New-York tribune., 1872-02-12
WHY COLUMBIA COLLEGE SHOULD BE RE-
MOVED.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: In the letter of your Albany correspond
ent published in THE TRIBUNE Of this morning. find

ent, published in THE TRIBUNE Of this morning, find
the following passage:
The e9 allow couEn. College to sell its present site and
senate and beng on IT'S third rssds A'mby morning
reason due representa-
made tho foOr Of te immense wealth of the College Unless
will insist on its rem aiming where it is"
II is matter of notOriety the citizens of NewYork
that the erection of the Grand Central Depot in the
vicinity Columbia College, and the concentration of
the traffic Of all the railroads north and east of the city
supon that point have rendered the present site of
Columbia College totally unfit one for the purposes of
an institution Of learning The College therefore asks
permission of the Legislature to seek some more quiet
spot prove itself 10 be poor college. this per-
mission, il seems VIII be granted. But if IL fails To
ablish this point ait is probable that the Legislature
will insist on its remaining where II j." That is to say.
If the College has the which ndispensh-
is no objection s its imperfect means in con
venient place but If its resources are such as TO make
capabc Of high degree Of efficiency, II sha he delhed
such privilege that account This - view or
ne biect of higher education taken by ne Legislature
Of NcW-York 40 time when the most en-
Nr1o.ino ne rndowme1ts of colleges m every
ouarer and especially Of those Columbia COLLEGE eX-
cepted) which already wealthy. systemaiic efforts
and o Vale College n which the alumni those iustit-
tiOns throughout the whole country are participating
The OF the part OF the colleges is what is
universally fcit to hc the cause preventing the higher
education OF the country from becoming what should
be-. Yet in the great state OF NeWfork II appears tat
Whcna COLLEGIATE institution, after struggling with heavy
financial cmDaIrassnent- fOr half century, becomes at
sesscd Of an income sufficient enable be really
largely useful instead Of being encouraged to employ lis
means useiuy ana anord those 1aclues Tor cong 50
which not only common courtesy but the pnbc interests
suggest demand it is TO he subjected to ndgnies
wautOnness; any rate Tor reasons which will not
bear moments examination.
Until the year 1867. the annual income Of Columbia
College had been equal To its annual expenditure for
1903 when there was a slight surplus. During all that
time the College also labored under the burden of
heavy debt So lately 1885, the annual net Income he
income less taxes assessments and interest on deb. was
only $4,000 and the debt at the same time amounted to
the .bt was $4,000 But the Improvement of the
immediate and prospective condition OF heColege was
tie Law school which has proved so signal success,
and TO Offer TO the public plan OF PstrTG sr
tbe bool of Mines was opened n branch OF the instu
ton which has demanded large. expenditures, but
which has proved very valuable addition to
the means OF scientific education in the coun-
try Graduates OF this school now en-
Gagged in many important works Of mining metallurgy,
sn1 sn1 in Mexico and several Of them iii chairs Of nstruc
tion colleges OF high reputation. AS their means
these means faithfully to the Improvement of the nst
tutlon in all It's departments The buildings now occu
ped by the College were not erected Tor collegiate pur
poses They inconyenent, and the accommodations
they afford are inadequate to It's constantly @ GROWING
nuisance in neghborh0od Is Objectionable on account
Of It's insufficient area The College asks to be permitted
10 erect proper buildings (which II has not now IN
more suitable neghborhOod. But " seems that, unless
that II Is poor, III
Iafure will insist its remaining where II s And
this is statesmanshp and this is hberalty in the nine
teeDth century! . .
We'll the College prove that it is poor, If poverty
consists in deficiency of 10 provide for Its i'm
mediate and urgent wants For the past five years 1t
has had an annual surplus in the treasury averaging
about $4,000 This the Trustees carefully husband
ING in the hope by gradual accumulation. 10 acquire
fund sufficient for the erection Of building When is
considered how much suitable collegiate structure
though built with the exremest simplicity must cost
n yS he manifest that the College IL too 10 build
f present IL is Of too 10 buy another site
excent with the proceeds which may arise from
the sale OF the present Yet there are
members of this enlightened Legislature who speak
of Columbia College If IL corporation already
censuraby wealthy and Ist greedy of gain which puts
forward necessity of change OF site as pretex for
going speculaons in real estate The present site
OF the College not only the highest degree obecton
able itself but IL is liable at any moment to De seized
for the of the graspng railroad power whioh mas
aready taken possession OF thirteen acres IN ts
immediate vicinity and OF which the operations and the
wants are growing every day. Yet, because II IL sus
pected TO the. to be useful, 10 IL not only
not 10 permitted to these but II IL 10 be
Kept permanently exposed 10 the danger which meDaces
IL froIn this OvershadOwnR and formidable neghbor
remarked Just that the for this singular
lberaty the part OF the Legislature would not bear
examination On further reflection 1t seems TO me that
they must reasons that viii not bear the light.
Neo York, Feb. Q, 1872 COLUMBIAN.