Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-12-21
SENATOR WEBER WRITES LETTER
ON PROPOSED SCHOOL CHANGE.

Senator j. +. Weber replying to a
letter from j. w. Jarnigan. a. Cedar
Falls editor. in which he was asked to
express himself on the plan Of CO.
ordinating the states educational in
stitution, wrote as follows
Ottumwa, Ia, Dec. II, 1912.
~. w. Jarnigin. Cedar Falls, Ia.
Dear Sir: Your favor Of December
8 concerning the action of the state
board Of education as 1t will affect the
State Teachers college at Cedar Falls
Is before me, together with the printed
statement. Since you ask me to ex-
press myself relative to the issues in
volved will say that am perhaps not
sufficiently Informed as to the real
situation and for that reason perhaps
not In position to speak as one should
before passing final judgment on a
matter as important as this move will
be to the future student in Iowa. And
before finally passing Judgment on 1t
as a member OF the state senate l wish
to be more fully advised in the
premises than at this time.
Will say. however, that have gain
ed the impression that we have for
some time been confronted, with the
situation wherein we had, practically
speaking three state universities in
Iowa, and to be. frank with you I will
say that do not believe this is neces-
sary nor do believe it Is for the best
interests of the state Of Iowa. The
original plan no doubt was to- create q
great university in all that the name
implies at Iowa City, also an agri-
cultural college at Ames and school
for the purpose of training teachers for
the common branches at Cedar Falls. I
have been resident Of Iowa about
twelve years and during all that time
1t has appeared to me that these
institutions were more or less competi-
tors Of each other. which, in my judg-
ment, Is not proper.
are such as to entitle them to a school
entirely devoted to agricultural and
those things which are associated with
agriculture and which can be carried
along with 1t to advantage. I believe
1t was a mistake to provide the engi-
neering course at Ames as 1t now ex-
lists. Some minor work in engi-
neering. together with minor branches
in other lines, such as the average in
dividual requires along with agricul-
ture, think should be taken care Of at
Ames. But the idea of their becoming
q university Is by no means, In my
judgment to the best interests Of the
agricultural school, for the reason that
it has tendency to divert attention
from the real thing that this scnoOl
was intended to provide.
! am inclined to think that the home
economics department should be car
ried along at Ames as it now is in con-
nection with common branches as
above suggested, for the reason that It
IL more important to educate the young
women Of Iowa along the lines of be-
coming a wife for an Iowa farmer than
it Is that she should become the wife
of college or high school professor.
To that end, I think, il the board has
made a mistake as between Iowa City
and Ames it has made mistake in the
idea of taking the home economics
away from Ames and putting 1t at Iowa
City, and in turn taking the engineer
ing course away from Iowa City and
placing 1t at Ames.
The school at Cedar Falls was I'M
doubtedly. organized and intended for
the purpose Of training teachers to-
handle the common branches. or in
other words to supply the common