The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-13
RAH, COLUMBIA!
COLLEGE PROBLEMS AND
JOYS DISCUSSED.
Governor-Elect Fort, President Butler,
Hamilton W. Mabie and others
Speak at Alumni Banquet.

Problems and joys of college life and
what its real function should be were dis
cussed by speakers at the fourth annual
banquet Of the New Jersey Alumni As
ISOLATION Of Columbia University, held
last night in English's Auditorium. East
Orange. There were several hundred
graduates present. and during the dinner
they made things hum with cheering and
singing Of college airs. Governor-elect
John Franklin Fort was one Of the speak
ers.
Mr.. Fort spoke before all the courses
had been served, as he had to leave early
for New York. He was to la spoken
on New Jersey, but refrained from doing
so as he had been speaking on this topic
very often of late, he said, but he was
glad to say it was the best State in the
Union He was quickly told Columbia
men were 'the best in the land and said
he was glad to hear il, for he received an
invitation to the Yale Alumni dinner from
Austen Colgate and was told Yale men
were also the best in the land"
Mr.. Fort said he was not a college gradl-
ate, but 1t was not his fault and he APP
preciated highly what 1t meant to be a
grad"
Real men are needed today. he said.
and one should not shuttle. Men must
fight to win In this day, he said, and col
lege men must be leaders and must of
necessity be conservative and wise. Mr..
Fort said he did not agree with the critics
of President Roosevelt and believed money
was not the highest thing o~btainable.
Men must stand for civic righteousness
and work to. upbuild the community where
they live he said, and individual effort
is needed to do this.
The Governor-elect stated that the
present world power of the United States
is due to the administrator of the late
President Mckinley and to Roosevelt I'M
der the leadership OF their secretaries of
State.
Ate. he concluded the graduates told
MI. Fort they hoped to meet him next In
the Presidential chair and would give him
as warm q greeting then.
Hamilton w. Mabie, a graduate Of Will
Jams College, paid a high tribute to Co
lumbia and related how 1t has recorded
the progress OF New York, starting with
a small place lower down and now having
a fine number of buildings at Morning
side Heights. Mr.. Mabie referred briefly
to recent financial troubles and said the
Almighty caused a cessation OF activities
once in about every forty years to brine
man to his senses and let him know thai
money is only a symbol and that material
achievements are only symbols The coup'
try, Mr.. Mabie declared. Is a colossal
workshop and people are pouring out worl
without stint. The function of a college
is to put great ideals behind the task, h
said. 1t can be a great force, he said, By
teaching relative advantages.
Nicholas Murray Butler, president Of Co
lumbia. said there were very few not In
timately connected with a great universit.
| who nave the rernotest conception OF wha
the administration involves, and he be
| iieyed few railroad companies have al
many Complications. and few banks ans
trust companies have, in a way, as MANI
Important decisions to make as to thei
| assets as a university is blige TO make
An accountant. ne said, could go over CO
| Inn, > hooka YnW and certify IN them II
fifteen minutes. Columbia, has four hoard
Of trustees meeting once a month, Fresi
dent Butler explained, n also elevei
faculties and indefinite committees. He J
called UPON TO attend about forty-two meet
ings a month and does not find any $50 goi
pieces lying near his chair.
A modern American university, Presidel
Butler said, has become a great publ
service Institution and a small part OF Il
work Is to give study even TO 5000 student
and at all times 1t Is in the hands of tn
public, the lectures being attended eacl
week by about lO.O0o persons. Almost q
by deans and the head performs the Juno
lions that devolves On a prime minister
The work of the present year was don
about two years back, he explained an
often a president of n university Is charge
with doing something that he never knee
anything about until he reads of 1t in tn
newspapers. Columbia is today spendii.
more than $2,O0o,0O0 a year, he said, for cGi
frederick L. Keppel. secretary OF II
university, spoke of an alumni day bein
held in the future by Columbia on eac
Iincoln's Birthday, and believed II mos
important for the men who have went OF
to keep In touch with those in the inst
tuition.
has 10 work his way, said Mr.. Keppel, ar
n the alumni viii let the faculty know
that sort Of a boy they will try and tut
1 him out a Columbia boy.
He also had something TO say abol
gifts to the university from those WI
had graduated and said lit could not offs
BE- told just what was going 70 happen.
Talks were also given by Dean +. :
i Goetz' who told of the rapid strides beir
made by the ongineering school, ana Arm
lKObn LoheclE, aoleRe 124 and Arne