The record-union., 1899-02-18

and by the way at constantly increas-
ing cost. .Rhe. MERCURY" points out
that these institutions are grinding out
school teachers atsthe rate of from
four to five. hundred 9annually; that
there are now LOO fully qualified
teachers iRv the State who have no en-
ployment in line. of their profession;
that it would be- far wiser to provide
means for employing these teachers,
many of, whom we happen to know are
upon the ragged edge of dire poverty,
than to establish machines for further
flooding the market
The truth is that the demand for Nor
NAL Schools is no demand whatever.
but simply the ambitious expression OF
localities. As a contemporary well
says, if a business man had four es-
Establishments which not only fully met
the call of the market but overstocked
it, naturally the first thing he would
do would be to close down one OF his
establishments If, however, he went
on and erected three other concerns to
grind more grist, he would be looked
upon as insane, as running the market
and crushing the business.
{ Yet this is precisely what it is asked
that the Legislature shall do. 1t has
Normal Schools now turning out more
teachers than can possibly find employ
ment. In faint endeavor to meet
this situation, bills have made their ap-
pearance which will, if converted into
law, have the effect Of monopolizing the
profession of teaching in the hands of
Norrla1 graduates and of crowding out
teachers who otherwise qualify them
selves and pass the requisite examina-
tions. These teachers are, in short, to
be so handicapped that they will be
driven to the wall and finally out of
the business This fact was exhaust
lively and clearly set forth in these col
lumns very recently.
But on the heels of this confession
that the market is overstocked, come
three other communities and pray the
Legislature to expend something in the
neighborhood of half a million Of dol
lars to set up three more teacher man
ufactories. We do not hesitate to pro-
nounce such attempts as ridiculous and
ruinous. The primal cost for the three
new structures is to be $500, 200. What
that means every old-time legislator
well knows It means twice that sum
before the schools are launched fully,
and an added cost of three-fourths to
the present expense Of maintaining Nor
NAL Schools.
The thing is unreasonable, unwise and
ought to be incontinently sat down
upon. California must very soon re-
solve upon a new policy regarding the
distribution of State institutions, and
get away from the idea of fiattering the
desite Of those who wish to have the
taxpayers coin distributed by the State
in their particular localities. For ten
years this paper has pointed out the
unwfsdom of that policy, and that we
must come to that of concentration in
stead. State affairs should not be ad
ministered to please localities, but with
an eye single to State betterment and
State economy. AS long as the game
of give my town an institution and I
will give yours another" prevails, a
system of spoilation is fostered that
sn1acks Of dishonesty. We have blum
dered and stupidity, not to say reck-
lessly p1acticed the distribution sys-
tenn in the past. There is not to-day
a sincere statesmanlilse man in the
commonwealth who does not realize
that this has all been wrong, and that
an end must come very soon, else this
State will find itself bankrupt in the
ability Of self support, and with stock
of widely distributed and patronage
favoring institutions on hand which
will be white elephants and curses, in
stead of betterments and blessings.
Five insane asylums at five different
points are not so economic for the State
as thCee ample ones at three points
would be. Four Normal Schools at
four points do not do as well for the
State as two. sufficient schools at two
places; and SO on down the line This
scattering of State institutions when
calmly considered by the dispassionate
mind is seen to be the worst possible
policy State can adopt. 1t Is a mat
ter upon which citizens Of older States
comment with surprise whenever they
visit US, and always with judgment not
fattering to US.