New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-31
A NEW SCHOOL, RTIJ,.

q NEW SCHOOL BILL
! Governor Hahn, the chairman OF The
House Committee on Education, has re
ported an important bill relative to the
government of the public schools in New
Orleans. It has been referred to the ap.
propriate committee, and suggestions from
those who feel an interest in educational
matters are in order. 1t is not our inten-
ton at this time to discuss any of the
propositions thus offered by the author of
this bill, or to do more than say that we
regard the main features as wise and cal
culated to effect desired improvements
But we wish to call the attention of the
| gentleman from st. Charles, as well as his
colleagues. to the fact that there are i'm
portant educational interests in this State
which do not appear to be under the con-
troll of the proper authorities.
The Louisiana Law and Medical Uni
versities, on Common street, are under
the management of private parties, over
whom the State exercises merely nominal
control. The same is true of the Univer-
sity at Baton Rouge. All these establish
ments occupy buildings which belong TO
the State. and are largely indebted to the
public treasury for the means Of endow-
ment. Until last year, it has been
the custom to appropriate liberal
sums annually to sustain the State
University at Baton Rouge. 1t is
not necessary now to state the
reasons which led to Withholding the
usual donation last year; they were
deemed sufficient at the time. though we
believe they have since been removed.
At any rate the institution is likely 10 ap-
pear as claimant for an appropriation
this year. It is. no doubt, greatly in need
Of help. We learn from unofficial sources
that there is debt Of about one hundred
thousand dollars hanging over it, which
the creditors in some sort expect the
State will pay. Of course we know
nothing of the merits of the case. But it
seems to us this is large debt for an
institution that should be nearly self-sus-
tanning, especially one that has until SO
recently been fostered at the public
charge.
We suggest that all the educational in
terests in the State, which depend in any
manner upon the public treasury for sup
port or assistance, should be placed under
the control and management of the State
Superintendent and State Board Of Edu-
cation. As the duties would thus devolve
upon officers who already find their places
no sinecures, they ought to be authorized
to establish subordinate boards to act as
administrators or directors of these insti-
tutions the same as the primary, grammar
and high schools are now managed. It is
not correct in principle for the State to
furnish the means for establishing institu-
tons which are controlled by private
parties for their OWL benefit. We have
not heard that there has been any lucra-
tive result in either case. On the con-
trary, the superintendent and faculties of
our universities are generally crying,
''give, give to the State, Notwithstanding
they live rent Free and are permitted to
collect tuition fees from the students.
The buildings, good will, fixtures and APP
paratus used belong to the State, and we
do not see any adequate return for the
outlay.
Again: there is a land scrip fund do
mated by Congress, amounting to the
nominal sum of about $780, 900. As it is
represented IN old State bonds, there viii
hereafter be decline in the interest, but
even after they are exchanged for the new
consolidated bonds, they will yield an in
come of eleven or twelve thousand dol |
lars The time for accepting this grant by
the State expires in July of this year. So
that it is necessary to comply without de-
lay with the precedent conditions Per-
haps it would be wise to take one Of the
buildings on Common street, now almost
useless, and convert it into mechanical
school, under the charge of the Superin-
tendent of Public Education, or the State
or city board Of directors. And as every
body is expecting the State to pay the
debts of the Baton Rouge concern, which,
under the present management, appears
to get deeper and deeper into debt every
year, it would perhaps be wise to turn that |
over to the educational department of
the State for the purpose of establishing
an agricultural school.
A due regard to economy forbids any
more appropriations of public money to