The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-11-14
GOVERNOR CRuCE
ON EDUCATION

Governor Cruce devotes more snace
to the subject of education than any
other one topic in his lengthy and able
message to the coming legislature
Every citizen in the state should read
what the governor says anent para.
mount issues in Oklahoma politics:
EDUCATION.
There is probably no one subject
that interests more people in Okla
homa than the subject of education.
The enthusiasm of our people for
higher educational development has
been made means by which self.in-
terested individuals have effected an
entrance into the pockets Of the tax
payers of this state. Outrages against
the state and against real educational
progress have been prepetrated in the
name of education The number of
we'll informed men in this state who
believe that the number of higher edu-
cational institutions we now have are
necessary, is SO small as to be incon-
siderable. There is almost uniform
agreement on the part Of the people
that some OF these schools should be
abolished The trouble is, however,
that there are few men in public life
who have undertakn to designate the
schools that should be eliminated.
Oklahoma has more schools known
as higher educational institutions, .
which are supported largely or en-
tirely by state revenue, than any other
state of like population in the Union.
1t is hardly probable that Oklahoma
needs this class of schools more than
any other state; nor is it at all true
that it is able to support more schools
Of this character than other states of
like wealth and population The
trouble with Oklahoma is this-these
schools in many instances were es-
tablished not because there was gen
eral need for thin, but because some
locality desired state institution, and
was able to bring enough influence to
bear upon former legislatures to ef-
feet the location of such institution
in that district.
We have a University, an A. & NJ.
College, a Girls College, a School of
Mines. two University Preparatory
Schools, six District Agricultural
Schools, six State Normals, and an A.
& NJ. School for the negroes, nine
teen in all. There was appropriated
to maintain these schools for the two
years ending June Goth, 1913, 1,496,
10000, or an annual outlay OF $74S,.
10000; and recent report submitted
by the Superintendent Of Public In
struction indicates that it will require
this much or more to maintain these
schools during the next two years.
Practically thirty per cent of all OF
the revenue collected by the state for
governmental purposes is expended in
these nineteen schools The qustion
is, how long will the people OF OKLA
homa stand this sort of school sys-
tenn, and how long will the legislature
Of the state permit this annual raid
upon the state treasury?
According to the reports made by
the presidents of these various insti-
tutions, the total number Of students
in attendance upon all Of them ON the
5tb day of December, 1911, was 1882;
the total school population, according
to the census for last year, is more
than $4,000. tt is seen therefore that
less than one per cent of the total
school population of Oklahoma is re-
ceiving the benefits Of these higher
educational institutions.
While we have been gnerous to the
point of extravaganza in providing
funds for these schools, the sum total
of taxes levied and collected by the
state for the education Of th ninety
nine per cent OF school children who
cannot attend these schools, for the
past year, should every dollar of tax
alton be paid, would aggregate only
1926, 900. In other words, we are
spending more than twice as much OF
the peoples money gathered by state
taxation. to help educate one per cent
OF the children Of Oklahoma as we are