The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-27


of higher education in the United
States. which is of general interest,
more especially at this time when the
colleges of the country are reopen
ing for their fall terms.
He points out that our 426 collegc5
and universities which will soon be
attended by 175OOO American pupils
represent an invested capital of $780,
00C 600 and give employment TO $4,000
persons as teachers and officers. If all
the professors, students and buildings
Of all the American colleges were
brought together in one locality they
would form city of the first maGni-
tude. Counting the amount expended
by the students themselves and that
expended in their behalf by the col
leges. the total sum paid for college
education in this country each year
cannot fall short Of S1O0.0 600, a sum
greater than the entire civil eXpend-
ture of the government ($96,O0O,O0O in
1899. 1T is a fact" he adds, that the
United States spends more pro rata
for higher education than any other
country in the world. The amount per
unit of population invested in colleges
and universities is nearly twice as
great as in England, and more than
twice as great as in Germany, where,
although universities are numerous,
their endowments are much smaller
than in this country. Yet the total
holdings of the 426 American colleges
and universities represents an invest
ment Of only little more than SO for
each person in the country"
The writer from whom we have
quoted further notes that while the
total wealth of our colleges is $3.50.
900 0Oe, or an average of S5S7OOO for
each, the greater part of the total
sum is in the possession of a few
I of the leading universities There are,
he says, seven institutions that have
together property worth S9l 0oO, 900, or
an average Of S3S0,0OO for the remain
ing i19. If the twenty-seven institu-
tions having productive wealth
amounting to 81 900 or more were
deducted. it would be found that the
average endowment in productiN Z
funds of the great majority Of Ameri-
can colleges is only $1,000 "Not only
are our college endowments larger
than those of any other country, but"
says the Star article the cost of in
struction is greatest here. The wealth
of American colleges represents an in
vestment of 81, ,425 for each of the 49,
900 college students. In Great Britain
the average is about $3.50 for each
student, while in Germany it IS be-
tween $500 and $500. This means that
American professors are better paid
and that more money is spent in col
lege buildings and ir scientific and me-
ChaniCal equipment here than abroad"
in connection with these interesting
facts and figures the question presents
itself: Is a sufficient return received
from the $9l, 900, 600 invested in the seven
big universities whose total attendance :
does not much exceed $4,000? Is this
Investment 50 handled as to yield the
greatest good? The seven universe
Eins alluded to are Girard. Leland
T
nell, University Of Chicago and Yale,
which have an aggregate income OF
$7,5OC,0O0 and which spend, therefore,
on an average about $500 a year on
each pupil. We do not wish to criti-
cile the superior work which these
and other institutions of higher educa-
ton are doing for the country and
for humanity within their present
| spheres but it is pertinent to ask If
the immediate circle Of their useful
ness is not capable Of considerable
extension. The experience Of the
various correspondence schools of the
United States shows conclusively that
a great host of young men and women
are absOlNely hungry fer education
in the higher branches but lack the
means or the time to seel; this cdu-
cation through three cr a four years
! personal attendance at college. In GER
| tain directions the correspondence
schools now in existence can do much, ,
the one in our city is, in fact, doing
many times more in practical education
! If we measure by the numbers reached
| than all these colleges together in
spite of their S9l 100000 endowment
| against it's million and a half Of capi-
tai stock but on economic grounds is
it wige to lock up $91, 100000 for the
immediate benefit Of only a few, when
by little extension it could be made
TO minister to the educational needs
of thousands now neglected?
This is going to be Cne of the live
problems Of the Twentieth century.
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