The Washington times., 1909-05-17

lions while George Washington has not
cent OF an endowment fund.
TO my certain knowledge there is
school one professor who draws a sal
ery or SS.5o0 who teaches exactly forty
five minutes each dav."
Collections Slow.
A prominent business man, who was
heavy subscriber to the fund for en-
lsrgement of the university, criticised
the dilatory collection OF this fund
over $4,000 was subscribed" he
said, but I am told that very little
has been collected. do not know
whether any efforts have been made to
get it or not, but the university authori-
ties will have some trouble in realizing
The pledges. According to my under
standing these were made IN the belief
that they were TO be devoted to the
purchase Of new grounds. When that
scheme failed 90 materialize many Of
the subscribers declined 10 contribute TO
the general fund
II is also charged that the attempt
10 expand the university was unwise in
face Of the heavy mortgages and debts
hanging over il. a blanket mortgage of
$4,000 covers the university building
and the medical school. OF this amount
the latter is compelled TO pay interest
on $4,000 from its regular source Of
revenue.
What President Says.
Washington has she most intellectual
population OF any town OF its size in
the countr.'' said President Needham.
There are hundreds of young men here
sons OF parents Of moderate means The
held of life work in the District of Co
lunfbia is far more confined than in any
other city I know. Clerkships in stores
or the learned professions form about
all that IS open to the Washington
youth. II education is decided upon and
the youth comes of parents naturally
desiring % give him the best education
possible. he must be sent away from
home. How many of the parents OF
nO1erate means cam afford to snare
the thousand dollars "A year necessary TO
support son who is securing edcatiOn
as an engineer or teacher or in any of
the learned professions? Few, l should
say;
1T therefore seems eminentIy proper
tnat there should be an institution of
that kind In this city. Columbian Uni
Nersity was collection OF high schools
IN lss1 with eleven day professors. l
mean by that, professors who devoted
their entire time to the school work It
mad no libraries or laboratories that
could De called such In fact IL needed
none OF those things because it's student
Dody was made up largely Of people who
worked IN the day in the Government
departments and who fitted themselves
Sor law, medicine or engineering The
separate departments were almost who'll
y II not entirely Independent. the medi-
Cal school. for instance. being run by
seven men absolutely without reference
TO the board Of trustees.
Wanted Real University.
I'VE wanted to change this. to give
the university a standing among other
universities and primarily to give the
people of the District a college to which
they could send their young men. Be
fore came 10 the presidency I was
dean OF the law school I was the onIv
member of the faculty who gave his en-
tire time to II. Now there is a reprI-
larry paid faculty in addition TO the
lecturers on various subjects, and case
work is being done by thorough instruc-
tion.
The same evolution has gone forward
IN All departments To place The new
equipment, to construct new buildings,
~ was necessary for the trustees to
borrow, in all, $4,000 Ia round figures,
MS mortgage Is still being carried on
tne property We have gradually
changed the system from night to day
school. and have raised the standard of
entrance requirement so that now we
have real university.
In the evolution from the night
school there was certain to be a de-
crease in the income and Of the num-
Der of students Just as there was sure
10 be an increase in the expenses by
the procurement of professors who
would give their entire time to the
work.
Cites the Figures.
The law school, the first year Of the
change, decreased from 500 students to
2SS- This year it has something like
80 students and next year will have
more. The same is true Of the medical
school. The law school deficit last year
was about $1,000 and the medical college
deficit something Ike $1,000. but the
latter branch has not been so long
under the new regime