The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-17
Jets1r from the GnIycrsitS'-Ets Cos;
and Els Profits.

CORES pondeEce Of the Richmond Dispatch.]
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, Jan. IA, 1871.
Among the proceedings Of the House OF
Delegates on yesterday | see call for a
statement OF the amounts expended by the
ale upon the University and the Military
!a-tiiutc since their foundation, and the
y,.u" Of the property owned by the State
IN these Institutions. am glad To see Il
Init IS inquiry on these subjects among
me members of the LcyiSlat urc, and regret
;3.t their curiosity has not been greater, as
they CIn never arrive ut Il true understand
luy " the matter until they also know
V Alt returns the State receives from these
uulllN>. The substitute which was offered
j.. tnc original motion Was 4 step in the
u.ht direction: but rs it was hardly coin
lrr;Irn~!V" enough in its provisions, l
would ,|l-@"St that the House further IN
quirr what amounts are annually brought
!utn Virginia from other states by students
81 these institutions and OF the schools
taught by their Alumni; what amounts
they keep in the State that. hut for them,
wuuld he spent abroad in the education Of
Nr@inian Young men: what influence for
good they exert upon the other educational
Institutions 81 the state.
was told by friend in East Virginia
some years ago that before the WAX the
~. ncy brought into the state by the schools
taU>ai by University Alumni amounted to
-"}rIal millions OF dollars annually. and
that not few fortunes were made by pro-
Ia ctOrs of these schools. owing 10 the
diminished prosperity OF the more southern
States fewer sOutherncrs send their sons to
Iii" University and its preparatory school
Than iOrnlcrly, but the numbers which still
r"lnc are sufficient TO make these in>titli-
uons ~ important element i'll the material
Prosperity Of the State. II IN account is to
l." made cut, let the credits be entered a.
we'll IS the debts, and when the balance is
drawn the State will lind itself in possession
OLA handsome profit on all moneys invested
IN lis educational institutions. Let IL look
ut the figures little: OF the 400 or 800 stu
dents who attend the University, about 22j
are from outside the State; these spend in
Tie state, Oh the average, not less than
800 each per annum-paid out at the Uni
Ecrsty, Oh railroads, at hotels and the
springs, and IN the mountain villages,
where many OF them spend their raca-
tivuS. This makes SljI 800 brought
INTO the state BY the students of
the University alone. The amount eX-
pended by the state in University build
ms cannot exceed $500, 500. The annual
interest Oh this amount at per cent.-the
interest pale hy the State upon its bonds
WOuu bt $4,000; add to this the So 900
annually appropriated to the University
rom the Literary Fund, and we have S333,-
'~4 Is the amount which the State may be
'a!h to cXp"nd annually on the University.
Subtract this from the amount brought
Iu.o the STATE hv students of the Universe
Y, ana wc have lett Sl24 800, nearly all OF
Wtllcn Is clear gam, rs most of it is spent
for commOdltie, which would lind no other
nNu k"i. The simple statement of the mat
ter Is this: The people Of Virginia, through
The state Treasurer and through the Board
OF Visitors OF the Univel sity, annually eN-
pend, about $50, 900 in sustaining tue i'll
Hiutiou; from the students of the Uni.
NcTsity not Nirgnians they receive through
various channels about SI51 500 : leaving
then Il balance of S124 100, nearly all OF
which il clear profit.
But these figures are by no means fair
exhibit Of the pccuniary return drawn by
tie state from the money it cXpends Oh the
nNerslty. In order to reach the correc.
climate, we must credit 10 the Unworthy
The money expended in the Stale by stu
dents from abroad IL schools taught by Uni
VrlSiy Alumni. and by the friends and rel
a!i'cs OF these students, who visit the state
On tier account aud spend their summers
ID the mountain resorts. The latter class
kno" from personal observation to he quite
urge one. We should also include the
money kept III the state by these institu-
IONS that would, hui for them, be sent
North TO pay for the education OF Virgin
itns, not 10 mention the pupils who attend
The female schools OF the State on account
Of having brothers Or other relatives purstl-
Ing their education near them. | have said
nothing about the students educated free of
charge at the University and Military IT,
stltute, because Mr.. Hangers substitute
provides for that point. 1t is 10 be hoped
that the House, ia its inquiries, will not
stop short OF thorough investigation of
TINS matter, as a iull statement of the mo-
ncys expended by the State on its educa-
tionsl institutions, with the amounts an
nually brought into the State by them,
Would be highly interesting to all, and
rathcr surprising TO those Who look upon
these Institutions US a heavy burden upon
the people.
This State has always made larger appro-
TO its educational institutions than
any other in the Union, and its intellectual
prominence IS due ~ this liberal policy.
Now, more than ever. the south must look
I" 'hc education Of her young men for the
inenns O! procuring prosperity. She wants
men 81 broad views 10 lcgislate Oh social
an5 ppl'ilctl questions, for The development
81 her resources, and the direction Of her
coinIhc rec. In supplying these wants, the
triTel stty scapablc q. doing, and is doing,
u sleHter work than any institution in the
SoCth. In Der engineering schools the
University Is educating the men who,
a. s'on az they leave here, tind ready