The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-01-12
They Want Representation On
Board of Regents
RAP AT THE ~" SCHOOL
Claim That Institution Is Under
The Domination of Big
Business
From Saturdays Daily.

st. Paul, January 6.-Farmers of
Minnesota should be represented on
the University of Minnesota board of
regents and on other boards and
commissions having to do with far
mers' interests, declare resolutions
passed by the Minnesota Federation
of Farmers clubs in session at the
university farm.
In the same resolutions, the farm
erS ask that the governor and legis-
lators place representatives of the
farming interests on the board of re-
gents, the board of control, the high
way commission, and on the board
which will handle school funds which
may be loaned to farmers.
]. w. Holiday, Pine City, moved the
adoption of the resolutions.
In outlining the position of farmers
toward the institution, Colonel r. A.
Wilkinson, Lake Elmo, president,
Minnesota branch, American Society
of Equity, said:
"We do not want to cripple the uni
versity or hamper it's work by cut
ting down the appropriation it needs.
But we want the new president to
be chosen by the board of regents as
a successor to DR.. Vincent to be a
clean cut, square man, selected from
the alumni or faculty of the institu-
ton and not connected in any way
with private endowments. We be-
lieve Minnesota has men big enough
to run the university and that it is
not necessary to go outside to find a
man."
Ask For Farmer Regents.
Representative Carl Malmberg, For
est Lake, is to introduce bill in the
house providing for the election of
the regents by congressional dis
tricts. They now are appointed by
the governor and the farmers charge
they have no representation on the
board They say c.. w. Glotfelter,
Waterville, recently appointed re-
gent by Governor Burnquist and who
the governor says is a farmer, owns
farm for political purposes, but that
his business is banking.
They charge that the farmers
clubs, organized few years ago
through the agricultural college, were
started to, destroy the Equity move
ment, to furnish the business of Chi
cago mail order houses in Minnesota
and take away the business of coun-
try merchants.
The latter are said to have COM
mittee at work now investigating the
mail order business. This committee
expects to make report to the leg
Iislature.
1t is pointed out that julius Rosen-
valid of Sears, Roebuck & Co., Chicago,
made contribution to start the
farmers clubs. 1t is claimed Rookie
Teller interests own stock in Sears,
Roebuck & Co. President Vincent
of the university is director of the
Rockefeller foundation and has re-
signed the presidency of the univer-
sity to become head of the Rockefel-
Ter foundation.
Morgan interests are said to be
stockholders in other mail order
houses which are interested in the
progress of farmers clubs.
Move Against Farm School.
The Carnegie influence is. said to
come through the granting OF pen
sions to university professors. They
/ cannot get a pension now, II is SAID,
on account Of the farm school, a
preparatory institution, being con-
nected with the university. 1t is un-
derstood a move is to be made from
the university to have the present
legislature abolish the farm school.
This is preparatory institution
! from which students can enter the
agricultural colleges of Wisconsin,
Iowa or Michigan, which have not
adopted the Carnegie unit system for
| their curricula.
| But the Minnesota college of agri-
culture has the Carnegie system and
as a result students spending three
years and finishing the course at the
farm school cannot enter the agri-
! cultural college until they have done
! two wears more work in a high school
| where agricultural subjects are
/ taught.
The farmers also charge a clique
of professors at the agricultural col
/ lege is playing the big business game
and professors refusing to join this
CLIQUE are deprived of the emporium
ity to do any real work. One, they
| say, who still retains a fancy title,
| is in reality only head waiter at
! H. eohool dipino halls