The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1911-06-02
Alexander Hall.

This hall is about TO become non est
Some OF the stockholders have sold theil
stock in the dormitory and spectators
are trying to buy more OF it. The stock
subscribed amounts to $500 The
grounds and improvements cost about
IS, 800 This leaves balance due Of
about "a, 800. The interest has been
paid, but the principal is due, and the
banker wants his money. As stated,
there is an inclination on the part oil
some Of the stockholders TO sell at less
than par. The grounds and buildings
are worth more than that and will con-
tinue to increase in value.
But that is not the question. Specu-
lators are trying to buy the property,
and this stimulated a meeting OF the
Business Mems Club Monday night to
consider whether or not it would be well
for the school or town to dispose OF this
property Some discussion of the mat
ter was heard pro and con, but nothing
definite was decided upon, and a meet
ing of the stockholders was called to
have been held last night.
As we look at it, the first proposition
is, has the school ever been q success as
a preparatory or boarding school until
the dormitory developed9 Bear in mind
that, when Mr.. and Mrs. Briggs had the
boys during the first OF Prof Mathis
administration, the dormitory principle
was carried out in the assembling OF the
boys in nearby cottages and buying
provisions in large quantities, the mat
ter being handled by the only successful
manager the school ever had, Mr. Briggs.
Then we say that the school has never
been success asa preparatory or board
ing school until the dormitory principle
was adopted and dormitory property &C
quired. Why? Because the school had
practically no boarding pupils without
the dormitory, and few, if any, we're
prepared for the university. As a prep
aratory school the reputation of the in-
stitution has been made since the dor
mitory extension. We cannot say that
the institution has been q success as
boarding school. But there is only one
answer to that, and that is mismanage-
ment.
No school OF general character is
self sustaining. Private schools are sup
ported by philanthropy, public schools
by taxation, a common cause therefore.
AS a rule the universities and prepare
tory schools all over the United States
without dormitories are failures. Thed
Training School at Union City never
amounted to anything before it had
dormitory. The private school without
the dormitory is nothing more nor less
than a school conducted for the benefit
OF few children, whose parents want
them to have special advantages and
environments. 1t is neither essen
TALLY preparatory nor board
ing school. Very little claim to
either could be made by the Training
School under the old system. There
are few very rare exceptions to the
rule, and they are very rare, indeed.
Mr.. Webb's school at BelIbuckle was
one o. these, aud we understand that
school is no longer enjoying the success
and popularity that characterized it
some years before.
Then, disposing Of this phase OF the
question, We come to another which was
not presented at all at the meeting OF
the club Monday night. Can the citi-
zens afford to endow private school2
Will II pay
Practically every school outside Of
public school, substantially 50, must be