Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-03-22
INCOME OF PERMANENT CHAR.
AcTER URGENTLY DEMANDED.
PRES. VAN HlSE SPEAKS
Shows How other Leading Univer
stiles Are Supported and Asks for
a System More Stable Than the
One Now in Vosue-Great Growth
of institution.
Madison March IT.

ana assembly committees on eduCaf
ton yesterday afternoon il
the senate chamber was considered
the bill providing permanent income
for the University of Wisconsin.
President Van Hi9c on behalf Of the
university explainel the reasons why
the university desired a regular in
como which will provide adequate sup
port for the institution. The uni
versity bill, he showed while provid-
ing for an increase in the income OF
the university made necessary by the
rapid growth in attendance does not
increase the burden of taxation; for
the income increases only as the
wealth of the cCate grows The bill
provides that two-fifths of mill be
set aside from the amount collected
on the taxable property of the state
each year for the maintenance of the
university. He also emphasized the
fact, which is generally conceded that
in the present condition of the gen
eral fund of the state, it will not be
necessary to have this two-ffths mill
assessment, for the bill provides for
the two-fifths Of mill only in case
there are not sufficient moneys in the
general fund of the state to provide
for the university. Thus, if the
amount in the general fund is suffi-
cient to cover the appropriation as
the indications arc that it will be, no
assessment will have to be made fol
the university support. If, for any
reason the general fund at some time
were not sufficiently large to provide
for the entire income of the uDiver-
sity, it would be necessary to make
only so much of an assessment as
would be required to bring up the in
come to the amount provided by this
bill. The method of support which
the bill proposes, President Van
Hise explained, would provide an ade,
quate income both for the maintenance
of the university and for the con
struction of buildings made necessary
by the growth and development Of
the institutions.
Plans Adopted in Other States,
In arguing for return to the two
fiftns mill system, in order to provide
permanent income for the uni
versity, President Van Hise showed
that practically all of the large state
universities comparable to Wisconsin
were supported in this manner, in
Guiding Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa,
Nebraska, Ohio and California, as
we'll as the state universities of Ala
bama, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky
North Dakota, New Mexico and
Wyoming.
President Van Hise th0n presented
figures to show that the university,
even with the addition to it's income,
will receive considerably less than do
the state institutions of Iowa, Michi-
gan, and California. During the past
two years the amount that the uni
versity has received from the state
and from the income on it's land has
been only somewhat more than one
half as much as the other state uni
versities of the same rank have re-
ceiyed from the same sources. While
the university during the past two
years has received from the state and
all its land income $467,696 for all its
colleges, Iowa has had from these
sources $S30,97S for its state colleges,
Michigan $795,S56 for it's university
agriculture college and school of
mines, and the university of California
1881 64. For the next two years the
Univ ersity of California and the state
colleges are asking for $521,700 in adj
dition to the s158,164 annually re
ceived from the state and from income
on land: or, a total from these two
sources for the next two years of
S1,93S,02S. The three state colleges
of Michigan arc asking for an addi-
tional appropriation this year of
$4SS,500 besides the annual income
from the state and land samounting
to $795,856; which makes a total of
s2,090,212
Rapid Growth.
In explaining the need of an in
creased income, President Van Hfse
called attention to the remarkable
growth in the university during the
past two years, and showed that in the
present year the university has $50
more students than two years ago.
when the last appropriation was made.
II the same rate of increase COZ
tinues, as there is every indication
that it win, The university two years
hence will have to provide for LOO
more students than it had when the
income was fixed two years ago. One
OF the causes of this growth is found
in the rapid increase in the wealth or
the state, which makes it possible for
more parents to give their children
the advantages of a university educa-
ton. What the university needs
therefore. President Van Hise ex-
planned, is some measure for financial
support which will expand automatic
ally with the needs of the university
and the wealth and population of the
state. The method which the bill pro
vides for university income will main
tain a proportion between the increase
IN the wealth of the state, and an in
crease IN the attendance Of the uni
Yersity. Provision will thus be made
Tor adequate buildings and equipment
Tor the increasing number of students
from year to year.
During the past two years. Presi-
uent Van Hise explained. the demand