The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-05-17


the five members OF the committee, only
one, IL is said, voted for West Kingston,
and be afterward changed his vote to
Kingston. But that was not sufficient.
Some time later (but before a building
had been erected upon the farm selected)
at what purported to be a meeting OF the
County Grange in Hope Valley, insti-
gated by very artful letter a discussion
was precipitated about the location OF the
buildings for the school and experiment
station at Kingston. After . lengthy dis
cussion a committee of three was ap-
pointed, OF which Mr.. Arthur Brown of
West Kingston, who had been an earnest
advocate of the change, was a member.
The duty OF the committee was to "labor
with the board OF control and urge them
10 buy additional land between said farm
and the Shore Line railroad and TO build
the buildings for the said school ana sta
tion on land near the railroad" Mr..
Brown, in a communication TO the local
papers of March 1, S9, OF great length,
divided into "a heads, made known the
fact by way OF conclusion, that "by re-
quest OF the board OF control" a
mass meeting was TO be held
on the two pieces OF land Zone
that selected by the State, and the other
that offered for sale by West Kingston)
"to express their opinion whether the
two shall be united in lawful wedlock
and house keeping commenced at once"
etc, etc. GAN interested should bo there
to bless the union or forever
hold their peace" / am afraid that the
West Kingston member of the laboring
committee is not heeoing his own in
junction.
AT that meeting the location selected
by the State and the proposed change to
West Kingston was thoroughly discussed.
The advocates of the railroad location at
West Kingston overcame the distance, for
the meeting was held in barn on the
chosen site and presented their views to
the board. Strange, but true, OF the West
Kingston people present some were in
favor OF the Kingston location-one par
ticularly, the late Mr.. John q. Clarke, was
pronounced in sustaining the selection of
location made by the State legislative
committee.
II accessibility was the only considera-
tion in the location OF an educational in
siitution proximity to q railroad station
would be the ideal place. For obvious
reasons, parents particularly object to
location too near railway depot.
The Agricultural College is accessible;
since its location, the town Of South
Kiugstown has made 1t more accessible
by building two highways to the College
farm and Macadsmizing the main high
way leading by il. One of these highways
is the realization of the anticipations of
Mr. Brown, from whose article in the
local paper now quote:
"Open up the farm" (by the proposed
highway 10 the Experiment Station) "in
such q way as this and il would become
grand object lesson az thousands upon
thousands Of persons could pass through
it," mountain can be made out of mole
hill. Compare the accessibility OF the
Rhode Island State Agricultural College
with that of the State OF New York
where some Of the counties are about the
size OF the State and the % minutes walk
to reach something lao feet superior to
the railway level becomes as nothing. Ad-
mitting as you do that South Kingstown is
the best place fer the Agricultural College
can assure you that 1t is in the best To-
cation in South Kingstown and think
you will find that 90 per cent. OF the csta-
logues of educational institutions open
their pages by calling attention to their
"quick drainage and delightful view,"
especially If they have them.
The adding together of all that the ex-
pertinent station and college have ever
had and spent, and then capitalizing that
at or per cent, and affirming that the
college has had the advantages of 81, ,000, 900
and then pronouncing the conundrum,
What is the result? is a new way of "hold-
up" an institution. Take the annual cost
of instruction, simply, as IL averages for
Providence county public schools. Null
tiply IL by eight, the number of years q
child attends school, multiply 1t by five,
the number of children there are
in some families, capitalize it at 3
per cent. and you have nearly
900 involved in the instruction of
one family, to say nothing OF buildings,
apparatus, etc. Why don't you advocate
move on the public school system?
Apply the same method to the State in
stitutions at Crsnston, where about
hundred thousand is spent yearly, and
call for committee OF investigation.
Much has been said OF twenty four
professors giving instruction to q rela-
lively small number of students.
The much analyzed catalogue shows but
IL professors, as such. One OF them is
detailed by the United States Government
to give instruction in Military Science.
Four of the remainder are upon the sta
tion STAFF and give limited amount OF
instruction in such branches as their pro-
fession makes them specialists in. For
instance the chemist of the experiment
station took q course in Geology, while at
Gottingen University, Germany; for that
reason he is utilized to give instruction
from two 10 four hours to the senior class