New-York tribune., 1901-11-10
NEW-YORK AND ITS UNIVERSITIES.

The announcement that Mr. Andrew Carnegie
will found new college at Galashiels, Scotland.
at a cost of $500, 600, gives added force 10 a
point which was shrewdy made by the chan
celor of New-York University the other day in
his annual report to the university council.
There has now and then been made the super
fetal complaint that two universites-Ne y ori
and Columbia-are too much for a single city.
To this DIR. MacCracken convincingly replied by
making a comparison between Scotland and
New-York City. The population Of the whole
kingdom of Scotland is less than that Of this
city and its suburbs included in the metropoli-
tan district Yet Scotland has four great uni
versities. with more than six thousand students.
while New York has only two universities, with
less than forty-three hundred students. Ger
tainly if Scotland can maintain the four. and
still have room for Mr.. Carnegie's new college,
New York should abundnnty sustain her two,
In addition to the various colleges also existing
here.
1t is true that there are many other univers-
ties and colleges In this and the adjacent States
and that many young men go from this city TO
them, instead of to the local institutions of
learning. SO it is true that there univer
sites in England and the Continent of
Europe which draw some Scotch lads away
from the Scottish universities. Nor should we
fall TO remark Ine universities OF tQlS civ
have q larger outlying constituency to draw
from than have those of Scotland. The latter
get but little patronage from the other members
of the United Kingdom, and still less from the
Continent Practically their constituency is con-
fined TO Scotland But Columbia and New-York
universities draw not only from local CON
stituency more populous than all Scotland. but
from the entire nation of nearly eighty millions
and from more besides. The catalogue of New
York University for the last academic year
showed the presence in that institution of stu
dents from thirty-two of these States from the
Federal District and one Territory, from the
outlying possessions of Porto Rico and Hawaii
and from five foreign lands. Moreover, in
single school Of the university, the Graduate
Seminary, there were enrolled graduates of 10
fewer than sixty-fve universities and colleges
of which all but SIX were outside of this city
and fifteen were in foreign lands.
With such facts before It this city should
glory in thus being the seat of two great uni
versities, and should make and keep those insti-
tutions worthy of their place in the metropolis
Of the Western Hemisphere and in the second
city of the whole world. The last twenty years
or less have seen most gratifying growth of
both these universities. Each has in that time
been transformed from n mere college and q
few scarcely connected schools into a true uni
versity organization, and each has increased its
size and facilities for instruction in an almost
marvellous manner. Thus the property value of
New-York University has increased more than
fvefold in fifteen years, from 5000 900 to
So, 800. 900. Gratifying as such growth is It is
only small part Of what should be possible in
such community as New-York To CITY so
rich as this It is a reproach for either OF its
universities, with their noble records OF high
achievements, to suffer from lack of endow-
ment Mr.. Carnegie has just been giving mill
ions TO the four Scottish universities Surely
the wealth, intelligence and generosity of this
colossal capital should not long delay in endow-