The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-11-23
CRUCES PLAN
IS ENDORSED
BY EDUCATORS
centralize Institutions, Substance Of
All Messages From Many Emil
nent Authorities.

Oklahoma City Nov 23.-When
Governor Cruce was preparing his
program for reduction OF state educa
tional Institutions. he wrote numer
Gus of the greater American educa
tors and university heads, asking their
opinion of his plan as outlined to
them.
| Messages of commentator were re-
lceived by the governor from large
number, including Presidents Schur
man of Cornell, Lowell of Harvard
IIadley OF Yale, Jordan of Leland Stan.
ford, Jordan Of the University of Chi
cago. Gunsaulus Of the Armour lnsti
tute of Technology, and Van Hise OF
the University of Wisconsin
Why Opinions Sought.
The information was sought, the
governor explains, in symposium
made public Wednesday of the state
The terms of what was known as the
Akin bill was pending before the vot.
ers of the state. The terms of that
measure went farther toward abolish.
ing an dconsolidating the schools than
the governors message proposes
The Symposium.
! A. s. Draper, commissioner of edu-
cation of the state of New York
writes:
ii you do not look out, you will
have more state schools than. good
ones That is almost inevitable. 1t
will be far wiser to have a small mum
Der and make them stronger, and in
later years develop new ones as the
need of them may become apparnt.
Moreover in my Judgment,
there is no necessity Of SO many nor
NAL school. | should suppose that two
at the start would be ample
The secretary of the Carnegie Fonn-
Idation Fund for the advancement of
ltdNhiu6, NiilSos
In general then according to our
experience, the principle Of consolida-
ltion is most wise. So far as my
knowledge of your institutions enables
me to judge. the particular combina-
tions and eliminations that you sug-
gest seem also wise
Cornell President.
Jacob Gould Schurman, president of
Cornell university, writes:
CAS- a general proposition, favor
the policies involved in the proposed
program. A number of our states
have made the fatal error of establish
ing a state university and then setting
up in other parts of the state sepa-
rate colleges, with the result that as
years go by intense rivalry develops
between these Institutions, work is
duplicated, and. public funds are I'M
necessarily and wastefully expended,
/ earnestly hope, therefore, that Okla
homa. which now has state univer-
sity win make its school of mines a
department OF that university. =
Uadoubtedly there is q tendency to
multiply unnecessary normal schools
for the sake Of getting money from
the treasury Of the state for the bene-
fit of the localities in which these in
stitutions are placed.
Il have no doubt whatever that it
is good policy to abolish your two
university preparatory schools Y
/ believe the policy OF starting agri-
cultural schools mistaken one, and
would favor agricultural departments
in high schools supplemented by short
winter courses in the agricultural col
leges.'
From Colorado Man.
Mr. James H. Baker president Of
the University of Colorado. writes:
Il endorse most emphatically the
provision of your proposed bill for re-
ducing the number of educational in
stitutions in your state No
greater mistake in the history Of this
country has been made than the scat
tering OF educational institutions on
account of political or local interests
and you never will have IN Oklahoma
a strong educational institution Of any
class until you have made the changes
proposed by this bill"
From Harvard Chief.
A. Lawrence Lowell president Of
Harvard university. writes:
1.-TWO normal schools should be
enough and far better than six be-
cause two can be made Of first rate
quality, while it is hard to keep six
on that level There ought to be no
need for university preparatory
schools. ss 1t would certainly
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