Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-04-29
Carueu;e's Latest GIFT.

most generous millionaire, Andre"
Carnegie, comes as complete surprise
and will undoubtedly cause much dis
cussion as we'll as j great deal Oh re-
ioicing The bencfaction is not only
splendid thing in size but also Ill
| it's conception. 1t is great thinS
for the cause of higher educa-
ton that this magnificent Gut OF
sI1. 600, 600 is given into the hands of
trustees who are to use its interest
which will amount to ut least $oOOOo0
annually to provide annu.ties Tor col
lege professors who from old age or
other disabilities can 10 longer render
the most efficient service To the institu-
lions with which they have been con-
nectcd.
1t has long been well recognized that
college professors, as well as teachers
| in the lower grades Of educational
work. are poorly paid in proportion to
which they accomplish. Harvard has
been rich enough to establish pensions
for lis retiring professors. and some
other Institutions have felt able in spe-
cial cases to retire aged professors on
part pay for the rest of their lives.
These Instances are few, however, and
there have been far more cases where
colleges have retained upor. their force
of instructors men VINO had passed
their years Of usefulness. their rcten-
ton being due to the fact that kind
hearted trustees could not bring them
selves to cast the old professors adrift,
even though a new and younger in
structOr would have been Il decided ad-
vantage to the institution. Although
the living expenses in most college
towns are not very large. few profess
sors are able out of their modest
salaries to lay up anything for their old
age.
This gift of Mr.. CarncsieS wisely ad-
ministered will be a blessing to scores
Of our universities and colleges and
bring comfort unto the closing years OF
hundreds of noble lives. 1t will enable
many Of our institutions to retire men,
| bcrs Of the faculty who have faithfully
served for many years, and replace
such men with younger. more vigorous
and more efficient professors. In ac-
cordance with Mr.. CaincGie's wei.
| known breadth of religious convictions.
he has seen fit to exclude the strictly
| scctariar colleges from the provisions
| OF his benefactions. Doubtless he feels
| that if religious bodies desire to control
colleges they should bear all the bur-
| dcnS thereof. He also excludes state
universities. This provision will cut off
the University of Maine in our own
State from the list OF those proiiting by
| this gift, but as this institution has
just been given a so0v0D library building
| by Mr.. Carnegie il probably feels that
| it has Jared pretty we'll at his hands.
| Although two of our other Maine col
legcs. Colby and Bates. were originally
founded by religious denominations,
and are still pretty strictly under the
control of the denominations which IS
tablished them, still they are by no
rcans strictly sectarian colleges and
probably will be benefited by this noble
gift. Bowdoin was absolutely nom
scctarian in origin and has remained
| so.
| With his gift of $taOOOOoO for the
Nationa, University; his $15.OoO.0GO to
the Scotch universities: his IS O0O. 900 to
| the Carnegie Institute at PittSburg; his
s.. 0O00C0 to the Polytechnic School IN
that same city. his gifts to various col
lcGcs amounting to st7, 800 600 and thi,
latest gift of $4,000 600 providing an
nuitics for retired professors, Andrew
ltaruCgic has given much more for the
cause of education than lie has givc.H
toward building libraries, although his
name is more commonly connected and
will probably continue to be, with his
library bcnefactions. His total gifts
to all causes are said to reach a totanof
lover $l20. 900 900