The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-28
Fred Knapp Charges Scheme
Among University Instructors.
Says Board of Administration
Permits Too Much Liberty.
THEY COLLECT FOR LECTURES
Professors Make More This
Way Than Thru Salary.
Special Mention Made of the
Fine Arts Department.

Fred Knapp. state auditor today
appealed to the state legislature to
check the fee grabbing system which
he charges is in operation at the stale
university. In a letter to the ways
and means committee members of
the house and senate. Knapp today
charged that the board of administra-
ton has permitted the adoption of a
system at Kansas Universe v which
has resulted in the grabbing of thous-
ands of dollars in fees. Under the
p eselt system. he declares. no one
is able to determine the earnings of
instructor in the big late school.
Lectures" seems to be one of the
favorite pastimes for college heads
and instructors. For each of the
many, many lectures, which seem TO
have been delivered some place. some
time, uon some subject. the instruc-
tor receives SIS or Sc and expenses.
In some instances during the last few
months instructors at the state uni
versity have been able to collect from
the state university fee fund more
money than their salary as stipulated
by the state university pa rolls.
One instructor at the state univer-
sity is said to work under a contract
which calls for eighteen hours work
week. or three hours day. He
receives a salary of SO, 900 year from
the state and Knapp believes that on
the basis of reports received, he col
cts $4,000 a year. net.
Fees and Salaries.
Five instructors in the university
fine arts department collected fees
aggregating s463.50 during the month
hof january. Their combined salaries
] -, n
In a report to the legislative commit
tee Auditor Knapp asserts that Carl
Preyer of the fine arts department
received a salary of $3.50 and fees
amounting to S16650. Anna Sweeney's
salary amounted to $91.67 for the
month, her fees for lectures s60.75.
Pearl Enjoys January salary was
s91.67 for the month, her fees for lee
lures SCOTS. Maude Millers salary
for the month was $S3.33, her fees,
sS1. Cora Reynolds collected s4i.67
from the state under her salary con-
tract and received during the month
$S7.75 additional from the fee fund.
Now Knapp wants the legislature to
put the fee fund where university
heads cannot distribute it according
to their own desires. His report of
promiscuous distribution of fees did
not stop with the fine arts depart
ment- 1t went to other departments
of the state university.
Knapp's Report.
Continuing his report to the COM
mittee, Knapp said:
Il find in the February vouchers that
this system is not limited to the fine arts
department but that Raymond A. Schweg
Ter received a salary of $1S3.33 as pro-
fessor in the school of education, and also
fee of $500 for each of eleven lectures de-
livered thruout the state. making total
extra fee allowance of $4,000.
Prof. Edwin NJ. Hopkins. professor of
English. received a salary of $2416G and
"A 90 mn unit.
Mrs. Sara G. Laird received a salary
amounting to $1,000 for extra work done
in the extension department
j. w Evans as assistant professor of
journalism, received a monthly salary OF
S1:i3.3:,. and also fee allowances amounting
to $1,000 in this extension department.
work.
M. G. Elmer received salary of $1,000
I as associate professor of sociology ana
to $500 from fees.
His Recommendation.
while l believe that law should be
enacted which would reduce the amount
of service these institutions should render
to the people nor that the salaries of the
professors should be inadequate to remun-
crate them, yet / am firmly convinced that
! the system of paying them salaries and
allowing these fees in addition, is wrong
in principle and dangerous in practice.
Il would recommend that the board of
administration be required annually to de-
termine and fix. with the written approval
salaries of all professors and employees In
the educational institutions under a sim
/ liar provision to sec. 30, chap. 475, Session
Laws of 1905. governing salaries of off
GERS and employees of the charitable in
/ situations.
! Il would recommend further that
provision similar to sec II. chap. 3. Session
! Laws Of 1915, requiring officers and their
assistants under the executive and Judi
| ciaI departments of the state to turn all
fees collected into the general revenue fund
of tn. state, be passed to apply to the
officers and employees of all institutions.
charitable penal and educational"