The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-21

anu IcCitdtiou puhNih6o "ia ""s'i
facilities at the State Agricultural
School at Kingston.
AS was anticipated, no one appeared to
oppose the measure, the hearing simply
affordiog opportunity to the board Of
managers 70 tell what they wanted the
money for--details that might bettef
have been fully told in the bill itself.
We are glad 10 learn from the board
Of managers what they propose to do
with this big sum of money. We think
the Assembly will be glad to learn about
it, also. Today the finance committee
will visit Kingston and try TO find out
how necessary the proposed buildings
may be.
We are of the opinion, despite the ex-
plantations Of the board, that mt this
time the General Assembly will not
turn over the sum of $4,000 wherewith
10 replace the dormitory and build
enough other structures to use mp the
appropriation. We believe in giving
the State Agricultural School at Kings
ton every facility to perform its work.
Fire apparatus. stand pipe, or sorNe-
thing of that sort ought to be provided.
The students should have dormitory
and ample recitation rooms-even large
hall for military maneuvers. We have
faith in the integrity and wisdom of the
board Of managers, although, to be sure,
the building erected under their supervis-
ion, and which was burned down, was a
peculiarly hideous piece Of architecture.
Still, it was built by home talent, so to
speak. by the folk of the school; no
architect was employed, and we have no
fault to find with the amateur builders
for furnishing an amateur specimen
OF architecture. The task was imposed
on them; they did the best they knew.
and no man can do more.
But even ii the buildings proposed
are absolutely necessary to the Kingston
school, and we really doubt il there is
very much rush about it, we believe n
majority Of the General Assembly
would still be opposed to making the
appropriation. Here is commission, a
board Of managers, who want the State
to give them $4,000 to do business
with. When called upon, they explain
in general terms, what they want to do
with the money. They propose to build
such and such buildings, and they hope
to add water tank. Possibly, il there
is money left after that, they will put
an ell on the hennery, and SOW with
clover seed the lswn in front of the
Presidents house. 1t all depends on
how the appropriation holds out, and If,
perchance, it is exhausted before either
one of the buildings is completed, why,
that is oil there is about it.
Now we have no doubt that the
board propose to get the most possible
out of their money. But we don't
think they are going the right way about
it. IL is not customary when the State
proposes to build a court house, or a
public building for any purpose, like a
Normal school, deaf institute, or an
asylum at Cranston, or a new State
House, to appoint commission and
then, for the asking. turn over an
appropriation to the commission to 60
ahead and spend. On the contrary, it is
the custom, and a good custom, too, to
have the commission intrusted with the
work report plans and estimates to the
Assembly for approval and, If both are
approved, money Is provided. There
may have been exceptions to this
method OF doing State work, but they
are not to be commended. But the
board of managers of the State Agri-
culture School at Kingston ask to be
given the money first, and they will tell
what they will do with il after they
have done 1t. We don't think the
Assembly will be disposed to inaugu-
rate such a precedent for procedure for
doing State work.
deal of money. We don't want TO waste it
and we don't want to spend it simply
because we have got it to spend. We
don't want to devote any part of it to
duplicating the landscape monstrosity
just destroyed by fire, possibly encour-
aged by indignant Nature in the
furtherance of her unremitting effort to
adjust things to her high standard of
harmony and beauty. Let the board of
managers point out their necessity and
submit their plans and their estimates
and give the Assembly an opportunity
to pass upon them, to cut the estimates
IL desirable and TO straighten out the
architecture if necessary. Then let the
money be appropriated for the immediate
work to be done.
We have no doubt the Assembly will
be liberal with the Kingston institution,
but we don't believe they will be disposed
to turn over to any board a lump sum of