The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1911-02-23
MILLIONS FOR
INSTITUTIONS
NORTH DAKOTA WILL BOND THE
COMMONWEALTH.
POSTERITY WILL HELP PAY
FOR THE EDUCATIONAL ADVAN.
TAGES THEY WILL ENJOY.

The Sioux Falls Press in a recent
editorial shows how North Dakota con-
templates providing for it's educational
institutions. The Press says:
North Dakota is seriously consid-
ering taking a step, which if it were
attempted in South Dakota, would
cause IA storm of protest and scare
some conservative legislators into a
state of collapse. North Dakota pro-
poses to issue four millions of bonds
TO be expended in upbuilding the edu-
cational institutions of that state.
Think of it, Four millions for build
ings for educational institutions of one
state not as populous as South Da-
kota, If the entire state debt of South
Dakota equalled half that amount
there would be plenty of croakers who
would declare the state was going into
bankruptcy.
But North Dakota is proceeding on
the theory that it is a wise and pay
ing policy to equip her educational
institutions at once to do good work.
Instead of appropriating $15,0 900 to $685.
900 each ear to be expended in COM
paratively small and Inadequate build
ings, 1t is proposed to make from
$l50,000 to 81, 900, 900 available for
each school and build for the future.
That Tho ctatn will no plnnnr nhaoI n,
the long run by this sort of a building
program can be readily seen. AS it
is proposed to build for p~osterity as
well as for the present, it is fair to
let posterity pay some of the bill. So
the state is to be bonded and the
bonds paid off gradually as the grow
ing state is able.
The idea in North Dakota seems to
be that expenditures for state insti-
buttons arc for the benefit of the
whole state and that the of edu-
cation il a worthy enc. In this state
one nigh think from the talk
Tor tie bonefit" Of TIE ' GOWNS III which n
The schools are located. 1t is proposed
to eXpend a half million OF the Minot
Normal School. The fact that this
will boom things somewhat in the
town of Minot seems not to be con-
sidered a valid objection to the ap-
preparation in North Dakota.
"The trouble in South Dakota is
that in the bitterness of political cam
paigns there have been platform speak.
ers and newspapers who have not hest
tated to strike a blow at the educa-
tional institutions of the state; who
have been willing to sacrifice the cause
of the education of our youth that po-
litical capital might be realized; who
have not only been willing, but have
tried their best to make the people
believe they were being plunged into
hopeless debt and taxed to DEATH
1T is time that South Dakota's best
people rise up in protest against such
talk and such knocking against the
state, even in a hot political campaign,
Financially South Dakota is in good
shape. The state has never been ex-
%travagant in the support of it's state
institutions and can W II afford to
support literally every state institu-
ton now in existence. The example
of North Dakota in calmly proposing
to expend -four millions Of borrowed
money in building up it's state schools.
should make us ashamed of our petty
talk of extravaganza and the hostile
attitude which has been assumed to-
ward our institutions.
North Dakota has three normal
schools on which it is proposed to ex-
pend 81, 250, 900. In comparison with
this the appropriations recommended
by the South Dakota Board Of Regents
for new buildings and additions, for
our four normal schools including
sewer systems, heating plants and the
purchase of land, amounting to about
$4,000 in two years, seems very con-
sentative indeed"