Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-03-27

mentarily expecting to hear news
from Africa OF decisive battle.
LEoNoRA.
The Fruits of Extravagance.
Statesman.
The State of Washington has three
normal schools located at Ellensburg,
Cheney and New Whatcom. The
great State of New York with nearly
twenty times the population, of this
State and Pennsylvania with about
fifteen times our population each,
each manage to get along with one
normal school. The same is true Of
the other old and heavily populated
States like Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Mis-
souri,.
The correct thing at the outset
would have been to combine the nor
NAL schools, the Agricultural College,
and the State University all in the
last named, thus making one strong
State college of which every citizen
might feel pround. The very words
college and university in their original
meaning were applied to such union
OF schools and studies under one
common head.
But the diverse local interests and
selfish demands of various sections OF
the State, and the pernicious system
Of log-rolling among members OF the
legislature for the exchange of favors,
have resulted in the breaking up Of
the parts that should together form q
State University, and to their distri-
button among different localities in
the form OF weak and struggling
schools under diverse names.
1t is too late now to correct this
mistake, except perhaps in the case Of
normal schools. One State normal
school is enough, and certainly peo-
pie in no better financial condition
than those of this new State should
not be expected to support three.
Many of the older States have priv
ate normals such as at Valparaiso,
Indiana; Lebanon, Ohio; or at Shen.
andoah, Iowa, and if there is any ne
cessity for more than one normal
school in this State there is no law
against the establishment of more
such schools by private individuals.
The private normals in the older
States are more largely attended and
more prosperous than those endowed
by the States. The private school at
Valparaiso, Indiana, under the able
management OF President H. B.
Brown, has an average yearly attend
ance OF 5000 students while the State
normal at Danville has an average at.
tendance OF less than 500 students.
We think the next legislature OF
this State should make one OF the
normal schools the only State institu-
ton, and let the Others shift for them.
selves hereafter. 1t might be that un.
aided they would outstrip the State
school, as many Eastern private nor.
mails have done in their respective
States.
The State OF Washington has been
outrageously and shamefully extrava.
CANT in the management OF her edu.
cational affairs. The aggregate school
debt Of the State is now more than
"a 100000. OF course, this is in great
part the work OF the school districts
which have gone recklessly into
debt in order to erect fine buildings
pay extravagant salaries, and furnish
rich pickings for dishonest school
officers and school supply agents
The people of the whole State a few
years ago were permeated through
and through with the spirit OF heed.
less extravaganza, and this spirit con.
trolled every officer in the State, from
School Director to member of the
legislature and Governor.
We are now harvesting the fruits OF
our folly. School districts, with few
exceptions, are bankrupt, and can
maintain school but few months in
the year at distressingly low wages to
teachers. In many instances private
subscriptions and public entertain
ments are resorted to in order to raise
money TO keep the schools running.
In one instance, over in Yakima
county, dance was given in a coun-
try district to raise money for the
teacher.
In this deplorable condition of af-
fairs it will be the imperative duty of
the next Legislature to cut off all
needless expense for State institutions,
and endeavor to tighten State taxa
ton that the people may more easily
throw off the heavy Indebtedness of
the school district.
With the magnificent endowment
OF school lands that the general gov
ernment provided for the support of
the common schools in this State, it
was thought that our schools would
burden the people but little. Much
OF that endowment has been wasted.