The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-08-08
What Vermont has Lost.

To the Editor of the Waterman -
Men lose much by false economy. The
farmer who pinches his stock to save
fodder loses many times the value of
the fodder in the shrinkage of the
cows and their milk. The farmer who
keeps poor cows loses far more than
the cost of good ones. Unless econ
omy is directed by good judgment and
wisdom, it will cause loss in the end.
A man loses much who denies his wife
and children things they greatly need,
in order to save few cents or dollars.
To put hundred dollars in the bank
and keep child from school shows a
sad lack of good sense in a parent.
Vermont has suffered much from
that kind of economy that saves ten
dollars and loses five hundred, that
saves hundred dollars and loses what
is of priceless value. When Senator
Morrill, prepared the college land-grant
bill, he put in a provision that not
cent of the fund should be used for
buildings. The states were to provide
these; but Vermont continued 10 get
around this provision and save the ex-
pense of buildings by saddling the col
lege upon the university. BY this
mastery stroke of economy the state
has probably saved fifty thousand dol
lars. Now let us see what it has lost:
0) The farmers have lost the most
of their share of the land grant fund.
This would be about 800 per year.
Allowing $500 to cover the cost of what
the college has done annually for agri-
culture, we have lost $4,000 per year,
in, for instance, twenty years-$100, 900
lost by economy.
(2) A young man who has graduated
from an agricultural college is worth to
the state at least 500 year more than
one without such education, or, if he
lives thirty years after graduating,
! $1,000. If only five young men had
graduated each year for twenty years,
it would amount to $500, 900 which Yer
mont has lost by economy.
(3) Doubtless many young men have
gone away from the state who would
have stayed and become good farmers
and citizens, could they have taken a
course in an efficient agricultural col
lege. Such a man would be worth to
the state, say $4,000. Suppose that
during the past twenty-five years
twenty-five such men had been saved
to Vermont, it would have amounted
to S250,000. The state of Vermont
lost more than half million dollars
because it has evaded the plain duty of
establishing a good, strong, independ-
ent agricultural college. But the state
has lost more than this. There are
losses which cannot be measured by
money.
10.
tunity. 1t takes several years to estab-
lsh any kind of a school. An agri-
cultural college, especially, needs much
care at first. 1t has to overcome preju-
dice and win its way to the confidence
of the people. During the past twenty
five years the states have had an oppor-
tunitv to establish such institutions
and those that have done so, now find
themselves ready to do the work which
the times demand. Vermont has lost
this opportunity. Instead of winning
its way to favor, the college of the state
has alienated the support of all. 1t
has created prejudice, destroyed conf
dence; and it will be more difficult to
establish a good agricultural college
now, than it would if the state had never
had a college. The college, such as
it has been, has done more harm than
good. The work that Vermont should
have been doing all these years remains
to be done. And it will be all the
harder to do it on account of the negli-
gence of the past. l might 60 on, but
it is not needed. Vermont loses more
every year that this duty is deferred
than it would cost to establish good
institution. Will the legislature of
1888 take upon itself the honor OF
putting an end to this wretched econ
omy?" PLowMAN.