The record-union., 1897-01-20

to Stanford University for their educa-
ton, to relieve the endowment of the
university from taxation. Already
through the generous way in which Mr..
Rockefeller's gift has been treated the
University of Chicago is able to ex-
pend twice as much each year as Stan
ford, though the original gift was less.
The State of New York received Mr.
CornelFs gift of a million dollars in the
same generous spirit, and has added in
one way or another some four millions
to the original endowment besides free
ing it completely from taxation.
A few years ago DR.. Dohrn and his
German associates established in the
City of Naples an institution for study
ing the natural history of the sea. Ma
pies at once exempted the institution
from taxation, gave it site compris-
Ing an acre or more of frontage in one
OF its finest parks, duplicated the build
lngs, doubling its capacity and aided
1t materially in other ways.
Without going into detail, / may say
that if Stanford University had been
offered to any large Eastern city or to
any city Of Europe, arrangements
would have been made at once to dupli-
cate its buildings and release its en-
dowment from taxation. In California,
however, out of its present income
of one hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars, more than thirty thousand dollars
each year is taken for State and county
taxes and the balance of the two hun
dred thousand dollars, representing its
annual cost of maintenance, is taken
from Mrs. Stanfords private means
pin money which she has saved up for
the building of kindergartenS and for
the additions to the museum. AS fast
as she is able to get control of the bal
ance of her husbands estate it Will
doubtless be turned over to the uni
Versity; but with the increased income
the taxes also increase. On the will
ingness Of the State to relieve the in
st1tut1on of this burden in great meas
ure depends its future growth. Thirty
thousand dollars a year added to the
income of the university means much.
You will notice by referring to the
original statute under which the uni
versity was founded that by the statute
the income is to be forever devoted to
the purposes of education, non-secta-
A'NSAAs anu, 81 Aal do may Ue, Tree, III
other words to the same purposes as
are reached by the public school sys-
tenn Of the State.
You will notice also that by the con-
stitution of the university it's trustees
are required to make an annual report
of their actions to the Governor of the
State Of California. In case of failure
on the part of the trustees to conduct
this trust as a public trust should be
conducted, as for example, if they
should enforce sectarian tests, then it
is the duty of. the State to take posses
sion Of the property and carry out as
trust the intention of the grantor
In other words, Mr.. Stanford ar
ranged to make the university proper
ty practically a gift to the State but
put its control in the hands of a Board
of Trustees so that it could never be
influenced by the political changes that
take place in State affairs; while on
the other hand he left it for the State
Of Calif1----.s to see that the property
was forever devoted TO its proper use
[ am, very truly yours,
DAVID STARR JORDAN,
President Stanford University.