Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1906 [PAGE 31]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1904]

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

5

The appropriations asked for in the dean's report' are hereby recommended. Appropriations were made as follows: From college funds, receipts— Dairy department $6,200 64 Horticultural department 166 12 From State funds, receipts— Dairy department '. $278 93 Horticultural department 138 83 From U. S. funds, r e c e i p t s Dairy department $187 47 HIGH SCHOOL CONFERENCE. A committee of the Council of Administration has had under consideration possible improvement in the teaching especially of the English language and literature and of the sciences in the high schools. It "is widely recognized that the aims and methods of such instruction should be better and more widely understood and that better practice is decidedly needed. The schools generally will gladly welcome any assistance in this and it is believed the University may be able to render some real service in the matter by asking not to exceed 20 selected superintendents or teachers to meet here a committee from the faculty appointed for the purpose in order that a very free and full discussion may be had and that studied conclusions may be reached. Such a meeting cannot probably be best held until sometime after the Christmas holidays, for it will take a considerable amount of preparatory planning and correspondence, but authority to proceed is asked for at this time. Much better results may be anticipated if. invitations can be extended to particular persons selected for their known interest and attainments in the subjects and that payment of the necessary traveling expenses be made. .For this purpose I respectfully recommend that an assignment of $200 be made and that so much of this as may be found necessary be expended under the direction of President James. T w o hundred dollars were appropriated as recommended. TELEPHONE SERVICE. Very serious complaints have long been made of the service rendered by the public telephones in the University buildings more especially of the socalled Home line. In response to a recent inquiry there are now in my hands reports concerning each instrument by the party best informed concerning it. These are submitted for your inspection but not for publication in the minutes. So unsatisfactory is the service that there is scarcely any hesitation on the part of any one about advising the removal of the instruments even though others should not be put in. Complaints have time and again been sent in to the manager. These have sometimes been followed by attempted corrections, often nothing has been done, but in either case the results have not been very different. So.far as I can ascertain there is no agreement with the company save the original one when the line was first put in. It is surely time that the matter should be brought to an adjustment or the service discontinued. I therefore recommend that the business manager be instructed to confer with the proper officers of the company and to secure if possible the requisite improvement, but failing in that within sixty days, to cause the removal of the instruments and the discontinuance of the contract. It should be said, however, that this recommendation in no wise indicates any lack of appreciation of the general usefulness to the community, and to the University as well, of this enterprise. It is made with a sense of much regret rather than anything like hostility. THOMAS J. BUKRIIX, Acting President. T h e recommendation was adopted.