The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-04-15
OUR EMPLOYEES AT KINGSTON.

view is delightful, in the backyard OF
the little village Of Kingston, is to the
effect that some portion OF the appro-
priation may be used for repairs, the
idea being that while the fund is de-
signed TO be devoted solely to assist the
running of the college, and not to es-
tablishing and building it-this burden
being put upon the State-a small part
of the national monies may be ex-
pended on repairs to the plant.
The authorities at Kingston School are
going ahead with the foundation work
preparatory to the expenditure OF the
$40, 900 which they have asked the State
for to rebuild the burned-down dormi-
tory. They haven't got the $4,000 yet
and we sincerely hope, for the good OF
the institution, that they won't get it,
or any part of it. until the General AS
sembly has looked into the situation at
Kingston with view to seeing If it is
not worth while to take advantage
of the present conditions to remove the
school down toward the station where
it ought to be. But the foundation
work is going ahead just the same, and
IL the Assembly declines to endorse the
premature action of the Kingston School
officials, the latter hope to pay for il
from the federal fund under the Flea of
repairs"
The whole thing. however, is piece
of buncombe characteristic of some OF
the heads at Kingston. Their compla-
cent methods remind us Of the way the
friends of the United States navy in
Congress used to get apr riations for
new ships. That was before the navy
became popular, and while, for years,
Congress declined to authorize new
ships it could not infrequently be induced
to appropriate large sums of money for
repairing old ships. Whereupon a
piece of the keel or the cabin table would
be taken from some worn-out ship of
war and brand new ship OF brand
new model, but retaining the name and
few feet of the timber from the old
craft, would be contructed out of sue
cessive annual appropriations for 're-
pairs"
On the top of Kingston Hill, amid the
quick drainage and the delightful view,
stands blackened wall-the remnant
of College Hall, bearing testimony to
the incompetency which wasted the
States money in its building. The
fire that destroyed the building fairly
roasted this wall. 1t is said to have been
SO hot during the fire that the fire fighters
couldn't get within fifty feet Of it. Such
wall would probably be menace to
any building that it formed a part Of.
But it is wall enough to enable the
Kingston authorities to fall back upon
the federal funds to pay for the
work they are now doing down there,
under the head Of repairs" if the As
sembly declines to appropriate for the
reconstruction that is now being done
without authority, but with the obvious
intention of making their demands on
the Assembly more forcible because Of
the work that will have been already
done when the appropriation comes up.
Some of the heads of the Kingston
School have ever shown disposition to
take too active part in the schemes
which have been put on foot relating to
the school. They have openly, and by
methods that have not been open, sought
to work the States officials and public
opinion ia the direction of their personal
ideas. We have read newspaper articles
that nave a strong flavor of being die
tated from Kingston Hill. Speeches of a
political nature have been made at
gatherings and exhibitions at the school.
and fulsome hattery has been bestowed
on such occasions upon certain officials
and legislators who have sided with the
sentiments of these employees of the
State. Not infrequently have these
gentlemen seemed to forget that
they are employees of the State,
that they are hired TO conduct the
school and not to direct the
Assembly as to its management, to criti-
else the Assemblymen or the people
whose ideas conflict with their own, or
to praise anybody who chances to hold
the opinions that they hold. They are
employed to saw wood and keep quiet.
but they have at times gone far afield in
their officious eagerness to control the
institution beyond their province.
This rebuilding business is part and
parcel of the tendency here referred to.
The attitude of some of the board of
managers and faculty of the State Col
lege is suggestive of an idea that they
have a status apart from and larger
than that conferred by the people
of the State, through their Senators and
Representatives. They apparently as
sumo to directly represent the United