Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-02-03
HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
Some Facts Regarding New Mexico's Nor
NAL School and Colleges Presented
In a Clear Manner,

To the Editor Of The New Mexican.
Your correspondent who suggested
that the higher educational institutions
should be supported by the counties in
which they are situated has attracted
a good deal of attention and at least has
awakened thought that may be benefi-
cial. We may not agree to quite such
radical change, but the suggestion
draws attention to the fact that most
of these institutions have in reality
been run largely as local affairs from
the beginning. This is not unnatural
when the boards controlling them are
taken principally from their own vicin-
ity. To have them managed as terri
torial institutions and for the general
benefit, the law should provide that no
more than one member shall come from
the same county, and the membership
should be scattered as widely as possi-
BILE. Experience in 'the states has
shown the necessity of this.
1t is a good thing, of course, to in
crease the educational facilities in a
few towns, but it is a little hard to
cause those which have no benefit to
pay the expense. In fact, the inequality
in the use of the territorial funds for
institutions of local benefit is very
great. Let us see what has been done
by the territory in this way, since the
railroad came in 1880.
There have been nine institutions es-
tablished. The capitol does not count
as one, because that has always been at
Santa Fe, and the only change was in
providing the officials and Legislature
with better quarters than before. The
Dumb asylum are of no local advantage,
and a penitentary is always a great
detriment on account of the discharge
Of convicts, etc. OF institutions which
are of local benefit, there are just six
the Normal Schools at Las Vegas and
Silver City, the university at Albuquer-
que, the School of Mines at Socorro the
Agricultural College and experiment
station at Las Cruces, and the Military
Institute at Roswell There are two
small branch experiment stations, one
in San Miguel and one in San Juan, but
they are doing but little yet. But even
counting them in, II counties are with
out any such local benetit-Taos, Rio
Arriba, Santa Fe, Colfax, Mora, Union,
Gina Ia Na1annia n
and Eddy These have the privilege of
paying taxes and watching their more
fortunate neighbors. According to the
governors recent report, they contain
10000 inhabitants, or more than half
the entire population of the territory. 1t
may be said that Valencia is so near
Albuquerque that it has the benefit of
the University, but Colfax, Union and
Mora, with $4,000 people, have no terri
torial school, and Taos, Rio Arriba and
Santa Fe, with $4,000. are similarly de-
prived.
The city of Santa Fe is the only place
in New Mexico reached by both the
broad gauge and the narrow gauge sys-
tens, and consequently in direct COM
munication with all sections, and
should therefore be the principal seat
of education, but not one cent of terri
torial money has ever been spent there
for local benefit. At least there should
be normal school there for the four
northern counties, with $1,000 inhabit-
ants, now entirely cut off from the ed
ucational advantages of the territory.
There should be a little more equality
in these matters. Why should Grant
and Dona Ana each have an institution
of high education, while Taos and Rio
Arriba have nothing? Let the legisla-
ture consider these things when it
comes to appropriations.
EQUALITY.