The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-24


from distance. Will enable the college
authorities to gradually construct good
ronds and sidewalks to the depot u dis
tancc OF about six hundred yards, and be-
tween the different buildings on the
campus. Tho work could largely be done
with student labor. In addition to bcauti
flying the campus. this would contribute
very largely TO the comfort and health OF
the students and professors.
The student labor fund when judIciously
used, Is not only helpful in individual
cases, when work Is necessary to supple-
ment the means Of the student to enable
hin, to remain In the collefn but dignhcs
labor In the estimation of the student
body. on account OF the readiness with
which students Of all classes and condi-
tons take advantage OF II and endeavor to-
earn a part OF the money expended by
them in college II acts as stimulus to
work. and breaks down tho line OF deinar-
kation usually Visible In colleges between
students who are compelled to partly work
their way through and those Of ample
means
These results. IL my judgment, more
than offset any objection from an economic
standpoint. to the employment Of student
labor, and fully Justify a continuation OF
this appropriation H ~.
Tho preservation OF the various college
buildings. professors residences. etc., on
the campus should be provided for by an
annual appropriation. Where there are SO
many buildings to care for, 1t can be done
much more cheap1y by appropriating
small sum annually for that purpose than
to make ]nrge appropriations for repairs
| at Irregular intervals. The last legislature
| appropriated $4,000 for repairs, which was
| used in replacing the roofs on the main
buildings and on some of the dormiIorles
and professors residences that had re-
ceived practically no attention since the
| houses were built. An appropriation of
| s25O0 per annunl. for the ncxt two years,
| for repairs would put oil of the buildings
on the campus in condition for preserva-
/ tion and maintenance at nominal annual
| expenditure thereafter.
The need for additional residence for the
professors OF the college is ever present.
| One Of the professors has lived in Bryan.
| five miles distant, and made daily trips to
the college to perform his duties for more
than two years There is Mt rreseut no
| residence for the commandant of cadets,
and provision for the construction of at
/ least four professors residences Is ne
| cessity.
BY the erection OF four additional build
.Iings, two for the married professors, one
i for the commandment and another that
would accommodate six single professors.
i the entire old mess hall building could be
converted into barracks and dormitory
4 room for Students, at a much less cost
than that amount Of barracks room could
be provided otherwise. In that way room
for twenty additional students could
Il be provided, putting two in each room, ana
i forty nine, with three In each room
Water that can be used for drinking pur-
i poses is badly needed. At present the sup
i pIy of drinking water Is obtained from els
terms, and Is unreliable. The water sup
ply for stock and bathing purposes y
abundant but is SO strongly tmpregnated
with sulphur as to be unit to drink and
Il unsuitable for irrigation. 1t also corrodes
Il and destroys the stand pipe, mains and
Tipping that convey It to various parts OF
= tho campus, SO fast as to make II expen-
+ siye to use Good pure water In abunns
ance, such as is used by the city Of Bryan.
II suitable for all purposes, can be obtained
MT n depth OF 600 feet The pumping ma
chlnery now in use for lifting sulphur wa
!, ter from the ypresent we'll could be utilized
81 as a new we'll, which could be bored at a
comparatively small cost. The cost OF
, boring to the strata that furnishes tho
water supply at Bryan and casing the well,
, estimate ut about 50 per foot This sum
would be saved In the difference In the
, cost Of maintaining the water plant In
! the course OF two or three years. The
question la one involving the health and
lives of the students. and Is not mere
money matter,
steam heating plant that will heat eaci
: OF the college buildings Is much needed
At present the buildings are heated b,
means of wood stoves a stove is PLACED
in each room In the dormtorles. and II
the various offices and section rooms II
the main building That there is constap
1 aud very great danger OF fire. liz self
evident. No insurance is carried on col
. lege property, and the loss to the insti
tuition of single building would be vastl!
greater than the cost OF The steara heat
!, ing plant. But aside from the. fact tina
, steam heating Is more convenient, cleanl!
{ and comfortable than stoves, and prac'
tically eliminates the danger of fire from
that source, 1t Is very much more econon
/ icai At present the college consume:
. from $500 to 5000 cords OF wood annaull,
for heating purposes.
II A sewerage system is necessary 10 piacs
, the college In iirst-class sanitary con
dition. The college population has reached
point where further continuation OF The
old system viii endanger the health OF the
, institution, and provision should be madt
. for putting In a modern system adapted
. present conditions and sufficient fol
the needs of the college for years to come
I have stated fully the various needs Of
, the college requiring the appropriation OF
: n sum which In the aggregate appears
|, rather large. but when 1t Is remembered
. that for several years past no appropria-
, ton has been made for permanent i'm
provemeuts with the exception OF the
new mess hall, and that II represents the
accumulated wants of the college during
n long period, II Is not large sum. In
priations, II they could bio counted on with
certainty, would be far preferable and
! productive OF better results than the same
amount appropriated at irregular intervals
, with no certainty as to when 1t would be
done.
The present method OF securing the
means necessary to It's maintenance, 10
|, say nothing Of betterments. is unsatisfae-
tory alike to the board of directors and
the legislature. 1t is distasteful to the
: members OF the faculty and board OF d.
rectQrs to be compelled to appear before
the legislature and beg for an appropria-
: tion with which TO maintain the college
and about which there should not bs q
: doubt 1t Is also distasteful to the iegis,
! lature to have them there. The solution
: OF the problem lies in Ievyjng tax fol
: the support OF the college, and eliminating
! It as legislative issue for all time &c
u come.
The health OF the students has been ex
celent there having been only three case
9 OF serious Illness since the opening y TIL
8 college In September. For more tnan
9 month there has been no one in the hos
Z pital. Much the greater part OF the ord
: nary sickness, such as chtlls and fevers
. occurring among the students. 10 due {,
j malarial poison contracted at other places