The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-18
EetterS tc tbe Gdftcr
A Plea for the Girls.

| AuFeTIlSeT.
 In presenting through your columns to the Hon. Board of Trustees and Alumni of the University of Alabama, Versal attention throughout the State. sal attention throughout the State. I realize that Polyhymnia's mantle of eloquence has never even touched lightly upon my shoulders. so I shall content myself with placing before you a few facts and shall feel rewarded if subject that Is at last attracting uni ments.
 My theme is the query, why can not more girls of the State enjoy the bene- fits to be derived from attending the State University?
 Until three years ago there was no need for such a question as this since so few girls wished to avail them- selves of this privilege. Two years ago the matter began to be agitated on ac- count of the applications, far in excess of the apacity of the Annex from girls In all parts of the State Last year the question became at one and the same time burning and pathetic. Before the close of session before last every place in the Annex was taken for last year. Before the opening of last session our President lad had the painful duty of writing to fifty-six girls. There is no room, you cannot enter now" Of course each of these fiftysix girls inn mediately wished to know why she. as a daughter of the State, was not en- titled to the same privileges as the girls who were admitted. Then came the answer, as aggravating as 1t Is old, first come, first served" Yet. this an swer is not satisfactory in the light or Moral Philosophy, that what Is good for the few is good for the many. and the cry comes from every quarter of the State. Why can not the University provide provide dormitory for more than servative President has no reason other than the fact that the Trustees. at their last two meetings, did not see fit to spend another "thiry cents" on the high CT education of the womanhood of tho to pay 5000, as an investment. for building three quarters of a century old We have striven long and earnestly to know the reasons of that august body of the conditions for girls at the Uni versity. We have thus far been able to find but two answers. viz. "The Unl- versity can't afford it," and We are | more girls than boys" The first of these reasons seem to be the least pre- valent. We will. however, consider 1t briefly in the light of a simple mathe- matical problem.
 According to the Worlds Almanac the productive funds of the University | of Alabama amount to $300,000. with an Income of $47,425. The question then About $3S.25O goes to It's salaried of flcers: this leaves $9,175 for the stu | dents. Now we wish to know how much of this $9.175 goes to the boys ot | the State and how much to the girls l When we include the salary of the | matron. the rent the Annex might brigg, | the girl sroom on the campus and little mor1 for incidentals, we cannot bring | the amount spent annually for the | girls to more than $590, as against s. 5S5 utilized for our brothers. Do not | these figures strike you as being a | trifle one sided?
 Lei nS lnnk at SIy-
 ter State. Mississippi. whose University l income is smaller. than ours; being | SAP ,696. and what has she done for her daughters? In reply to a recent letter Mississippi. the following information has been received: The number of students enrolled in the University last season was 2S3 and the number of young ty percent. Our largest enrolment of young women heretofore has been about forty. Our Trustee have recently cree | ted a very handsome and commodious woman's hall which can provide board and lodging for thirty-two young wo- men students. In thls hall the young women who do not board there have waiting rooms and a place to study
 We shall undoubtedly have this hail | crowded next session"
 Since "competition is the life of trade" we would remind you of what | border state has done for her girls
 border State has done for her girls anoth
 er. The University of Tennessee q few years ago erected a large building with
 every modern convenience for the girl students of the institution, Where there
 were enrolled last session seventy-four
 women, which was 22,7 per cent of the
 matriculates. No one has to think
 twice to say that Babara Blunt HaN
 overlooked the winding Tennessee is
 the handsomest dormitory on the uni
 versity hill. I write you to visit and see luXuries of Babara Blunt Hall l The President of the University Of
 Texas writes: There were in the Uni
 verstty last session, out of a total Of
 $50 matriculates In the Academy De-
 par in all particulars with the men. The new dormitory, winch cost $S5,00O has recently been occupied by women and is devoted exclusively o'their use" Letters have come with similar reports from universities in all parts of the country; suffice 1t to say that other States evidently consider the higher education of their daughters a good Investment Permit us to ask, Is the womanhOod of Alabama SO very in- ferior to that of other States? How the news would be hailed with delight If it could be known that the Trustees
 had voted a S25.000 building, to be
 placed between the Presidents man
 But. esteemed sirs. if such Is not to he
 our lot, there are a few things we would
 submit to your kind consideration.
 First to the West of the campus
 there is a nine-roomed house which in
 the long ago was the home of one of
 the professors. This house now by lcourtesy called, The Annex" since the