Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-02-03
New Mexico Military Institute.

VI tit Nllttt tai tuuNNtItllu lhSliNu
tons, and without doubt the most
vigorous, and the success it has attained
which have been used by the board in
its management. The report begins with
a brief resume of the initial steps taken
to establish the school, the bonds of
which were authorized by the legisla-
ture of 1925; amounting to Sla, 900 for
the erection of suitable buildings, but il
was not until June 1897, that the bonds
were sold. the delay resulting from the
failure of congress to approve the act
until December 1896. From February
1896 to June 1897, however, the regents
received from the territorial auditor Il
total of SS.34a, OF which sum S2,14S.3 3
had been expended previous to January
LIST, 1897 in the erection or water works.
pumping machinery and necessary out
buildings, fencing the gounds, consist
ing of 40 acres donated by Mr.. J. j.
Hagerman: and various other incidental
expenses.
On June ,, 1897. the board of regents
had available S1o,S43.G,. resulting from
the sale of the bonds and the u%neXpcnd-
ed balance received from the territorial
auditor, and active work ON the build
ing was begun, and in March. 1898, they
were accepted from the contractors.
The buildings arc equipped with hot and
cold water. baths and closets and lighted
by acetylene gas, an independent plant
being used, and are furnished with the
latest and most approved school fur
nitnre. In January the regents en-
ployed Prof. j. G. Meadors as supcrin-
tendent and in March following he took
his position, beginning to organize and
advertise the school. In April, 1898,
four additional instructors were engaged
and ordered to report for duty in Sep
tcmber of the same year. On September
9th, last, the regents opened the school,
with an attendance of 81 pupils the first
week, and at the present time there are
l05 students in regular attendance. OF
this number II are county appointecs
maintained and educated at thcinstitu-
tons expense, and 10 are young women.
leaving Il total of rs cadets chargcable
with fees for tuition and maintenance,
and making a total of % cadets liable
for military duty.
An interesting part of the report
reads as follows: ut was not the in
tention Of those who originated, intro
duced or passed the bill creating the
territorial school OF arms to give the Is
appointees of the county commissioners
anything more than free tuition; nor
was it their intent to admit girls or
women. But it was insisted by com
missioners and those versed in the in
depreciation of law, that according to
the reading of the statutes, the school
was bound to furnish said Is appointccs
their tuition, board, lodging, laundry
and medical attendance free of all
charge whatsoever, and that no charge
could be made for anything furnished
them at the school. Claims were made
even for uniforms, books and travelling
expenses, and law suits were threatened
IL any fees were eXacted for ordinary
maintenance.
Under these conditions the regents
were forced to admit the territorial
cadets free of all expense save for cloth
ing, books and travelling expenses. And,
while receiving not more than $T, 900
per year from the territory, are thus
forced to cxpend $4,000 per year for
their maintenance, and 5000 per year
for their instruction, leaving only
S., 400 that can otherwise be directly ap-
piled to the school.
Fearing they would be unable to
meet expenses until the next session of
the legislature, when the law could be
amended, or tho appropriation in
creased, the regents admitted u limited
number Of young women who attend Us
day students between the hours of s a.
m. and 3 p. M, and q considerable mum
Der of boys who reside with their
parents in Roswell, and attend between
the hours of s a. m. and 6 p. M, and
are subject to all military duty. Fifty
eight cadets have resided in the bar
racks. The revenues of the school
have thus been incrcastd by u make
shift of which the regents do not APP
prove; for there can be no question but
the admission of females is an innova-
ton not contemplated by those who
framed the present law, and that the
power and usefulness Of the school Is
liable, eventually, to be seriously i'm
paired by the admission of anybody who
does not reside in the barracks through
out the session."
There Is no question that the success
OF the military institute at Roswell is
without parallel, when all conditions
are taken into consideration, but the
regents are complaining of cramped
quarters for those who are in attendance.
The barracks are crowded beyond their
capacity and twice rs much room as has
been provided is needed to meet the de-
mands upon the institution. Then. the