Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1950 [PAGE 950]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1949]

U N I V E R S I T Y OF I L L I N O I S

941

DETERMINATION OF WAGE RATES TO BE SPECIFIED FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK AT ROBERT ALLERTON PARK (2) At its meeting on September 29, 1949, the Board of Trustees approved a procedure as an instrument of settlement of future questions on rates of wages to be paid for construction work at Robert Allerton Park in Piatt County. The proposal, as revised and approved by the Board, provides that such questions shall be determined by the appointment of a fact-finding committee (see Minutes, page 812). The University's present Committee 1 appointed by the Board of Trustees on July 28, 1949, to conduct a hearing on the objections to the current determination of wage rates and Counsel for the objecting labor organizations are of the opinion that it might be difficult for the first two members specified in the proposal of September 29, 1949, to agree on a third if they are limited to Piatt County. They jointly recommend, the University's Legal Counsel and its Director of Nonacademic Personnel concurring, that the third member be selected by the other two without restriction to Piatt County and in accordance with the procedure outlined below: A fact-finding committee composed of (1) one member appointed by the Illinois State Federation of Labor, (2) one member appointed by the President of the University, and (3) one member selected by the other two, provided that if they do not agree on a candidate within ten days the Director of the State Department of Public Works and Buildings will be asked to select the third member, to conduct investigations of wage rates in Piatt County in connection with construction work on the Allerton Trust properties of the University in accordance with the Prevailing Wage Act and to report to the President of the University and to the Board of Trustees that they are unable to ascertain any prevailing wages, or, if ascertainable, to report with respect to prevailing wages involved in such construction work in that locality. I recommend that the action of the Board of Trustees of September 29, 1949, be reconsidered and that the Board authorize the appointment of the Committee as indicated above. The University Committee, which has been conducting a hearing on objections previously filed, reports that if this plan is approved the pending objections will be withdrawn. Hence, if the Board approves the procedure recommended, 1 recommend further that the present Committee be discharged.

On motion of Mr. Fornof, these recommendations were adopted. Mr. Herrick voted in the negative.

REPORT ON APPLICATION FOR PATENT OF " M E T H O D AND APPARATUS FOR DISPERSING INSECTICIDES AND THE L I K E " (3) Application was filed for a patent of "Method and Apparatus for Dispersing Insecticides and the Like," discovered by Dr. H . F . Johnstone, Professor of Chemical Engineering, during the course of research under a wartime contract with the Office of Scientific Research and Development. Professor Johnstone reports that the patent examiner has given a final rejection to the claims made in the patent application Number 596800, filed May 30, 1945. Professor Johnstone recommends against further prosecution of this application through appeal by the University. The Chairman of the University Research Board concurs in this, but recommends that since the invention was the result of research work paid for by federal funds, the United States government be offered the opportunity of prosecuting an appeal with the understanding that any patent resulting from such action would belong to the United States government. I concur in these recommendations.

On motion of Dr. Meyer, these recommendations were adopted.

1 Messrs. Edward W. Cleary, Professor of Law, Cecil A. Moyer, Associate Professor of Accountancy, John B. Parrish, Associate Professor of Economics.