Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-02-15

legislation to future management
The management at Orono pay out
some money coming up here to tell US
that their institution is ours, and put
considerable stress onto it, too, but at the
same time seem to be 10th to go away
and leave it to us to make an appropria
ton for our own business.
Now, let us make appropriations to COM
pare with the times and our ability to pay
taxes at present, and not deal too much
in futures or we cannot tell what our
ability to pay will be in the future.
Mr.. Wiggin of AroostOok: / should
like to call the attention of the Senate for
n moment to the act of the National Con
gress under which the college was en-
lowed This act was passed in the Con
gress of the United States in 1862, and by
this act there was granted and set apart
an amount of land equal to 80, GOO acres
for each senator and representative in
Congress from the different states, for the
purposes enumerated in the act. These
purposes were for the support and MAIN
tenance of at least one college where the
leading object shall be the teaching of
agriculture and the mechanic arts, with
out excluding altogether such classical
iiSSNAD'AJ1
Gliding military tactics. and to promote
the education of the industrial CLASSES in
their respective trades and vacations. 1t
was further provided that no portion OF
the fund so created, or the interest there
of, should be applied to the purchase
erection, preservation or repair OF any
building or buildings. 1t Is not necessary
for me to read to you this whole act;
many Of you have doubtless read it, and
are familiar with it. This is the cndow-
ment act passed by the Congress of the
United States. Under this act it was
possible for the State of Maine to lnstl-
tutc u college Of this kind; and the state
did institute such Il college, a college
which we term the State College OF Agrl-
culture and Mechanic Arts 1T was not
compulsory on the State to do it. 1t was
left optional The State of Maine, by an
act of 1865. saw fit to avail itself of the
provisions of this act, and by the act of
1865. which made this college possible, the
State of Maine assumed the obligations
and RESPONSIBILITIES which were made
manifest i'm the act of 1862 passed by the
National Congress. These lands were
set off to the State, and were sold.
wish to call the attention of the Senate to
one of her clause in this endowment act,
which provides that if any portion of the
fund which should arise under the provi-
sions of this act be diminished or lost it
shall be replaced by the State to which it
belongs. Now. l claim that substantial
and actual loss was suffered by this fund,
and that it was diminished by the sale of
these lands in the way in which they were
sold that while the State of Maine real
lied only 40 or 80 cents an acre from the
sale of these lands, and thereby made the
endowment fund about Sis, 600, that by
n iudicious sale of these lands which other
states had availed themselves of, this en-
dowment fund might be good, generous
half million dollars. l claim that the
State of Maine is in this particular I'M
der obligations to the State and to the
nation.
Another point to which l wish to call
attention is this: 1t is said that this col
legc is a ward of the State, and for that
reason the State can be depended upon to
care for it from year to year. 1t is first
and foremost ward of the nation. The
United States Congress, in providing for
the wants OF this college wisely provided
that the endowment fund should be CON
tinuous fund and so we arc not obliged
to go to Congress every year for a new ap,
propriation. The endowment was placed
so that this college could avail itself OF
the fund arising from the sale OF these
lands throughout all time, Now, the
point is made by some of the opponents
of this resolve that the faculty and man
ayers of this college are not willing &c
trust the Legislature to care for its wants
/ from wear to year. ] claim that there is
/ no good ground for any such objection.
! This is an institution under the care of the
| State. 1t is an institution for which this
/ State has made itself responsible under
/ this endowment act, when it assumed
/ the obligations placed by the United States
| Congress on every state which took ad
vantage of this act; and the State Is
| bound by its obligations to see to 1t thai
/ this institution has sufficient revenue tt
run it's affairs advantageously for the pur
poses for which it was instituted.
/ claim that no business man will deny thai
this institution, with its growing needs
and its growing patronage. and l an
proud to say, its growing hold upon thu
1 confidence of all classes of people In thu
State, can better be administered, an1
with better results and better condition:
for the growing use of the State of Maine
il its faculty and managers know from
year to year, and for term of years II
/ advance, what they have got to worl
with, and how much of an appropriation
they have got depend on.
4 You will notice that this resolve pro
vides that no part of this appropriation
shall be applied to paying for instruction
This is the complement of the endowment
act of the United States Congress, which
provides that no part of the endowment
, fund shall be applied to the purchase
erection, preservation or repair of an.
!. building or buildings. Under the on
! act we cannot touch a penny for build
ings; under the other we cannot touch :
|, penny for instruction. This appropria
tion is needed for equipment, for repairs
: and for other growing needs of the new
) branches which are being introduced, AM
} which the growing needs of the age cal
for, and which are appreciated by on
, young men.
am very happy to note that the un