, 1905-01-19

DSAiAu Nv guns. JUDI 81 TIE value u
an institution of learning depends no
SO much upon the number If its stu
dents as upon their scholarship an,
character. The requirements for a de
gree in all departments should be a
high at the University of Wyoming a.
! elsewhere. The university has recent
|ly decided to add one year to til,
preparatory work for the courses il
engineering and in agriculture. Be
fore many years it may be practicable
to require a complete high school ed
ucation for entrance to all departments
which confer the bachelors degree
thus putting the departments of ap
piled science on an equality with the
college of liberal arts.
The demands for advancement in
lines of original research are also
pressing. In the department of agricul.
ture much has been done that Is graft.
flying and useful but it is highly desir.
able to do more. Experiments in stock
feeding and stock breeding should be
carried on more extensively, but for
this purpose We need a larger amount
Of stock. The work can be carried on
in the old penitentiary buildings if they
remain at the disposal of the univer-
sity and if the university is enabled
to make a few needed repairs. And
there is another department in which
an advance is highly desirable, the de
partment of geology and paleontology.
is merged with the professorship in
mining engineering and the duties Of
the double professorship make original
investigation well nigh impossible.
When a professor of geology can be ap-
pointed a further investigation of the
mineral resources of the state ear be
pay the state for the expense of the
professorship. Moreover, work could
be done in our rich fossil fields which
would give the University of Wyoming
a national and even an International
reputation. Fossil fields which con-
tain the remains of the Jurassic age
are very rare indeed, but Wyoming is
rich in fossils. Moreover, If field work
in this department were once well I'M
der way it would be practically self
supporting, for without retarding the
growth of our museum duplicate fos-
sils could be sold for considerable
sums.
The progress which l have outlined
is possible in the state of Wyoming
within the next few years. We can
maintain in this state one institution
of high university rank and keep
abreast of educational progress. The
future of this institution, however, de-
ponds upon two things, "a the con
lt:nued generosity of the taxpayers and
(2) the highest possible economy In
the administration of all available
funds. Neighboring states give far
more for higher education than the
state of Wyoming. even in proportion
to population and wealth. We have a
quarter Of a mill tax for running ex-
~penses which bring to the university
an annual income of a little less than
s11, 900. Colorado devotes an entire
mill to her higher institutions of learn
ing. That is to say a citizen Of Colo
RADIO whose property is valued at $1O,-
900 pays four times as much for higher
Education than the citizen OF Wyoming
whose property has the same valuation.
Nebraska has a levy of an entire mill.
South Dakota has no mill tax for high
err education but makes an annual ap
propriation Of $50, 900 for the state uni
versity, besides contributing to a
state agricultural college and a state
school of mines. Montana makes an
annual appropriation for the univer-
sity Of $4,000 besides contributing to
other institutions of higher learning
In Idaho the last legislature appropri'
ated $50, 900 for the support Of the uni,
versity besides $43, 900 for buildings.
Utah gives $54,O 900 annually to its state
university besides contributing to the
support of an agricultural college.
The Territory Of Arizona gives to
its university 2.5 Of a mill tax n
IArixona offers for us a most interesting
Iccmparison. The assessed valuation
of Arizona is about $45. 100000. that
Iof Wyoming $43, 900, 900. The Univer-
lsity of Arizona receives from the Unit
ed States government exactly the same
as does the state of Wyoming. The
number of students reported is exactly
the same. But the Territory or Arizo-
ma gives twice as much to higher edu-
cation as wyoming. The rs of a mill
ltax in Arizona amounts to about 49,
600. The v of a mill tax in Wyoming
amounts TO a little less than 1900.
Moreover, the University Of Arizona is
asking from this present legislature in
addition to the regular tax levy OF 2-5
LOT a mill, a special appropriation OF
s12,7 700 for improvements. The peo-
lple of Arizona are no richer than the
people Of Wyoming. Surely they are
mo more intelligent and enlightened.
Shall they be allowed to contribute
more generously to the cause OF high
Ter education than we?
The university is perhaps the most
|important institution appealing for