The farmer and mechanic., 1903-06-09

except ours is on an average . TO
time the above State appropriations while
the annual income of the University OF
Pennsylvania Is 81, 0,000.
The plain truth is that our State should
take a larger conception OF ITS duty to IT
institutions Of learning We need to buIld
on larger lines, to push out and make our
selves a part of the greater life which
Is building up the States north OF US.
There should easily be 1000 students here,
with its century and decade Of faithful
service to speak for Us, when Wisconsin
gives its university $500 students and
Michigan University has $500 and MIN
nesota University 3,700, each OF which
States have about our population and
Calfornias S University has 3,057 students
with much less population and notWlth-
standing competition OF Leland Stanford
University with its $4,000 900 endowment.
Not one of these four State universities
can count half the years of ours, vet they
average over 1850 students and we think
that we are fortunate to have 600, not
much more than one-sixth as many.
1t is true that while these States have
about our population, they are vastly
richer, but they are wealthier precisely
because they have taken care to educate
their people.
There arc, l believe, twenty sep
arate and independent colleges at OK
ford, in England. These are organized
into to the University of Oxford which
confers the university degrees upon ex
animation of the graduates ~of each col
lcge On the banks of the Cam, a smI-
lar union of sixteen colleges composcs the
University Of Cambridge. These univer
eff haI thuc II hlJt
from the limitations upon intercourse in
former times the colleges of each uni
versity were necessarily IN the same town
Georgia, however, avaling herself of the
annhilation of space by the telephone, the
telegraph the steam and electric car has
united It's SIX higher State institutions
of learning situated in different towns,
into the University OF Georgia. Thus the
day viii and must come when the instr
tuition here, the great college at Green's
boro and the other State college at Raj
cigh with their many thousands of stu
dents will be organized into the greater
University of North Carolina. Connected
by telephone, the management be
carried on with the greatest ease and
much economy and the comforting of de-
grees can be made here or at each of the
three points in succession. This, PROPOSE
tion would meet with great opposition if
made now, but the idea will grow and
with time will come to pass.
The increased numbers l have spoken
Of Will in no wise affect the denOmlna-
tional colleges. There is raw material
enough in our State for all the colleges
in addition to all whom the State insti-
/ tutons can educate. Such colleges have
had their numbers increased not dlmln-
ishcd, with the growth of the State Uni
versities, in the States l have mentioned.
Why have we not made such appro
priations? The truth ought to be told,
and plainly, too. 1t has been the in
sufficient revenues of our State which
by a defective system OF taxation have
been derived in the past almost entirely
from private property. Other States have
had the same trouble to face though not
to the same extent as we In New York.
the highest court has just held, at the
end of long and fierce litigation, that the
law taxing railroad franchises, the in
| tangible but most valuable property of
such corporations, is constitutional and
must be enforced The same fight has
been made in other States and has al
ways been won for the people wherever
public servants have stood squarey by
| their duty. In no State, however, has the
exemption of this and similar property
! been carried to greater extent than here
with a corresponding cramplng of every
generous enterprise beyond the barest
needs Of government. In 1890 the rail
road property in this State was returned
to the Census Bureau at $3.50 900, 900 and
in the same year it was listed for taxa
tion at S12, ,O0OO 900 or about onethrteenth
as much. Since then several hundred
miles have been added and the increased
profits have been greatly increased. By
! their own returns the net profits OF rail
| roads in North Carolina last year show
On per cent basis, s157 100000 of mar
| ket value, on which they are taxed less
| than $42, 900 900 leaving S115 900 900 of
values untaxed The Legislature of 1901
ordered, as | think this immense eX-
emption withdrawn and taxation thereon,
| but it was held by others that the Legis-
| lature intended to exempt it for two
| years longer with the result that besides
living in strait jacket for these two years
the State has had to issue 100000 bonds
this spring to make good the deficit thus
| caused The present Legislature renewed
| the mandate to tax this property. When
| this is done, and other valuable but un
| taxed property is put upon the tax list
| there will be several hundred thousand
| of dollars more Of income justly going
| into the State Treasury which Will give
us ample funds for these institutions and
| for our deserving Confederate veterans
| and other pressing needs which can thus
| be provided for without raising add
| tional cent of taxation from the property
OF our citizens which so far has borne
almost unaided all the burdens Of govern
mcnt.
To those present who have borne 81
! much of the heat and burden of tn,
weary road, and Of the trials, through
| which the State and the University ha
passed, | extend my congratulations upol
that which has been accomplished ant
the bri ghter days that are ahead. Yea
by year, as the roses bloom again, ma,
these meetings be attended by increasing
throngs of the sons of this grand oil
University and let us write upon the mar
BILE front of her most imposing buildin
the proud motto of glorious memor
'Esto Perpetual
Dr.. Holland on 0pportuntie'