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Show Exchange Of Letters . , So Ttie People of Utah Mav Know The Fads ... . EDITOR'S NOTE: Recently Governor J. Bracken Lee, of Utah requested the First Presidency Presi-dency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints to set forth their attitude and stand of the controversial Junior College Col-lege referendum that will face the voters next November. To acquaint our readers with the facts in this very important issue. is-sue. Governor Lee's letter, and the First Presidency's answer are being printed as follows: . May -4, 1954 The First Presidency The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah Gentlemen: As you know, the required number of voters of the State, by filing of a petition, have placed on the ballot for the coming November election the q-uestion of whether the action of the last Legislature in authorizing au-thorizing the return of Weber, Snow and Dixie Junior Colleges to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, should or should not be sustained. I am advised that during the campaign to obtain signatures to the referendum petition it was represented that the plan to return the Junior Colleges to your church was requested by you. This I know to be untrue un-true and I take full responsibility responsi-bility for the proposal one I have consistently and publicly made for a period of four years. I am also advised that in some parts -of the State it was represented that The First Presidency Pres-idency wanted these colleges returned re-turned to the Church, whereas in other parts of the State it was represented that the First Presidency did not want these colleges returned. It was also represented that the return of these colleges would constitute a gift by the taxpayers of the State of Utah to the Church, of property having a substantial value. It was also asserted in some quarters that if the action of the Legislature should be sustained, sus-tained, many members of the faculties of said colleges would be immediately discharged, the salaries of others would be reduced, re-duced, and that the curriculum of the various institutions would be sharply curtailed and modified. mod-ified. Finally it was asserted in some quarters that as a long-term long-term policy the colleges, if returned re-turned to the Church, would be operated essentially as "religious "relig-ious seminaries." In order that the voters of the State may be fully informed with respect to these and other Representations I am taking the liberty of addressing this letter to you and would be greatly obliged if you will be kind enough to answer the following-questions: following-questions: 1. In view of the conflicting representations which have been made as to the desires of the Church, will you please advise as to whether you do or do not want Weber, Snow and Dixie Colleges returned to' the Church? 2. Will the Church be willing to pay a fair and equitable price for the properties at these institutions in-stitutions which have been acquired ac-quired or built by the State at the expense of the tax payers of the State of Utah, during the time of State operation? It is understood, of course, in accordance accord-ance with the deeds by which the properties of these institutions institu-tions were originally conveyed to the State, that the Church will receive back the former Church nronerties without cost. 3. In the event the voters approve ap-prove the return of the institutions institu-tions to the Church in November, Novem-ber, would the Church be in a position to carry on the regular school program for the balance of the year? If so, will the Church, as respects the balance of the school year, continue the same faculty and other employees, em-ployees, pay the same salaries as have been agreed upon by the State, recognize Sabbatical leaves which have already been granted, continue the same curricula cur-ricula both as to day and evening eve-ning schools, charge the same tuition, admit the same students and give credit to them for the work they have already done, in the same manner and to the same extent as if the three colleges col-leges continued to be operated by the State, 4. As a long-term policy, would it be your intention to transform these institutions into what some have termed "religious "relig-ious seminaries," or would it be your intention to operate them as high-class, accredited junior colleges with a well-qualified well-qualified faculty competent to meet educational needs of their respective communities? 5. Some of the teachers are concerned as to what their retirement re-tirement rights will be in the event of return of the three colleges col-leges to the Church. Will you kindly inform me as to what m retirement rights they will have? 6. It was alleged during the campaign to obtain signatures to the referendum petition that if the three institutions were returned to the Church, veterans veter-ans would not be able to obtain the same educational advantages and privileges as if the same institutions were maintained by the State. Will you kindly inform in-form me whether this is a correct cor-rect statement? 