Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-12-25

Biennial Report of President Van Hise
Shows Needs. of Institutfon-Ex.cov-
ernor w. D. Hoard Urges Liberal
Support by Legislature.
That the rapid growth and deveIon.
ment of the University o. Wisconsin is
proving greater than it's resources. and
that there is urgent need of immediate
provision for an increase in its income
are shown in the biennial report of
President Charles r. Van Hise which
is now in press.
The large increase in the attendance
during the last two years, together
with the prospect of an enrolment Of
over $500 students this year, the re.
port points out, makes necessary an in
crease in the instructionaT force. as
well as important additions to the
buildings and equipment. Ex-GovCrn-
or ". D. Hoard, president Of the re-
gents, in sending the report to Govern
or Davidson, calls attention to tie fact
that the opportunities OF the university
for service in the upbuildinG of the
state in every way are still far beyond
the institutions resources. Of the re
quests for additional resources are
granted by the legislature" he writes,
1T is my belief that in the future, as
in the past, the results will more than
Justify the additional grants"
Needs Larger Income.
To enable the university arproxi-
mately to meet the most pressing
needs in order to perform for the
students and the state the work that it
should do, President Van Hise shows,
will require an increase in the perma.
ment income. He proposes to bring
this about by a change from the pres
ent two-sevenths of mill tax to three
eighths of a mill tax. This would
mean but very small increase to the
individual tax payer,-only about
cents on a thousand dollars-and the
report demonstrates that the returns
already made by the university to the
people of the state more than justifies
the belief that this small increase will
be returned to them many fold.
More Buildings Necessary.
The permanent educational improve
ment appropriation of 100000 a year
for a pediod of five years, President
Van Hise proposes should be enlarged
to 100000 a year and extended to
seven years, in order to provide for
the pressing needs of new buildings, to
buy the needed apparatus and books,
and to purchase the necessary add
tional land. con the basis of 100000
year for permanent educational i'm
provements, we are getting farther
and farther behind on the construction
of needed buildings and other pcrma.
nent improvements" says the presi.
dent
In order to provide for the immedi.
ate educational needs Of the university
there will be required biology build
ing, a building for the training of
teachers, an additional wing to the
chemistry building, medical building,
additions to the dairy building, a wing
to the soils building, a pumping plant,
wings for the engineering building, a
drill hall, and the completion of tun-
nels and equipment for the central
heating station.
Students Should Have Dormitories.
To carry out satisfactorily the plan
of providing dormitories, or halls of
residence, for students of the univer-
sity, the report shows that the present
appropriation set aside for the con-
struction of these buildings, which is
100000 a year for four years, should
be increased to 100000 year, the in
crease to take effect July 1, 1909, and
the appropriation to be for period of
not less than four years. with the
increase of from $50 to 300 students a
year, the construction of dormitories
will not keep pace with the growth Of
the student body, and we shall be far
Their behind in meeting the real de-
mand of the students for living quar-
tiers in the future than we are at the
present time.
eff, instead of 100000 per annum,
we have 100000 per annum for the
construction of student buildings for
period of five years, we should be
able within a reasonable period to
provide homes for a considerable frac-
ton Of the students, but certainly for
only a portion of those that would
gladly have the advantage of living in
a hall Of residence under the control
of the university"
Model School for Teachers Course.
Another pressing necessity is the fur
Their development Of the course for the
training of teachers and the erection
of building for model school. "The
university should have an elementary
and secondary school directly under
its charge, in which observation and
practice work may be done by univer-
slty students, and which may also
serve as laboratory for the depart
ment of education" writes President
Van Hise. a building for a model
school will probably cost not less than
$150,000.
Medical and Biological Buildings.
The growth of the semitic depart
ments, the report shows, makes imper-