CHANGES RECOMMENDED. 195 



laborers, where the acquisition of skill goes hand in hand with the 

 acquisition of knowledge. 



We find that the Board of Regents, as at present constituted, does 

 not sufficiently represent the various portions and interests of the 

 State. Though composed of gentlemen of the highest position and 

 worth, they reside, mainly, in San Francisco and Oakland, and al 

 though they have been zealous in their efforts to secure the pros 

 perity of the institution, we believe that the best interests of educa 

 tion would be promoted by an amendment of the Act so as to unify 

 the University with the other departments of State education. We, 

 therefore, respectfully ask such amendment of this Act, and of other 

 Acts, as shall constitute a State Board of Education, having charge 

 of the University, the Normal School, and other public schools, and 

 to consist of fifteen Regents, viz: Seven ex-officio the Governor, 

 Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, State Superintend 

 ent of Public Instruction, President of the State Agricultural So 

 ciety, Master of the State Grange, and President of the Mechanics 

 Institute of San Francisco; also two members from each Congres 

 sional District, to be appointed from their districts by the Governor, 

 with the consent of the Senate, for their first terms, and afterward 

 to be elected by the people as vacancies occur. We also recommend 

 that any nine members shall constitute a quorum, as the Board of 

 Education, or as the Board of Regents for the University, or as the 

 Board of Trustees of the State Normal School. We ask that they 

 may be so selected as to represent the various industrial interests, 

 occupations, and professions of the citizens of the State. 



The law (Article IV, section 1,450 of the new Code) clearly pro 

 vides that the Secretary of the Board of Regents must be a practical 

 farmer, and must reside and keep his office at the site of the Uni 

 versity. These requirements having been hitherto disregarded, we 

 recommend that the law be either rigidly enforced or essentially 

 modified. It is generally understood that a portion of the lands 

 donated by Congress for the purposes of industrial education in 

 California, have been sold at five dollars per acre, one fifth of the 

 amount having been paid down, and it is understood that the fund 

 thus obtained has been used in paying professorships and scholar 

 ships in our University. But it is the misfortune of the people of 

 California to know very little about these lands and their present 

 condition, while they do know that in other States, in consequence 

 of mismanagement, only a small part of the real value of school and 

 University lands has been realized. In some- instances timber lands 

 valued at thirty and fifty dollars per acre have been taken up, the 

 first payments made, the timber removed, and the lands forfeited. 

 It is clearly the right of the people to have correct information on 

 this subject. 



We do therefore petition your honorable body that a University 

 Committee be carefully selected from your number whose duty it 

 shall be to examine fully, minutely, and impartially into the location 

 and present condition of all lands donated to California for these 

 purposes; to ascertain what has accrued from the sales thereof, and 

 how the same has been expended; and that the necessary power be 

 granted them to send for persons, books, and papers, to administer 





