The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-02-01

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ford higher education, this school, has
done, faithfully and we'll, work
wholly legitimate for State Normal
School. II there is need for any Nor
NAL School in the state, there is every
reason why this school should have
the opportunity to prosecute the work
it is trying to accomplish, and those
who would take the school away from
this portion of the state for the bene-
fit of more favored portions or for the
benefit of other institutions located
where the needs are so much less i'm
perative than here, know not what
they do.
Some OF the objections which are
urged against the continuance of the
school are:-it is patroniZed by the
people from Minnesota, Though there
are but three students in the school
from that state and thered we're lnO
more than six last year. The school
has never educated large mum Der
from other states. River Falls, it is
claimed, lis in a sparsely populated por-
tion of the state, though there are in
Wisconsin 275,O00 people within 100
miles of this city. 1t is said to be in
accessible, but there are two pass
enger trains each way daily to all
parts of nOrtI western Wisconsin. 1t
is urged that tie patronage is local in
its character. This is true. but the
same may be said of every Normal in
the state, probably in any state. 1t
may also be said of our state Universe
ty, one fourth of whose students are
recruited from Dane county; two
fifths from Dane and the counties
which touch Dane; nearly one half
IA per cent? from within radius Of
fifty miles. 100000 residents of Wis
consin more than 100 miles from
Madison, scattered through forty
northern counties, send but 100 stu
dents to the chief educational institu-
ton ia the state. Who would think
of claiming that the INFLUENCE. Of
our thriving University is limited to
southern Wisconsin?
On Decem Der % the Board of Re-
gents, by a vote of eight to two, de-
cided to rebuild the school at River
Falls. Since that time the insurance
has been adjusted, and plans and
specifications have been made by. re-
liable architects and builders, show
ing that fine, com mod.Ous building
can be put up for the amount of in
surance received. It will therefore
not be necessary to go TO the tax pay
ers for a dollar to rebuild or equip the
the school
During the last four years Wiscon-
sin has equipped two other Normal
schools in localities no more favorable
than River Falls, besides having
established, built and equipped a
school for the feeble minded at
Chippewa Falls, at an expense double
that required to rebuild the Normal
here for the training of teachers. In
view of this liberal policy on the part
of the law makers it would seem
strange for the legal authorities to
curtail the educational efficiency of
the Normal system to save for other
purposes the few thousand dollars
which fairly belong to the school for
which the insurance was written.
That the facts may not become
fully known to the public is the only
fear entertained by the friends of the
school. lis therefore with malice
toward none and charity for all that
this letter is addressed to the Editors
of Wisconsin, in the firm belief that
every fair minded person is willing to
cooperate with us in giving to the
public information of the true condi-
ton here. 1t is believed that the
Press may be relied upon to create
that public opinion which, when once
aroused, is sure to settle this import
ant question, important to all public
institutions in the state and to all IN
terested in them.-in the only right
way. by continuing school which for
nearly quarter of century has sent
forth young people who are worthy
and we'll qualified to instruct the
youth of our noble commonwealth.
w. D. PARKER.
River Falls, jan IS, '9S. Pres.