Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-25

| aIt, tnat the state Qf Maine did assume
some Th Obligation by reason OF that resaoive
me State agreed to do tfess
four things-to1 establish: n, college
w Within hye years, To- replace all losses "a
support Of the college and not for h;,ild-
ings; ana. fourth. to repair and preserve
the the, original buildings given by the State.
me State has done these things There
Is no law. national or State that requires
| 1t to do any more. / do not say il Il not
proper that the State should do more-I
think 1t is, proper that the State should
90 more; but there Is no binding obIiga-
ton upon 1t as the result OF an Enactment
OF Congress or of the Legislature of this
state that requires us to do any more
Now, what has the State done? /. be-
ing optional with the State what IT, should
do, what has the State done and what Is IL
doing for this university? / asked the
ment showing the appropriations for the
four Maine colleges during the life OF the
University OF Maine, including, OF course,
the college OF agriculture and mechanic
arts, and have here the statement from
the treasurer's Office. Beginning with 1867.
and closing with 1902, the State has appro-
Maine. Adding the $4,000 which the uni
versity will receive this year, IL becomes
$4H.2lS. If this resolve has a passage with
or without my amendment the amount
will exceed half million dollars that the
university will hove received in 81 years.
On the basis of the assessed valuation OF
tne state, this sum Is two and one-half
times as much as the commonwealth of
Massachusetts has done for the two in
situations of similar character which IL
supports or helps to support. II is three
ana one-half times as much as Vermont
does for the agricultural department Of
the university, which is assisted by the
general government. The commonwealth
OF Massa chusetts has given TO Harvard
University during the 81 years of Its cor
porate existence the sum of $ll6D0 a good
deal less than half Of what the State OF
years: During that period. while $i77. 900
have been voted to the University of Maine
not dollar has been given to Bates, Col
by or to BoWdoin. notwithstanding the
fact that the University of Maine receives
100000 year from the general govern
ment. including that department known as
the Experiment Station. notwithstanding
the university has fund exceeding 10000
and receives money from students. OF
Of course, and from miscellaneous sources
and. notwithstanding the fact that the 9TH
er three colleges of the State receive moth
ing, of course, from the general govern
ment.
Now. my point is this: That If 1t Is op-
tional with the university, as IL is whether
there shall be instruction in the classics.
and if it is optional with us. as ii Is, to
give this money to the university, why
have we not a right to give 1t on consid-
GRAFTON that this slight change suggested
by my amendment shall be accepted by
the university? If it is said by the gentle
man from Orono. or by any other gentle
ton is for the purpose of buildings for
the university. and the State is Obliged to
furnish buildings. then suggest. without
President Harris in 1sy3, induced the Leg
islature of that year to pledge 800, 900 IL
was with some kind of an assurance. am
informed, n, that the sum OF s2@To would
tons of the State to the, university during
the period of 10 years. II during that PEE
riod the university needed buildings and
uQplpd a CSiStan IN Gfafpf al
have saved something ont of the 100000
instead of expending it as II has recently
done. In that connection let me read
line or two of what the committee in 1897
ssdd THE trustees and faculty have here
tofore used the increased income of the
college to broaden Its courses of study:
and the tendency will always be In that
direction" That tendency was illustrated
by the establishment of the Latin course
in 1896. and by the establishment of the
Greek course in 1899: and IL those things
had not been DONE as l have stated more
than the amount covered by this appropri-
alton would have been saved to the State
sary, ! If the State thinks. as the general
thinks, that this tendency re-
ferref to by this committee should be re-
stfained as to Latin and Greek, ! ask the
House again what law there Is that pre-
vents AIS from imposing that moderate and
reasonable condition? l remind the House
that in the Act of 1856. which established
the1 college of agriculture and mechanic
arts, the State reserved to itself some
power over the university. Section Is,
Chapter 532. of the Private and Special
ture shall have the right to grant any
further powers, to alter, limit or restrain
any of the powers aforesaid In the trus-
tees of the college established by this Act,
the best interests thereof" 1t Is clear that
there is power enough, and the question
is simply one OF expediencey, whether We
shall exercise the power.
Now, that proposition, it seems to
me, argues itself. 1 shall state my po-
sition as briefly as can. The purpose
of the amendment in the first place IL
to save money that would otherwise go
to the University of Maine. To sup
port college of agriculture and me-
chanic arts is one thing. To support a
college of technology and science is
different thing. To support general
covering the special field of
a technical college and the field Of
every other college In the State is a
very different thing. 1t is contrary to
the established policy Of the State.
And it is expensive. If the State has
expnded half million dollars In the
last 81 years for this university. per-
haps 1t is unwise that we should ex-
pend half million dollars in the next
Ss
the committee needs some restraint l
submit that the restraint that will be
by the amendment have Of
fered is reasonable one.
Now, there is another reason on eco
nomic grounds for the passage of this
submit that II would
save money that would otherwise go
to the three other colleges of the State.
1t may be fair, and believe II is, that
this university as a technical and pro-
fessional school should be assisted by
the State: It Is doing great work.
But when the university undertakestt8e
compete with the other colleges in fheits'
special field and asks the State to hefp
pay the bills at the expense Of thx
State. at the expense Of the other three
colleges, l submit that it ii not fair.
And we are in this dilemma. We must
do one Of two things-either we must
impose some slight restraint such as Is
in this amendment. or we
must provide for the other three coll
leges also. Why is 1t that Bates and
Colby were here asking for ,appropria-
lions, this year? do not know, but !
imagine neither OF them would have
been here IL the University OF Maine