The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-10
THE PUBLIC PULSE
Communications under this head are pub.
lished on ali proper subjects at the RESPONSE
bility OF the writer.
Our Educational Needs.
To the Editor of The HERALD:

colleges, or what otherwise might be called
schools or departments. The whole system
of pu bic schools is comparatively free.
A district school is found in almost every
district, usually q small area Of country
ana is, therefore, within the immediate
vicinity of the home OF nearly every child.
High schools are established in almost
every important city In the land where a
higher education can be obtained, and this
higher education and preparation for uni
versity work is within the reach Of the
great majority of our youths, while
still nearer their homes a university
or collegiate education is, in the most
cases. the only kind which compels persons
to expend considerable extra means on &C
count of the necessity of going away from
home to acquire such an education. There
is a harmoLy and also an economy in this
system worthy of praise and admiration.
The people of Utah have, of late years,
through their legislature and otherwise,
done much
FOR THE INTERESTS OF EDUCATION,
and they evidently have an inclination to
do all within their power to still further
educational interests. II is, however,
necessary that every citizen and every
legislator understand the educational con-
ditlons and needs OF our territory before
measures taken to promote education can
be the most effectual.
At the present time there are two higher
institutions of learning in Utah, the uni
versity of Deseret, established as
far back as 1851, and the Agricultural
college, established TWO years ago. Ac-
cording to its annual" the university
OF Deseret mas the following courses: nor
NAL, classical, literary, scientific, mining
and preparatory course. The Agricul-
tural college embraces in its catalogue
courses in agriculture, domestic arts, me-
chanical engineering, civil engineering,
mining engineering, irrigation engineer
ing and preparatory course. The liter
airy, scientific and mining courses Of the
former institution cover almost every
branch of learning in the courses of the
latter institution with the exception of
those studies Immediately connected with
agriculture and domestic at. We, there
fore have two higher educational iLstitu-
tons, in the most part paralelling their
work. Now, there are not more than from
fifty to one hundred students prepared
through the entire territory for actual col
lege work, and it will yet be some time to
come before there can be
number sufficiently large to supply
material for one good university.
BY looking over the catalogues of both
these institutions, we find that if one may
be called university the other may be
equally as well. There are, therefore,
TWO UNIVERSITIES BEING ESTABLISHED
by our legislators, and the yearly revenue
Of the territory does not exceed 5000, 000
and there are but veryfew students beyond
the preparatory course in each institution
1t is not our intention to put one straw in
the way to the building up of the educa-
tional interests of the territory; but we
wish to present facts and TO have these
fapTe plps rlv understood that hot ",
be done during this legislature and here
after to promote education, may be done
for the best interests OF all concerned. At
present what we need as much as anything
else, If not more, are three or four more
high schools throughout the territory like
the ones at Ogden and in Salt Lake city,
where the young can acquire an education
beyond that offered by the district schools
without being obliged to expend extra
means by being absent from their homes,
where this education can be obtained
within the influence of parental care, and
where preparations can be made for uni
versity or collegiate work If we wish to
build up agricultural, mining, scientific,
normal, literary and indu strial colleges, it
is necessary to prepare our poys and girls
at home to enter upon the work of such
colleges; and to DO this high schools are an
absolute necessity. The district and high
schools, however must work in harmony
with the higher educational institutions,
otherwise time is frittered away and pub
lie means wasted. One higher educational
| institution is quite sufficient for cur terri
tory now, and will be for some time 10
come. The University of Deseret should
absorb the agricultural college or
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
become the university of the territory.
In this university there should then be es-
ta blished the differen5 schools. COLLEGES or
departments already mentioned and others
when needed, and the most important de.
! partments should receive the greatest at
! tentlsn. For instance, at present great
attention should be given to the aericul-
tural department; the normal or training
school should receive due consideration,
that our district schools may be supplied
with efficient teachers, and the chemical
! department being the foundation of nearly
| all scientific departments, should be given
the care to which it is entitled. The mining
or industrial schoo!, which is permanent on
account of tie vast mineral resources oil
! Utah, should be foremost for consideration
among the university departments, and II
| should be nurtured with such care and at
tention as to make it the great factor in The
development of the mineral wealth of this
region. Furthermore, that not only good
silver and lead industries may be devel
oped, but that soda, glass, pottery, cement
soap, and hundred other industries Of
which our mineral resources are capable
may be developed.
But that these colleges or departments
Of university may accomplish anything Of
worth 10 the people with double the present
population and revenue of the territory
they must be centralized. One CORPS O
professors will do for al these department,
or colleges in giving instruction In the
branches common to all, when these de
partments are centralized or under On:
university. Anyone acquainted with uni
versity work knows that a considera bl,
amount OF the work is common 10 all thu
different scientific courses. If
TIE SCHOOL OF MINES
be in one county, the agricultural colleq
in another, the general science in auothe
and the literary department il
still another, the territory must suppor
four different corps of professors; al
corps doing more or less the same work
four different sets of apparatus, etc. Gu
territory at the present time cannot in
dulge in such extravaganza In fac,
under such condition, there would eyis
the names of colleges and universities
with the distant future intervening befor
their realities would even become perce1
tible. Let US make what we have and shal
have in the line of education efficient. cs
pable of accomplishing that which will b
of real worth 10 the people of our terri
tory. Let US have high schools in diffe,
ent parts of the territory, so that the mas
of the people can, by obtaining for thei
sons and daughters preparation at HON
for college work, save money and be bette
able to give them the advantages q
literary, agricultural. mining and industrit