Evening star., 1954-10-11
|fund-HandIing
AtMary|a'nd u.
Under ByrdHit
McKeIdin's Attack
Draws Retort From
Former President
By Ths Assoeiotsd Press

By Ths Associated Press
The taxpayers money and how
it is spent at the University Of .
Maryland was the topic of dis
cussion today by the Free States
principal Office seekers.
Finances at the College Park
provided the meat for
statements by the university's
former president. Democrat H. c.
Byrd, and Gov. McKeldin. his
opponent for the gov
in the November bal
loting.
DR.. Byrd said Gov. McKeldin
showed a fundamental lack Of
knowledge" in the operation. of
an educational institution by
criticizing University of Mary
land financial affairs.
Gov. McKeldin. in reply, said
it is "time for another look at
the administrative abilities Of
which my opponent is won't to
boast"
Auditors Report Cited.
The exchange was prompted
by Gov. McKeldin's contention
that a State auditors report
showed that about $4,000 in
1858 obligations had been
charged to the university's 1854
funds.
DIR. Byrd said the Governor
shows a fundamental lack Of
knowledge of the operations Of
an educational institution be-
cause the University of Mary
land in one year often places
orders for materials to be used
in the ensuing year."
"The difference is," said DR..
Byrd. that most of the States
business and practically all de-
partments Of the State govern
ment are operated on a cash
basis while the University Of
Maryland operates on an accrual
basis"
In his statement today, Gov.
McKeldin said the State au-
ditor's 1858 fiscal year scrutiny
Of the inventories of the univer-
sity materials and supplies dis
closed numerous errors in exten.
sions and computations"
Inventory Practices Hit.
Gov McKeldin raped in
ventory practices as a whole
during DR.. Byrd's tour as uni
versity president and asked, will
this type Of control-or lack of
control-be applied to all of the
States valuable property-the
property of the people of Mary
land?"
DR.. Byrd said the Governor in
his discussion of university
monies had quoted the State
auditors report ''out of context"
pulling a critical sentence from
the middle of a paragraph. This
was in reference to the $4,000
dining hall payment.
The payment. DR.. Byrd said.
was actually not a transaction
outside the university but was
simply bookkeeping transac-
tion between one part of the uni
versity and another part of the
university"
This is far different" added
DR.. Byrd, from what the Gov
ernor has done in the matter of
collecting taxes due next fiscal
year for the payment of expenses
incurred during the present fiscal
year."
Byrd's Record Assailed.
Gov. McKeldin yesterday sec
onded an attack by Arthur w.
Sherwood. Republican nominee
for Congress in the 4th district,
on DR.. Byrd's performance as
university president.
Mr.. Sherwood said he learned
ION good authority" that the
university school of medicine "is
in status of probation in regard
tn ifs accreditatioro
Gov. McKeldin said he had
wanted to keep out of the cam
palgn ANY unsatisfactory condi-
tionS as to academic standings"
but nov that the questions have
been raised publicly as to con-
ditionS in the university, I doubt
that interested citizens will brook
long delay in bringing the true
facts to light"
Mr.. Sherwood had referred to
an evaluation report made last
November by group represent
ing the Middle States Associa-
ton of Colleges and Secondary
Schools. The university Board Of
Regents had refused to make it
public as too controversial" and
its legal position has been up
held.
Comment on Statement.
The new president of the uni
verSity, Wilson H. ElkinS, said
Mr.. Sherwood's report was "in
a sense correct" but declined all
comment on any part of Mr..
Sherwood's statement concern
ing Dr. Byrd. DR.. Elkins empha-
sized the report. of the evaluat-
ing team was preliminary in
nature.
DR.. Byrd issued statement
calling Mr.. Sl1erwood's report
nothing more nor less than an
attempt to belittle for political
purposes, my management of the
University of Maryland"
He said Mr.. Sherwood's state
ment that the university's medi-
cal school is on probation and is
so because of interference and
favoritism on my part is about
as asinine as anything I've heard
from the McKeldin administra-
ton and those associated