The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-04-15
vi.
Why Not Move the School?


OF what use are all the equipment, all
the professors, all the funds, If the school
is located where the mass Of the young
men and young women for whom 1t is
established cannot reach it? As ct pres
ent established it is a school for the rich
or at least for those who are enough
we!l-to-do to permit boarding and
living at the school. The idea that
secured the location OF the school two
miles from the great railroad system that
drains the State and that could daily
bring hundreds to the school, from
Charlestown, from Westerly, from Hop
kinton, from Essex, from all the South
county and from Kent County and even
the northern towns, was that it should be
q boarding school.
But what Is the condition after four
years of experience? Is the sphere of useful
ness of the school to be limited to the
handful of young men and women whose
parents can afford to send them to q
boarding school? Are there not O vast
number of young men and young women
anxious to avail themselves of
the advantages the school offers,
but unable to do so because the To-
cation of the institution bars them? Is
that not SO? Would not the school at
tendance increase threefold, four-fold, or
even ten fold, il the school could be
brought to the young meu and young
women, in whose interests it was estab-
lished-instead Of boing kept out of the
way, out Of their reach?
The General Assembly is asked to APP
propriate $40, 900 to rebuild the dormitory
destroyed by fire and add new structures,
perhaps. Why doesn't the necessity for
this money suggest an opportunity
for establishing the school
where it ought to have
been located in the first place?
The most expensive and most important
part Of the plant has been burned down.
Only small proportion of the capital
actually invested in plant is now repre-
sented on Kingston hill. The biggest part
has been swept away by fire. Isn't tnis O
good time to move the school down the
hill where it may be of real use, where its
supreme advantages may be availed OF?
What can be the objection?
Leave the bee hives and the chicken
coops on top of the hill, IL you please, but
bring your main educational buildings
down near the station--locate them on the
lower end, the western end of the States
property. Then 60 ahead and build up
the school on the lines already SO well
begun, but now SO likely to be wasted.
Make splendid State university, instead
OF gigantic but empty institution in the
back yard Of Kingston village.
The other part of the plant offers few
obstacles to such q removal. The labora-
tory cost $4,000, but it was built chiefly
for the Experiment Station, which could
utilize it still IL the school was moved to
ian ion 4 inn N
to be available at nearly its true value still.
IL those professors are in earnest who argue
that students should walk two miles to
school, end IL they are correct in saying
that some students prefer such a walk, it
would be an actual boon TO such profess
sors and pupils to quarter them in the
present boarding hail. even after the new
buildings are erected near the railroad
station, thus utilizing the boarding hall
without waste.
The Mechanical building should be
moved to place easy of access, whatever
the cost, as such a building is wholly
"mislocated," under any circumst tances, so
far from the railroad. II was quite well
built, but is so framed that it
could be taken apart, and about
all its boards, timbers and
foundation stones used again, the chief
loss being in shingles and labor, partially
Offset by chance to remedy some faults
in plan and construction not recognized
a. such until the building bad been used.
The Veterinary building was not well
built. Indeed, II leaked in more than
one place almost from the first. IL Is n mere
pile of lumber, and In not now used for
the purpose for which il was planned.
II is used as an art building. but Is not as
good for that as 1t should be, as leaks
have damaged some good pictures. IL
could be taken down and put up In
enough better shape to pay for the cost
by the improvement made.
The farm buildings could be utilized to
fair advantage where they are. and all
minor structures could be moved cheaplv.