Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1908 [PAGE 408]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

380

UNIVEESITY OF ILLINOIS

APPROPRIATIONS FOR S T A T E ENTOMOLOGIST'S O F F I C E .

[Oct. 19

The secretary presented the following communication from Attorney General .Stead with regard to the responsibility of the Board of Trustees in handling the appropriations made for the State Entomologist's office. (See minutes of meeting of September 10, 1907, p. 380.)

STATE OF. ILLINOIS, "OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL.

SPRINGFIELD, I I I . , September 25, 1907.

Mr. W. L. Pillsoury, Secretary University of Illinois, TJroana, Illinois, DEAR SIR—I have your letter of September 23, in which you state that section 4 of the Act making the appropriations for the office of the State Entomologist, passed by the last session of the General Assembly, page 50 Session Laws of 1907, placed the custody of the appropriations for the State Entomologist- in the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. You further state that under the charter of the University money can be drawn from its treasurer only upon the order of the Board of Trustees, signed by the president and secretary. Heretofore, the Board of Trustees of the University has had no relation whatever with the State Entomologist. You ask the opinion of this office as to whether this putting the money into the custody of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois imposes upon the board any powers or duties with regard to the State Entomologist and his operations. Section 4 of said act is as follows: "The Auditor of Public Accounts is hereby authorized and directed to draw his warrant on the' State Treasurer for the sum herein appropriated, upon the order of the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, countersigned by its secretary, and with the corporate seal of said University, and no installment subsequent to the first shall be paid by the treasurer, nor warrant drawn therefor, until detailed accounts showing expenditures of the preceding installments have been filed with the Auditor of Public Accounts." The other portions of the Act specify the duties* of the State Entomologist and outline his work. Section 2 of the Act provides that the work outlined in the Act shall be carried out on lines agreed upon by the State Entomologist and an advisory committee, to consist of £he Directors of the Agricultural Experiment Station, two members to be appointed by the Illinois Farmers' Institute, and two members to be appointed by the Illinois State' Horticultural Society. It will be noted that said section 4 does not expressly confer upon the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois any powers of supervision over the work or operations of the State Entomologist. Inasmuch as the act itself defines the duties and lays down the work of the State Entomologist, and to some extent provides for an advisory board to supervise his work, any inference that the Board of Trustees of the University is made a board of supervision over the work and operations of the State Entomologist by said section 4 is precluded. I am therefore of the opinion that said section 4 does not confer, upon the Board of Trustees of the University the authority to supervise the work and operations of the State Entomologist." "Very respectfully,

W. H. STEAD,

Attorney

General.