The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-01-15

] normal school is necessary. would suggest
l that it be located in some portion of the state
! Of the largest population and in some central
| city of that section The school property OF
Kansas, including buildings and grounds
/ is valued at sl1.l45631. The bonded
Indebtedness of the school districts was
s44.545,7OS. Sixteen thousand eight hundred
and thirty-seven persons were examined for
| teachers certificates. of whom 1l.46S. with an
/ average age of 20 years, received certificates.
| Only 356 districts have failed to maintain pub
| lie schools three months. One hundred and
| five counties held teachers Institutes. each of
! which has an attendance of over 80 members.
| These institutes cost s3S 1860 The school
! system is the pride of our state. As Sparta s
! strength was not in her walls. but in her men,
| so the wealth of Kansas lies not in her treas
/ ury, but in her storehouseS of general intelli-
/ gence. We may not have amassed such vast
| fortunes as are boosted by the cOuntry's me-
| trOpolis but we can thank God that every boy
! and girl in Kansas can go TO school. The chill
dren of Kansas are rot shipped to eastern
| states to be quarterej upon others, that our
name shall become a by-word and kissing il
the ears of the republic.
Permanent School Fund.
The state permanent school funds have
have reached the magnificent sum of g. S53. 9s7-
! -, the greater part of which has been invested
in bonds. The intent and purpose of the law
was to buy none but the best and those on which
the interest and principal would be promptly
paid. l should suggest that the attorney-gcn-
eral, if necessary. be empowered to collect the
interest and principle on these delinquent bonds,
If possible, and. if not possible to collect in FULL
by and with the consent of the executive coun-
Gil to compromise on the best terms possible
for the interests of this fund the proceeds to be
turned into the permanent school fund, as pro-
vided by law. There is another evil worthy of
your attention in connection with the
investment of the funds by the school
fund commissioners. It has been practice for
this commission instead of dealing direct with
the authorized authorities of the different cOun-
ties and municipalities, to do business with
some third party and in several cases to which
my attention has been called unnecessary COM
missions have been paid the third party. which
has left the matter open to suspicion that there
was conspiracy to defraud NY attention has
been called to one transaction where in trans
fer Of sl07, go Of a certain county's bonds. the
taxpayers were made to pay over $4,000 which
went into the hands of some intermediate par
ties. l would recommend that it be made a
penal effense for the school fund commissioners
to transact their business with the different
counties municipalities and school districts
through third parties.
The University of Kansas.
The University of Kansas has a faculty of "a
instructors and an attendance of 9i5 students.
The institution utilities six buildings for educa-
tiOnal purposes and enjoys an income of SlOS 600
per annum. Apparatus and libraries to the
value of 1920 600 are at the disposal of the stu
dents The museum contains Sl07, 900 worth of
property. The students come from 81 Kansas
counties and from every walk of life. the largest
number, of course. being from farms. Almost
One-half of them are self-SuppOrting. The an
nual income is less than that Of the universities
of Iowa, Nebraska. Missouri Illinois. Ohio,
Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, California. or
other similar institution The rapid increase
in attendance during recent years has made 1t
difficult for the university to keep pace with
the demands of the students. The board of re-
gents makes a very earnest petition for the
building of chemistry hall. If the legislature
decides to erect this building. it is the inten-
tion to devote the present diminutive chemistry
building to the school Of pharmacy, which at
present appears to be in a rather unsettled con-
dition as to house room. The time has evident
ly been reached when larger quarters for the
department of chemistry at least, and prob
ably for the workshop of the
school of electrical engineering, have
become absolute necessities 1 COM
mend the requests of the regents for more
room, to the serious and thoughtful considera-
ton Of the legislature. The university of Kan
sas was founded with the purpose of giving the
youth of the state a liberal education at home
titled to educational advantages as those OF
communities in which Weather parents are
able to give their children better advantages
than we could secure. Only intelligent citizens
can maintain a republic and believe it is still
a settled principle of the commonwealth of
Kansas that her people shall be as well pre-
pared for the duties of citizenship as those of
any state in the union.
Agricultural College at Manhattan.
baC n Of
and an attendance of 647 students. two-thirds
of whom are young men. The students come
from - counties in Kansas, and most of them
are from farms. The income last year was S7S-
6S6.37. The agricultural college has an endow-
ment fund OF 1000 which is invested in bonds
bearing interest at from five to ten per cent.
The properties of the institution are valued at
S401 600 Of which 1928 900 is the value of the
grounds and buildings. April 5. 1898, the resi-
dence of the president of the college built
by the state in 1885. was set on fire by
lightning and completely destroyed. The sum
of S. 600 is requested for the rebuilding Of this
residence The regents, for the fourth time
request proper sum for the establishing Of a
dairy school 1t is estimated that q, 500 would
equip such a department. The large sums al
ready invested in this excellent institution are
of themselves sufficient inducement for further
investments to maintain what has been accom-
plished, and TO secure the good results that we
nope LOT IN the luJure- Inc AGRICULTURAL COL
lege stands with the university and the normal
school at the head of our system OF public edu-
cation. It's present needs and its future posi-
bilities should receive careful and liberal con-
Siderstion- Our schools must not be allowed to
recede, but must continue to grow, develop and
keep pace with the state.
State Normal School.
The state normal school has CORPS OF q in
structorS an attendance Of 1,55O students and q
library Of 5000 books. This institution has an |
income Of SSS, 200 Of which, for the year ended |
June go 1895, q, 1852 were received from fees
from I model department, special classes |
and irregular students. One hundred and |
eighty-five children are instructed in the model |
department, which is utilized for training pur- |
poses Ninety counties are represented at the |
During the last ten years HOS |
pupils have attended the state normal school. |
coming from "a counties Last year there |
were students from u other states and terri |
tories. TwO-thirdS Of the present attendants |
are ladies. This institution has an endow- |
ment fund of about $40 OOOO buildings |
and grounds valued at $4,000 and furniture |
and libraries to the value of $50 900
The interest on the endowment fund * some |
what rapidly decreasing. For the year ending
June 30, 1888. the income from interest was
Sl6.SO7.25. while for the year ending June 80 |
1896 il was but Sl4 300 The b0arl of regar+s