Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-09
slsO.1ls
Total

The amount derived from sale of land do
mated by Congress for the purpose Of estab-
fishing the institution, together with accrued
interest is Sl32 800. The farm, consisting
of 376 acres, was given by the towns OF oid-
town and Orono to the institution tor ITS use
a. long as it shall remain college OF agri-
culture and mechanic arts, but reverts 70 the
towns when il shall cease to exist as such an
institution We find that the college has
debt OF 81. 600. The income from the invest
mcnt funds is about 81, 200. The college pos
sesses several buildings, well suited for the
purposes for which they were constructed.
viz: dormitories and recitation rooms; and
il also has n small library and limited
amount of apparatus in addition it has sew
eral good houses for the accommodation OF
the professors fine farm house. and good
barn, built at an expense of $1,000
A glance at the catalogue shows that the
Trustees have laid out a very broad course of
study. 1t includes not only those branches
pertaining directly to agriculture and the me-
chanic arts but also, the French language,
German language. astronomy, logic. calculus,
pbvsics. &c. This course Of instruction is
divided into four courses, thereby increasing
the amount of labor done by the professors,
and requiring a greater number of instruc-
tors We believe the instruction is given rs
thorough "a could be expected under the cir
cumstances, and that the instructors as body
are earnest, faithful men.
Facilities for requiring practice in vice
work filing and fitting) and forge work are
afforded by the workshops connected with the
college. A few Of the students avail them
selves of the opportunities thus offered and
spend during the course l22 hours IN each
shop. The work exhibited indicated consid-
cradle progress. Some experiments have
been made in agriculture. but 1t Is impossi-
BILE for us to give the number or the results.
During the Freshman year the students work
To some extent. in the afternoon, on the farm
and receive pay therefor. The amount paid
out during the past year for such labor was
SiG7 80 Such, in brief. is the kind and
amount of instruction given at the College of
Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. and what has
been its Influence upon the agricultural and
mechanical interests of the State!
| According to the catalogue. | 10 pupils have
! graduated during the years 1872 and 1879, in
| elusive: Of these Is are farmers, % teach
ers II engineers ) machnists and the rest
| are apothecaries mechanics. editors, lawyers.
book -agents. dentists, book keepers, doctors,
manufacturers. etc, etc. These facts answer
we think. the above question. The expense
of educating the students deserves passing
notice Comparing the number graduated
with the expense of maintaining the insttu-
ton, it will be seen that the cost of
educating each student has been large.
probably more than it will be in the
future, yet We cannot reasonably ex-
pect. unless the number of stu
dents should greatly multiply. that the cx-
pense will be materially lessencd. The
Trustees estimate that they can carry on the
college. by using the strctcst economy. on
an annual appropriation of aboutS5 900; but
to carry on the college in accordance with
| the present plan. to erect new workshops. to
increase the library. to purchase philosophi-
cal and chemical apparatus. and to conduct
the experiments properly, it is evident they
will need much larger sum. While the
citizens of the State will not probably object to
the annual appropriation of even a larger sum
than five thousand dollars, that should he
deemed necessary to stimulate the agricul-
tural and mechanical industries of the State.
! they will not. in the view Of the Committee.
approve of such an expenditure, if its object
| is merely to provide for such a course of lit
erarv and classical education may be OBJ
| tanned quite as well elsewhere, without in
volving expense to the State and the conse-
| quent increase of taxation.
| In view Of all these facts the committee are
! unanimously of the opinion that the only true
policy for the Institution to pursue is to limit
| its course of instruction to branches of stud,
more nearly related to agriculture and the
mechanic arts, even if they are compelled to
omit French and German and the higher
mathematics. to charge tuition for instruc-
ton, and to limit their expenditures to their
\ income