Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-03-02
FIGURES ON
EDUCATION
Given by President W. G. Tight
Of the University.
COMPARISON OF COST
Shows That the Higher institution Of
Learning in New Mexico Are Not
Expensive.

VerSlty or New Mexico, VINO mas peer
in Santa Fe for few days on legis
lative business, is one of the conscien
tiOus educators of the Territory. He
is very enthusiastic over the outlool
in the Territory and believes that il
the educational institutions of New
Mexico could have the same financial
aid from the authorities, in proportion
to the number of students enrolled
that the institutions of the states re-
ceive, that New Mexico's Universities
and Colleges would rank away up to-
ward the top. In an interview with
New Mexican representative, Presi-
dent Tight gave some figures that
serve to throw much needed light up
on educational statistics of New Mex
leo. Take the average of all the high
er institutions of learning in this Ter
ritory and it will be found that the cost
to the government per pupil is but
$3.50 per year. In no state in the
Union does the cost per pupil run be-
low $21O in the state institutions.
Many of them run as high as $500, and
In the nOn-state schools, such as Har-
ward, Yale, DePauw and others, the
cost runs up considerably higher than
this. One of the cries that goes up
from the "kickers" is that it costs SO
much to furnish professors for the
small number of students which at
tend the institutions in this Terri
tory A little time spent in figuring
shows that in New Mexico the aver
age is about one professor to twelve
students. In the various state institu-
tions the average runs from
one professor to thirteen stud
ents, to as high as one professor
to nine students, and it is in only al
very few that the one to thirteen
holds good. Again, as to the matter
OF salaries, comparison proves that
the salaries paid in New Mexico are
much lower than is paid in the same
class Of institutions elsewhere. For
a4taslB very reason It Is almost impossi-
BILE for our colleges to secure the class
of men which they should have upon
their faculties. They are constrained
to accept the services of the young |
men who have recently graduated and |
are willing to accept a small salary in
order to get start and some practi-
cal experience. As soon as these men
have reached a point where they are
really valuable, some other institution
with more equable appropriation, Of
fers them more salary and they are
lost to New Mexico.
Another thing which the people of
this Territory should begin to realize,
and that Is that our Territorial insti-
tltions are the feeders for the teach
ers of the common schools. The COM
mon schools can not afford to send
east or north to secure teachers who
are up in the profession, and conse-
quently they must accept the young
graduate of the home institutions.
However, these make just as good
teachers as those who come from the
larger colleges, and in many cases
much better. But, without our own in
stitutions how would we fill the posi-
tiOns In the common schools. Were
the University of New Mexico, the Col. |
lege Of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts
and the two Normal Schools to be done
away with, within twelve months not
more than fifty per cent of the teach.
ers needed in the common schools
could be supplied. These are points
which are Of the utmost importance to
the people of this Territory and they
should be carefully considered. Our
Territorial institutions need larger ap.
both so that they can e
carry on the present work and also in
order that they can grow and keep
pace with +he growth of our common. K
wealth along other lines. II