Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-01-14
(From the Oregonian)

Oregon Agricultural College, Cor
wallis, Jan. 11.-Answering criticisms
on its action increasing the salary Of
the president, the board of regents of
the agricultural college issued a state
ment in justification of its action.
This statement was prepared by spe-
cial committee consisting of j. X.
Weathertord, president of the board !;
J. A. Churchill, state superintendent
of public instructions; G. L. Spence,
master of the state grange, and was
unanimously adopted by the board at
its regular mid-winter meeting, held
at the college Wednesday afternoon.
This statement is as follows:
Answering certain attempts to dis,
credit cur action in advancing the sal
airy Of President w. j. Kerr, of the
Oregon Agricultural college, we, the
members of the board of regents, make
this statement to the people of Ore
|gon:
We had full knowledge of all the
facts before and at the time Presi-
dent Kerr IS salary was advanced. No
deception of any kind was practiced
by anybody upon us or upon the poo
pie of the state. President Kerr did
not request any increase in salary
our action was taken ON mature judg-
ment, reached after careful study of
the entire situation. The board has am
pie, corroborative information that
President Kerr was urged to consider
the presidency of the Kansas agricul-
tural college at an increased salary,
any statements to the contrary not
withstanding.
Dr. Kerr Lauded
'The board of regents renews its
expression of confidence in DIR. Kerr.
The members of the board has had him
and his work under personal and Of
ficial observation for nearly II years.
Representing different occupations,
holding various opinions in other mat
tiers, public and private, and coming
from widely separated parts of Ore
gon, the board nevertheless are united
in an understanding and appreciation
Of the value of Dr. Kerr's services to
the institution and to Oregon, and
have conviction that his departure
would be a distinct public loss. Large
ly under his wise and faithful guild
ance the Oregon Agricultural college
has grown from comparatively small
beginnings to be one of the great in
stitutions of the country. The work
that it has done has been invaluable
to the entire northwest. The work 1T
will do, if its growth shall continue,
will, in our opinion, repay the state
many fold for its Investment and the
public for its confidence. We pledge
DR.. Kerr as president for the future,
the same measure of support we have
given in the past.
Gin the nearly IL years that he has
been with the college, President Kerr
has never asked for increased COM
pensation. With the exception of the
advance voted by the board last month
President Kerr, in that long period,
has received only one increase in sal
ary. On several occasions the members
Of the board proposed advances, and
were met with objections by President
Kerr who insisted that the conditions
at the time would not justify the in
crease. Because of such objections the
original increase proposed iby the
board was delayed two years. At the
board meeting last June the matter
of an increase was broached, and the
willingness expressed by members to
vote an advance. On the advice Of
President Kerr himself, however, the
matter was dropped, and was only TAX
en- up when condition arose which
resulted in the increase voted last
month.
Public Aroused by Danger
The board deems it fitting to make
to the public a statement as TO the
circumstances controlling this recent
action. There had been reports in the
to the effect that the pres
idency Of another agricultural college
had been offered to President Kerr,
coupled with an offer of larger sal