The San Francisco call., 1903-01-05
UNIVERSITY IS
IN GREAT NEED
President Says It Is Fl
nancially Handi-
capped.
States in Biennial Report
Many New Buildings
Are Required.


nial report of Benjamin Ide Wheeler,
president of the University of California,
now in press, contains in detail ac-
count of the progress of the State inst'-
tuition, of hindrances which hold its ad-
vancement in check, of its financial en-
barrassments, its many pressing needs.
its relations to its students and to lower
schools, and to the great educational
problems of the day. The report deals
with all the departments of the univer-
sity and is very complete. 1t is made to
the Governor of the State on behalf OF
the Regents.
Financially, according to the report, the
university is in great need Ihe RAPID
growth of students has far outstrippcd
the income, until now every increase IN
the enrolment is an embarrassment. The
2-cent tax established for the benefit or
the university has not grown with the
population and prosperity OF the state, as
supposed, but has remained nearly sta
tionary. The growth of the university
demands a larger force of instructors,
more rooms, laboratories, books and
more scientific work to uplift the farm
ing, mining. viticultural. dairying. COM
mercial, engineering and other activities
and interests of the State
President Wheeler lays particular stress
on the needs of the university. Two years
ago, he said, there were fifteen prime
needs, of which six have been supplied;
now there are thirteen requirements of
the first order, including eight new build
ings and departments in shipbuilding,
music and architecture. The destruction
of North Hall is advocated, as it is con-
sidered unsafe. This would, of course, re-
quirc the erection of building to take
its place and ultimately President Wheel
8
be required for the departments now oc-
cupied by old North Hall.
GIFTS TO UNIVERSITY.
The gifts to the university during the
last two years have amounted to $500 900,
without which the work at the colleges
would have been seriously crippled, If not
impossible in many cases.
The gross income for the year 1901-02
was $609. 107 03. from which there must be
deducted. in order to obtain the true in
come applicable to current expenses,
so, 763 81 for the maintenance of the Will
merding School, $2S 4S SO for special items
having no direct relation to university
instruction, such as scholarships, scien
tific expeditions, etc; $12.S47 80 for medical
department fees, and $6l6Ss GA the amount
set aside from the 2-cent tax for per-
manent improvements leaving s4S3.3 .319 81
for the expenses of the year. OF this in
come $4,000 was received from the United
States Government under the Morrill, col
lege aid fund and the Hatch station
fund; S1s5, ,G65 81 from the 2-cent tax rep
resenting three-fourths of it; 800 COO
from special appropriation of the last
Legislature s134, I95 SO from income on in
vested funds and $2S, 457 81 from labora-
tory deposits sby students and miscella-
neous items
For 1900-0l the income was $4S3, ,263 Al. of
which $26,s07 IS was for the Wilmerding
School, $19.O91 30 for special items and
$6oS91 IS for permanent improvements,
leaving $376,373 OF for expenses.
In comparing the income of 19O1-19O2 with
that of 1SOO-19O1 President Wheeler says:
INCOME is STABLE.
We see that the income from investments
IS practically stable the decline in the rates
Of interest having offset the Increase in capital
increase Of only about $2400 and that the to-
tai increase Of income is measured almost eX-
actly by the special grant of the last Legisla-
ture The increase in laboratory fees amounts
TO 5000. but represents real increase in in
come. as II depends upon the Increase of stu
dents IN laboratories. involving an increase OF
expense.
The increase of income afforded by the action
of the Legislature rescued the university from
very serious embarrassment 1t has enabled |
us To provide proper instruction for those class
es in the required work of freshmen and sopho-
been taught in sections containing twice or
three times the number of people properly as
sgnable TO single section and single teach |
er. 1t has enabled US TO improve greatly the
equipment of our labora tories and workshops
indeed partly to create three new Laboratories
II has also given welcome opportunity to
widen the scope Of instruction by the addition
of departments stringently required by the
progress of modern science and learning
BY action of the Legislature creating the 2
cent tax one fourth of its proceeds were set
apart for permanent Improvements and the
purchase OF real estate. The amount received
for that purpose is somewhat over $50 OOo
per year. 1t has been the effort of the regents
to interpret the intention of the Legislature
in It's strictest sense and to apply these funds
only to improvements which are really perma-
nent in character. for instance to the gym
nasium and to the chemical laboratory.