The Colorado statesman., 1911-08-26

NO institutions nave more heeuly
felt the effects of the increased cost
of living than have our church schools.
They have been caught between two
fires as It we're; they have had to pay
more for supplies and equipment than
ever before, and yet the general strin-
gency precludes the possibility OF
charging any more than formerly for
the advantages and opportunities Of
fered to the student. Many of these
schools will, through the efforts OF
their managers and directors, levy a
heavier assessment on the general
public and especially on the various
churches who support them. This pol
icy may tide them over for while
but only for a while. And further,
this policy may lead in time to that
condition of riding a free horse to
death" 1t occurs to us that one sen
sible plan for these institutions to fol-
low is this: Many of them own from
30 to $50 acres of land This land has
heretofore played only a subordinate
part in the support of these institu-
tions. Why not make this land pro-
ductive? Use It as a support to the
school and as a means of giving the
student the best sort of education2
Schools owning this land could get
In touch with the agricultural depart
ment of the government or with some
experiment station and thus become
an Industrial school in ways other
than on paper. These schools draw
largely upon country districts for their
students. What finer opportunity could
be desired for training in right meth
ods" of farming? This education
could and should be a part and real
part of the work done. We appreciate
the difficulties that these schools have
20 face. A dozen youngsters come up
from the country with the most pre-
posterous ideas about education and
life. If they are turned loose on a
course leading through algebra, Latin,
French and Greek, they are happy and
so are their parents. Their loyalty
and support are assured. If these
youngsters should be introduced to
the plow, and other farming parapher-
MALTA. it is just possible that there
would be wailing and gnashing of
teeth on the part of both students and
parents. Heroic beginning of this sort
may be postponed from time to time.
as has been the case In the past, but
events are gradually showing the need
of just such a start. We were in con-
versation recently with one of the pro-
moters of a denominational school.
This denomination has bought and
paid for so acres of land near
growing city. Buildings have been
erected and work will begin in the
fall. My informant regretted that in
electing a principal. they had to elect
a man who is only a normal graduate!
Next year, he thought, they would
send and get a man versed in Greek.
Hebrew, German and French Now,
don't that beat h-ll," we said to our
selves! That so acres of land could
be developed into a model farm help
ing to defray the expenses of the
school and giving valuable instruction
in work that the world wants and is
willing to pay for. Another fact wor-
thy of note in this connection is this:
Within a radius of a hundred miles of
the town where this new school is to
be erected there are eight denomina-
eiOhai sShooiS' al uoih6 luell'iSaiiJ Tue
same sort of work. Two of them are
giving and are prepared to give train
ing in the higher branches of educa-
ton The others are for the most part
doing the work of well-organized and
efficient country schools. and are not
doing it nearly so well. Our activity
in establishing new schools-schools
that duplicate the work of one an
other-suggests a possible result sim
liar to that in the story of Midas.
This latter got all the gold he wanted,
but all of his gold was absolutely
worthless and injurious to him.-Dal-
las Express.