The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-02-03

Declaring vigorously that the pres |,
cnt appropriation policy of South Ia
kota will bring the state to the verge /
of ruin. r. II. Unruh, mayor of Tyn-
dali, S d., aud wealthy property
owner. passed through Sioux City yes
tcrday ON his way to Pierre. He pro-
poses tn ask the legislature what en-
cuSe there is for maintaining four
state nurmalS in South Dakota, wien
over 5000, 900 can be saved at each scS-
sion by consolidating them into Gne
normal.
"The legislature years ago." Mr.un-
ruh said appropriated over 81 900 900
for various purposes. This was the
peoples money and of course it costs
money to MAINTAIN and manage the
state household. But it is astonishing
that young state like ours with less
than 100000 people would reach So
deep in the pockets of the taxpayer.
Tins being a fact, therefore. the ap-
preparations are of the utmost import
ance. especially in this session. Ex-
anime the distribution of these large
appropriations. Where did the money
go to? For what purpose? Have the
people IN general been benefited in
any way. directly or Indirectly? 1t
does not look like it, at least in Il gaod
many cases. The property owner, the
beast of burden for taxation, has to
+I,o vr,),<> ,roi,rhf
81 am not opposed to any Legitimate
and justified support of such state IN
stitutions as the insane asylum, peni-
Tertiary, agricultural college, univer-
sty and the school of mines, because
they are an absolute necessity. a bene-
tit and blessing to the people. But
there have been created a number of
institutions in a haphaZard way, by
some prior legislatures which have
buldened the taxpayer and drained
the state treasury and there are the
so-called state normal schools. One is
located iE the village OF Springfield.
one at Madison, one ut Aber deem aad
one at Speartish.
"Now these four normal schools are
not very lluch above an ordinary dis
trict or country school, and Yet they
have received in the shape of an appro
priation by the legislature for the years
of 1903 and 1904 the enormous sum Of
s27O,20o ] understand this lavish
donation is TO be repeated at Pierre in
this session. Let us pray and earnest
ly hope that the present legislature
does not follow in the footsteps Of It's
predecessors, at least not in Suc! ex.
trayagant appropriations for the So
called normal schools 1t is the duty
OF South Dakota taxpayers. in the in.
tcreSt OF themselves and posterity and
the welfare of the state Of South Da.
kota, to protest through their repre-.
sentatlycs against the normal school
appropriations. We do not need them
the state does not need them.
"Four OF such institutions are toe
many and are only burden to the
state. Concentrate them into one III
stitution and save the state Sl25,OW
annually. One such institution should
not cost more than the agricultural
college or the university atVermillior
which can be or have been maintained
on the average for about 5000 or les!
annually. The state OF Illinois. Will
millions of people, has one and onl!
one normal school. Our neighborint
state, Iowa. has only one norma
school. But our young state has fou
such Institutions at the expense of TIL
people. II this course OF appropriat
ing large sums for support and build
ing Vt state normal schools is pursued
any longer the probabilities are tina
the state will reach the verge @
bankruptcy in the near future.
The city OF Mitchell maintains
university by private donations whic
stands high above our normal schools
supported by the state. The town {
Freeman has Il normal school of il
own built and supported by the pei
pie in that locality. Why can't thes
other normal school towns adopt til
same plan? The town where resiG
supports high school by local {
! school tax, which is one year abo,
the Springfield normal school, or,
other words, one grade higher.
"We all know the history and OF
gin of the Springfield normal In tt
. early SOS the legislature appropriate
10000 acres Of state lands for norm
school at that place and the succee
ing legislature saw tit to repeal til
enactment. This was Il very wi
move, but ever since that the old b;
terry has been charged and recharg
till the movement got new lease
life again which few years ago res,
rected the old approp .iaton deal OF
40,o00-acre gift, or graft, or whateS
it may be called. And after this here
D act had been accomplished by q