The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-07
THE STATE NORMAL.
Mr.. Ray Responds to President Par
sOns's Recent Letter.

To the Editor Of the indianapolis Journal:
In response to the article in the Journal
of the 4th inst. signed WV. Parsons, presi-
dent State Normal School, l would say that
the statistics given by me, Jan. 80, in re-
gard to cost of management were all de-
rived from the published reports of the
state schools. The State Normal, Page Il,
gives enrolment, winter term, 572; spring
term, 1883; summer term, 61S; fall term,
511; average term enrolment. 723; whole
number of different students for the year,
1,944. ] notice that the summer term ex-
tends back to 1895. The annual~ expenditures
were $69, 1884 page 36.) These, as well as
the number of students, are for the year
ending Oct. 81. 1898. How could any one
compute the cost of the students annually,
except on the average term enrolment?
What does the column average term en-
rOllment' mean? 1t has been given ever
since Oct. 81, 1870. Does it not show that
there has been an influx of students each
spring term that were not there during the
winter and fall term? Did not the COM
piler of the reports, as well as the people,
know that the only way to arrive at the
number of students was by throwing winter,
spring. summer and fall terms together and
thus make an average that would represent
the number of students that annually
availed themselves of that school? 1t will
not do to adopt either the highest or lowest.
The contracts for the president, professors,
etc, are made annually. TIL appropria-
tons are on that basis. OF course the peO-
pie whose money is being used want to
know how many students annually, or the
average term enrolment, are provided for.
Suppose we divide the money and the stu
dents by terms, instead of annual, ave
quarterly. Will President Parsons enter
into a quarterly service? How would the
division work? The annual expenditure for
1898 was $50, 1888 four terms would give a
quarterly payment of 81, 334.5S; the per
capita for the winter term, $40 students, is
5000; spring, 1.1S9 students, $14.57; summer,
61S students, $2S.O4; fall, 81 students, 1882.
Not one Of which reaches President Par
sons's figures. Is that a good business way?
Any one so dull as to make such a calcula-
ton would be set aside by any business
man. Annual expenditures, where there are
four different terms in which the sum is to
be divided, always means the division on
the average. else why the average en-
rollment" column that seems to be a chronic
affair ever since Oct. 81, 1870?
Would it not be well, to compute the stu
NEC NEANAA9 At 19rcs ~ oS ~
show the per capita cost, $14.57. coming very
near to the per capita cost of the common
school? Therefore the average term en-
rollment' must be used to determine the
annual amount expended for each student.
The general expenditures of the State
Normal for 1898 page 36) were $3.50, S33S. "a: the
library fund page 80 shows balance in
treasury Nov; !, 1897, So, 16.OS: the receipts
from students library fees We're s., 7S5. 40; the
two latter items aggregating So, sol. As; the
expenditures for books, periodicals and IL
brary. supplies were @,G7307, leaving a bal
ance IN the treasury Oct. 81, 1898 of %.428. Al.
The, taxpayer has nothing to say about the
fund. and as long as it is sustained by con-
tributlons from the students without detri-
ment to the principal he takes no thought
of what any one pays, provided it Is out of
his own pocket.
1 quote from Mr.. Parsons. But if to this
amount ($69,338.3D we add the cost of MAIN
tanning the library for the year C5, 07307,
which was contributed by the students
themselves, ana take no account OIL the SIX
weeks, summer school, which was attended
by 6S teachers and which cost in round
numbers 5000, the case would stand thus:
Total expenditures for the year ending Oct.
81. 1898. $74, 411.41; total number of different
students mot counting summer school at
tendancel 1606; per capita cost less than
$4l; not $129.S0, as Mr.. Ray avs"
Let us examine this. To obtain the aver
age term enrolment page ID the els stu
dents of the summer term were necessary.
Without them the average term enrolment
would be not 723, but 74 if divided by three,
or 5S If divided by four. The report saws
four terms. the annual catalogue for 1898
says three terms. The catalogue says fall
term three months and three days. winter
term two months and eighteen days, spring
term three months and five days. No sum-
nler term is mentioned. What is the sum-
mer term? It has no place in the annual
catalogue: it merely fell into its place in
the report of the Indiana State Normal
School for the fiscal year ending Oct. 81, 1897,
ana OCT. u, 1898, respectively" Is it a
sldeshow of the Normal School? Do the
Iaculty give their services for this six
weeks summer school?' Are the 1918 teach
ers the recipients of the educational tax,
show? Taking President Parsons's own
statement, this summer school of six weeks
duration, 6lS students. cost $4,000, and the
case would stand thus: S69, 33S. "a less s.. 200
equals $64.33S.34. Taking the 61S off from
what he claims to be the different individuals
passing under his presidential hands Q,94D
Gaplta cost 6elng 1882. Is it fair to add the
nofary rune to the annual expenditures
10 discount the 6lS students? The summer
term of six weeks cost, as above, 5000. on
that basis the fall term of ninety-three DAYS.
with oil students. should cost $11, OH. IS:
winter term, forty-eight days, 572 students
cost %,1l44O; spring term. seventy-eight
DAYS Lle9 students, cost $9.185.90, or $50
90 you subtract 6S from 1874 and make
i,o0? It makes 1926. How does any one
Know. aking the average term enrolment
I5 from the whole number of different
students Tor the year" 1874 equals 1.221.
thai, so many were there. except as enrolled
in the various terms? Only one term an
proaches the number 1.221-the spring. 1.lS9:
an the rest are way below-572. 61S. 511. 1t
may De they were there for one week. one
year.
How did the State Normal get along here
toIore, when you did not have the ''educa-
tlonal tax to draw from? / call attention
70 the State Normal School report for 1898
CFage Ia, the average enrolment and the
AUDITORS report for 1898 page 1850: 1894, stu
dents. A3: cost, $4,000: 1895, students. SD:
cost, S40UOO; 1886, students. $50: cost. $53, COS. %.
Dld the president nave $500 salary then?
Ana were the salaries of the professors, en-
ployes tregistrar. clerks, engineers. ~janitors,
etc.), on that basis?
Another matter should have attention. It
Is not connected Immediately, but inferen-
TALLY, with this subject. See Page l8:
since the organization of the school. in
1870. students have registered from the Vari-
Gus counties of the State as follows:' Whole
NUMBER computed, ll.13S. of which Vigo
county has furnished 2.416, or over one
seventh. And on Page 10: During the past
two years each of the ninety-two counties
OF the state has had representatives in the
school as follows: Whole number computed,
2,616- OF which Vigo county has 36I. over one
eighth. Mr.. ParsOnss explanation is doubt
less correct, but is not the State Normal the
best high school Terre Haute has? And
would not the Same thing occur In Danville
and Valparaiso, where there are two private
normal schools. who give to their students
what they pay for. independent of the help
or the taxpayers of Indiana? What shall be
done with the normal school in Delaware
county when it begins? The State school
now has two and will have three COMPETE
tors. Is not the State Normal a branch Of
the common school system OF Indiana, and
should II not be supported out Of the school
revenue for tuition fund.- Why this extra
for u school which the president, on his own
4 statement. saws can he annually run for