7. Would the church include vocational education in its curriculum cur-riculum for these institutions? I am confident that any information in-formation you can supply in answer to the foregoing questions ques-tions will be helpful in quieting rumors and providing facts on which the people can base their vote in November. Sincerely yours, J. BRACKEN Lee, Governor of Utah . May 21, 1954 Hon. J. Bracken Lee, Governor State of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah Dear Governor Lee: We acknowledge receipt of your letter of May 14, 1954. As you state, the legislation to return re-turn Weber, Snow and Dixie Junior College to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not sugegsted directly direct-ly or indirectly by the Church. Over three years ago you addressed ad-dressed a letter to' us asking What the Church would do in the event the State discontinued the operation of these 3 institutions. institut-ions. We replied that under the deeds of conveyance by which these colleges in the 1930's were deeded by the Church to' the State, they would revert to and be operated by the Church if the State discontinued their operation. oper-ation. In response to a similar inquiry by you last year we gave the same answer. In order to obviate any misunderstandings mis-understandings which you report re-port are current, we answer specifically the questions set forth in your letter as follows: Answer to Question No. 1: We shall be pleased to have Weber, Snow and Dixie Colleges returned to the Church, which is in a position to operate them in a first-class manner scholas-tically scholas-tically and otherwise. Answer to Question No. 2: As to lands which have been acquired and buildings built at the expense of tax payers of Utah since the three colleges were conveyed to the State, the Church has been legally advised by competent counsel that the acceptance of the obligation to' futher operate the three col: leges (which amounts to approximately approx-imately one million dollars per year) is a sufficient and valid consideration and price for the transfer. Nevertheless, so as to remove any possibility of even doubtful criticism, the Church is willing with respect to such property, to pay, taking into all account all the circumstances, circumstan-ces, whatever price is fair and equitable. Under the pending legislation this amount would, of course, be determined by negotiation ne-gotiation between the State Board of Examiners and the Church. Answer to Question No. 3: The answer to all parts of this question is in the affirmative. affirma-tive. The Church will be in a position to carry on the regular regu-lar school program. Because of the fact that the school year will already have begun, the Chusch will consider itself bound by employment contracts which have already been entered en-tered into with all members of the teaching and custodial staff. Further, the same curricula including in-cluding the same courses, will be' continued both for day and evening schools; Sabbatical leaves already granted will be recognized; the same tuition will be charged and the same students' stu-dents' will be admitted and permitted per-mitted to- continue the courses for which they originally registered, reg-istered, without any interruption, interrup-tion, just as though there had been no change of operation of the schools. It may be that in addition to' the courses, for which the students have already registered, additional courses may be offered so that there would be a better balanced and richer curricula, but there would be no diminution of the cources already offered. Answer to Question No. 4: It would be our intention not to transform any of these colleges col-leges into what some have termed term-ed "religious .seminaries." It would also be our intention to integrate all three of these institutions in-stitutions into our Church School System, and to operate them as high-class accredited Junior Colleges with a well-qualified well-qualified faculty competent to meet educational needs of their respective communities. Our intentions in-tentions as to competent faculties facul-ties can best be measured by our past performance when these same schools were previously pre-viously operated by the Church. Answer to Question No. 5: We have not, of course, formulated for-mulated any retirement policy for the three colleges in question ques-tion nor can we be expected to do so until we know the outcome out-come of the November election. We would expect, however, to pattern the retirement system for these three institutions along the line of the retirement system sys-tem now in effect at the Brig-ham Brig-ham Young University which, we are informed, is the most favorable retirement system of any University in the State. The teachers at that Institution in addition to having the benefits of the Federal Social Security, pay 5 of their annual salary into a teacher's retirement fund. This 5 is matched by the Church. The combination of the two provides a very good retirement re-tirement system for faculty members. Answer to Question No. 6: I The statement you report is not correct. Veterans of World War II and of the Korean War have the same educational benefits bene-fits in Church schools as in State schools. At the Brigham J Young University, for instance, the tuition and fees of veterans of World War II were paid by the Government in the same way as at the State institutions. Veterans of the Korean War who desire to pursue higher education are paid certain educational ed-ucational benefits direct to them by the Government, and may use these benefits as thev fit for tuition in either p-or p-or State schools. Answer to Question No. j: We answer this quests the affirmative. We trust the aforesaid ' swers will help to give the ers the facts they need fo-intelligent fo-intelligent decision at the j and that in particular they r resolve doubts as to the o tion of these colleges, sb the voters, who wilL ext-their ext-their right to vote as : choose, decide to sustain action of the legislature. Faithfully yous, DAVID O. McKAY STEPHEN L. RICH.?.:. J. REUBEN CLARK, J? The First Presife |