The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-13
THE ASSEMBLY AND KINGSTON,


THE ASSEMBLY AND KINGSTON.
The very fact that there is so little ac-
tive public interest In the affairs of the
State Agricultural School at Kingston
makes it important that the General AS
sembly should give to the subject what
may be called a personal attention-in
the interests of the taxpayers, OF the
federal appropriations of which it is
trustee, and that conditions may be so
far improved that public interest may
be awakened for the public's own benefit.
The. .deplorable state of affairs at the
pretentious institution remotely located
on Kingston hill is entirely due to the
fact that the management has been per-
mitted to 60 ahead without the advan-
tage that would accrue from nearer
touch with the public. The people of
Rhode Island simply have no active in
terest in the Kingston school because
such an interest is impracticable. The
school pursues a negative existence. 1t
runs by default. Waste,ulness and ex-
travagance and incompetency revel on
Kingston Hill free from public criticism,
secure from the public eye. 1t took
spGial investigating committee to bring
out what, under other circumstances,
would have been plainly evident. The
Roard v.pf Managers exercise only per-
functory supervision, and General Assem-
blies do not concern themselves about
what Is doing on Kingston Hill because
ublic sentiment has no concern in the
matter to bring pressure to bear upon
their members. The people in the near
by committees who reap about all the ad-
vantage possible from the school but
realize its condition, are unable to make
their protests effective whore tho many
thousands in the State have no
active interest. When any ques-
tion comes up, as that for the re-
moval OF the school TO location
OF accessibility, the ring on Kingston Hill
turns out in force to present its side of
the argumsnt. The ring has an active
interest-an interest due to the fact that
the school gives the members of il occu-
patton and their daily bread. Aud oppo-
sition is only small against any presenta
tion OF the case the ring may choose to
make, because nobody has any interest in
the school except those that su ubsist on It
and the few in the near neighborhood
who are enabled to secure the advantages
the institution was designed to furnish
the whole State.
In this situation, it is the cuty of the
General Assembly which Is responsible
to the people of tho State and to the fed
eral government for school and manage
ment and board OF managers, to make a
study of the subject rather beyond what
Is demanded when there is sufficient pub
lie sentiment to furnish information and
argument. The fact is, the institution
has a splendid and costly plant. 1t is
richly endowed. 1t has regular annual
income of about sl5, COO and is in receipt
OF several thousand more outside it's en-
dowment funds. 1t had salary list In
1895 OF $50, 5S6 And yet in the five years
OF its existence this misnamed "college"
has only enrolled 36l pupils including the
large proportion of special students VINO
take only an inccnspicuous part OF the
overweighted and high sounding course.
The thing is an absur dity and scan
dal. The General Assembly should give
it a radical overhauling. A private in.
stitutioD conducted as is the Rhode Island
College OF Agriculture and Mecnsnic Arts
would be bankrupt and a laughing
stock.
s