Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/795

 BOARD OF CONTROL IN MINNESOTA 781

Little discussion of the proposed change occurred in the newspapers, and the opposition to the measure was made chiefly by the Pioneer Press, which suggested that the humanitarian side would be best conserved by the present system, and that the financial advantages hoped for could be better secured by a pur- chasing agent, leaving the general management as it was. It was argued by some that the chief reason for the change lay in the desire to build up a political machine that would control the hundreds of employes of the various institutions. This objec- tion does not seem to have lost any votes to the cause. Governor Van Sant had suggested a "non-partisan" board in his message, and a provision that not more than two of the members should belong to the same political party was in the first draft of the bill, but was stricken out by amendment. During the progress of the measure in the legislature the governor appointed a special com- mittee of three citizens to investigate the board of control sys- tem, and other methods of administration in adjacent states. The committee consisted of Hon. C. A. Morey, member of the Repub- lican state central committee; Hon. W. E. Lee, ex-speaker of the house of representatives ; and ex-Senator A. W. Leavitt ; the first two being Republicans and the last being a "gold Democrat," but a supporter of the Republican party in the last two general elections. Mr. Morey was the personal representa- tive of Governor Van Sant on the committee that managed his campaign. The committee made a favorable report, the bill became a law, and the committee was then appointed as the first Board of Control in the same order in which it had been named as the committee of investigation on the merits of the proposed system. The committee in its report suggested that a section be added to the bill prohibiting political influences in the institutions. The section was added.

It is proper to state that controversy arose as to the correct- ness of the financial comparisons which showed a large saving in favor of the board of control system. All who have familiarity with statistics know that to have real value variations must occur under substantially identical conditions. This obvious rule was not strictly followed in the discussion.