The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-31
Tuesday Jan. 81. 1905.
NEEDS OF THE UNIVERSITY.

We hope the members of T. leg;sla-
ture will read carefully and make a
study of the report Of President Vena-
BILE of the State University which he
submitted last Thursday to the trustees
of the institution. This institution Is
in great need of increased aid from the
state. 1t should have it. If the univer-
sity is to be kept up at all it should be
made efficient. There is no sense in
adopting a halfway ground in the
state dealing with the university. 1t
should provide for it's necessities or
close it's doors. President Venable's re-
port shows what is needed, what Is alb
and venerable state institution of
learning abreast Of the times. The re-
port shows that additional annual ap-
preparations are needed for the current
expenses and that it is highly important
hat a building to be used as a chemical
laboratory should be erected.
university 10 III oclI Suppol LIE
1t was never intended tina It should
be. The running expenses are not met
by the fees Of the students, therefore
the larger the student body the greater
the deficit to be made up by state ap-
preparations or private donations. AS
DIR. Venable points out in his report, if
this university was intended for the
rich alone the charges could be placed
so high as to make it self-sustaining;
the young men of the state of all class
es who are DESTROYS of an education
as well for those who can afford 20 pay
only part of their expenses as for the
sons of our w%ealthiest citizens. They
all are treated alike.
AS it is, DR.. Venable shows that there
are only two universities in the whole
land where the students pay a larger
percentage of the expenses Of conduct
ing the institution. This is a surprise
to us, for we thought Chapel Hill would
be found to be low down on the list.
The university not being se~lf-suppOrt-
ing, of course it takes more money from
outside sources to maintain it now
with it's six hundred and sixty students
than it did a few years ago when there
the student body increases in size there
must be enlargement of facilities for
instruction.
We feel confident thai neither Dr..
Venable nor the trustees would ask the
legislature for additional appropriation
for the annual expenses nor for a spe-
ciaI one for the building said to be so
much needed if there were not absolute
necessity for sue appropriations. We
hope the legislators will view the mat
ter in this light.
To refuse to give the university proper
support would greatly hamper it in it's
work. To hamper it to such extent
would be to greatly curtail it's useful
ness. The university was established
. by the state and has been kept up by it
for the benefit of our young men and
for future generations of young men.
If the state is not going to properly
provide for it it would be better to cut
off all appropriations; for keeping it up
in a h~alf-handed way and in a cramped
condition is q useless expenditure OF the
states money. The good work of this
lowed to lag because of the lack of a
few more thousand dollars a year from
the public treasury. That it is perform
ing a noble work no one can deny. That
it will be crippled in it's usefulness un-
less these approximations are made we
cannot see how any one can deny who
reads president Venable's report.
Too much has already been expended
on the university now to leave her to
mold and dry-rot for :he lack of a few
more thousand dollars each year.
1t should not be necessary to make an
earnest appeal to the legislators in this
matter. All that should be necessary
is to place the facts before them and tell
them what is needed to remedy the I'M
satisfactory conditions.
-
The senate wont have much time for
listening to long-winded speeches in the
Swayne impeachment trial.