Board under
date of June 10, 1918, / stated that
had gone over this property and
estimated the total value of the i'm
provements at $153,05O for which
the University was then erceiving the
small annual rental of $347.60. You
gentlemen understand that those who
occupy homes built on these leases
pay no state, county or municipal
taxes. The cases that have been
heard in the lower courts are now
pending in the Supreme Court and
in the event that tribunal should de-
eide adversely to the University. then
the matter should receive Legislative
attention. The law-making body of
our state should be able to find some
way by which these tangles of leases
can be straightened. Certainly the
youth of the state should not indef-
initely be denied the use of this prop
erty for the University.
Practice School at l. l. & c.
The practice school at the Indus
trial Institute and College has seven
grades. ! can see no necessity for
thus instructing free of charge chill
dren in and around Columbus. Three
grades in my judgment are all that
are necessary to teach teachers how
to teach. If it be conceded that sew
en- grades are essential, then why not
eleven?
Reports from College Heads.
wish to say that have already
gone over carefully the reports and
Recommendation of the College heads
and can assure you that, except in a
very few instances, you may feel no
hesitancy in giving them your approx
al.
Better Business Methods and
Better College Spirit.
feel that l should say to you that
which l am sure each of you realize
that you already know, and that is,
that our Higher Educational 1nstitu-
tions are enjoying a prosperity that
they never enjoyed before and that
they are closer to the people and are
rendering the state q far greater SER
vice than ever before.
The orders of this Board which
sought to put them on better busi-
ness basis and cut out all unnecessary
expenditures have worked well and
have been cordially acquiesced in by
those in authority. The business af-
fairs are in good shape. Track has
been kept of every dollar. Publicity
has been courted. 1t has been realiz-
ed that the confidence and active in
terest of the public were necessary
if these institutions were to attain
that degree of usefulness so neces-
sary in the growth and development
of our state. do not believe that
make an extravagant statement when
l say that the people of the state as
whole who feel that the University
and these Colleges are theirs, have
increased fully 500 per cent within
the last five years.
There has been the most satisfac'
tory spirit of harmony between the
faculties and College heads. Since
l have had the honor to serve on thl:
Board there has not been a single
!. appeal to the Trustees from the fac
.. ulty of any institution because of the
lack of an understanding. or because
the spirit of cooperation with the Col
lege heads was wanting. Faculty mem
! bers appear to have more settled
state of mind; they seem to feel tha
the places they are filling as educators