The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-03-12
UNIVERSITY
APPROPRIATION
SHOULD RECEIVE FAVORABLEVOTE
Appropriation Is an Absolute Neces.
sity in the Interest of Higher
Education.

Educatl0ns
The last session OF the Oregon legis
lature passed Till appropriatin,
sl20, 600 for "the support and malu
tenance of the University OF Oregon
to keep the Buildings, grounds, auC
all other property thereof, in repair
TO- tue purchase OF library books, lab
orntory supplies and apparatus. T"
A referendum was invoked on th,
bill, so it will not become law unit
1t is approved by majority of The
vUters at the regular election on June
|, l%io The Alumni issue this state
ment o the voters of Oregon, believ.
Ing that after careful consideration OF
the facts they will vote Eyes" ou the
ballot and convert the bill into Jaw.
Univ ersity Attendance increases. -
The university, along with the state,
has last entered upon a remarkable
period of growth The attendance
has doubled since 1901 and has in
creased % per eent since last year,
despite the referendum and the tenn
porary Gripping of the institution.
There ale now 400 students in the de
paitments at Eugene, exclusive OF
music. and total enrolment, includ-
ing the departments of medicine and
law, of 6J0 students.
There are in Oregon more than "a
iour-year high schools, besides acad.
euies, and enough two, thee and
one-yest high schools to bring the
tot"l up to l20.
Oregon Appropriation the Smallest.
Tne University of Oregon now re-
ceiVes the smallest appropriation of
any state university in the Union, al.
though eight states have less popula-
tion, aud nine have less wealth. The
present appropriation from this state
amounts to S47,500. In addition to
this the university receives about
81, 900 year from interest bearing
funds aud registration fees. The an
nual appropriation of number of
western state universities for 1907 il
as follows: Washington, $500, 600; Ida
ho, Sl29, $50; Montana. SS7, $50; Colo
RADIO, S515, 600; Nevada, S125, 600;
Iowa, $3.50, 900; Wisconsin, 81, l25, 261 (;
Nebraska, S3l, 235; California, $50,
l4S. aThe rate is only two-tenths of a
mill un Oregon's assessed valuation.
Comparative Cost per Student. - The
cost per student to the state of Ore
gon is only Sl33, as against S15l at
the University Of Washington, S179 at
Idaho, $3.50 at California, sl94 at Mon
tana and $500 at wisconsin. This es-
innate is made on the basis of actual
maintenance, exclusive of buildings.
The comparison is still stronger when
buildings and equipment are added.
The number 0 students includes the
departments Uf medicine and law for
the reason that these departments are
included In the rerorts of other uni
versities, aud it was not possible to
them.
Scale of Salaries Low. The presi
dent of the University of Oregon re-
ceives an annual salary of So, ,000, as
against SO, 900 paid at the University
OF California, 81, 500 at the University
Of Washington and So, 900 at the Gre
gon Agricultural College. Ihe aver
age maximum salary paid professors
In state universities is $4,000 as COM
pared with maximum at the Univer-
sity of Oregon of $4,000. Only eight
professors receive 50, 600; nine receive
sl, 600, and the rest Of the Instruction
al force receive from 81, 200 to $500.
University Badly Crippled. The
present condition of the University of
Oregon is deplorabIe. Glass rooms
and laboratories are overoroN ded.
The heating plant IL inadequate to
heat all the buildings. The library is
wholly without lights and the girls
dormitory cannot be used on account
Of lack of heat. The department of
geology has been without head since
the death of DIR. Condon 1t is i'm
possible to renew expiring contracts
for fuel, light and water. No wages
were paid in October. November and
December.
New Settlers Demand Good Schools.
The states OF the middle west, from
which Oregon is endeavoring to at
tract immigration, are appropriating
large sums for their universities.
Iowa, for example, appropriated $685.
566 for her university in 1907, and
Kansas appropriated 1857, 500. Both
OF these states are iteral in The sup
port of their agricultural colleges.
The defeat of the appi opriaticn would
seriously injure Orrgon's reputation
among the great G mmonwealths of
the middle west, Ibis year the Uni
versity of Washington received five
times as many students from the mid
die west as did the University of Ore
gon.
The Opportunity of the Poor. Poor
and rich alike can share Ia the I'D
vantages offered by the state univer-
sity. Tuition Is free and the cost of
living low. Sixty-tlye per cent of the
young men at the University of Ore
gon are either wholly or partially
earning their oEn way through col
ieee. Students have entered the uni.
versity with less than $50 in money,
and yet have been able through their
own exertious to work their way
through to graduation Every boy
with determination to work may
achieve an education at the State I'm
iversity. He can by his own eff orts
earn his way, where he has no tuition
and only the cost of living and books,
but is absolutely barred by the $500
to $500 required to 80 cut of the
state.
University Pant of the Public
School System. The states which are
supporting their universities most lib
orally are the ones which have the
strongest systems of public schools.
as tor example, California. Iowa, Wis
consin and Minnesota. A strong uni
versity Is absolutely essential to a
strong school system, for the univer-