The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-02
Talks in Washington Regarding
Kansas University.
Declares Extension Department
Does Valuable Work.
FOR FREE SCHOOLING.
Thinks the Poor Help to Give
Rich an Education.
Appeals for Abolition of All
Fees at Institution.

Washington, Jan. General w. H.
Sears, of Lawrence, Kan, one-time pri-
vate secretary to Senator w. A. Harris.
and before that in command of the
Kansas national guard, and at an
earlier period confidential clerk of Gov
ernor Charles Robinson, at Haskell
! institute, and until recently the private
secretary and field agent Of Miss Clara
Barton, president of the American Ma
tional Red Cross, is here on legal bust
ness and attending to important mat
| tiers before congress.
| General Sears is a great friend of the
| University of Kansas, and was inStru-
mental in obtaining appropriations
| from the Kansas legislature for several
| of the finest buildings, in the days
when appropriations were hard to get.
General Sears is a graduate OF this IN
stitution, and is deeply interested in its
growing Importance in the educational
field. But the general believes that its
greatest efficiency and highest mission
can only be reached by abolishing all
fees and making it free institution.
In discussing this question of a Free
University VS.. a Fee University,
the general said:
Under the caption, Education for
ALL, the Garden City (Kan.) Telegram,
as quoted by the Topeka State Journal,
says that the extension department of
the University of Kansas, has demon
strated its ability to carry the univer-
sity to those people in the state who are
unable to go to Lawrence, or who could
not conform to the entrance require
mentS.
1.-THE extension department is doing
valuable work and should be encour-
aged and supported by liberal appro-
priations. But it is much better 20
bring the student to the university
than to try to carry the university to
thu student.
Fees Keep Students Away.
Most of the young men and women
of the state, who desire a university
education, would come to the Univer-
sity of Kansas if the exorbitant fees
now charged at this institution were
abolished.
Huxley said that education should
be free from the gutter to the univer-
sity. A free education is provided IN
the common schools of the state; the
high schools are free to those who are |
so fortunate as to live in a high school !
district; the normal schools are free |
and the agricultural college is free; but /
the fees charged at the State univer- |
sity are so large as to exclude most of |
the poor boys and girls of the state.
ut is safe to say that the major part |!
of the taxes levied for the support of |
the university are paid by the people |
their children to the university and pay |
tn excessive fees charged. So these |
small taxpayers are helping to support |
the institution for the benefit of the |
weli-to-do and wealthy.
1.-THE safety, stability and security of |
republican institutions depend upon the |
education of the masses; and no good |
citizen should object to being taxed for |
so beneficent a purpose.
For nine years the University of |
L fro TO 4La Il
daughters of the people of the state, |
in all its departments, except 1abora- |
tory fees and a graduation or diploma |
fee of So.
Refers to Fee System Bill.
when bill providing for fee sys-
means committee of the state senate, |
Senator L. P. King, of Cowley county,
speaking in opposition to the bill said:
I am opposed to this bill. I favor a
system of public education that is free
from the bottom to the top Small as |
year more for the sake of a free uni
versity for the poor boys and girls of |
the state The bill was defeated and |
it was nine years before the present fee
bill was passed.
During the years when the univer
sity was free it was an easy matter
for poor students to work their way
through school. and most of them were
able TO earn enough during vacation /
to pay their way for the school year.
A free university attracted many poor
students. Many stories could be told 4
of how a university education was OBJ
tanned by poor boys in the days when i
the institution was practically free, or
when the fees were light. One of these Il
stories will suffice.
1.-TWO boys entered the university at II
Lawrence from the farms of Jefferson
county. They rented room at 81 a Il
month and brought their furniture from 4
home. They cooked, ate, slept and Il
studied in this room for five years. and
it never cost them to exceed SIS per
month for living eXpences during all
this time. And they earned this money Il
during vacation by working on the
farms of Jefferson county, blowing corn,
binding wheat, pitching hay and work
ing about the threshfng machines The
money they earned then would scarce
ly pay for the fees charged now
Especially should all laboratory fees
be abolished. Many a poor boy is di-
verted from taking a scientific course
because OF these excessive fees and IS
led to pursue some light modern litera-
ture course, where the fees are less.
and thus a possible Davy, Faraday, or
an Edison is lost to the world; and
such a loss cannot be measured in
dollars and cents.
'On this question of Free Schools VS.. ]
Fee Schools, every small taxpayer, ev-
in CHI | .