The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-24

some of the children would be lncon-
Venicnced.
This is only one a~bsurdity of the
proposed plan to consolidate the state
institutions of higher education in
Montana. Another is that the advo-
Gates of such action are pointing to
Wisconsin and Minnesota as examples.
Those states are both smaller in area
than is Montana. They are both pos
sessed of many times the population
and developed wealth of Montana.
Why not draw the comparisons nearer
home? AS the Bozeman Chronicle
says, the states of Wyoming and
Idaho both have the consolidated state
colleges. Have either of them the
5000 students which the. 'Greater
Montana University" would have in a
few years?
Going back to the wisconsin COM
p~arisOn. That state University spends
about two millions of dollars annual
ly. It is well worth it, no doubt, but
where in Montana would we get Two
millions of dollars each year for q
state university?
The hackers of consolidation assert
that the present institutions have an
endowment in public lands of over
a million. They figure that it will cas-
lily be increased to two millions. Well,
then, why do not the present institu-
tons realize some income from that
endowment? What right have we to
expect a greater income from such
property under consolidation than
would be possible under the present
system? Two year, & the property
of the state made necessary a with
holding Of about two hundred thou
! sand dollars which had been appro-
priatcd for its Institutions of higher
education. This year the shortage is
even greater, ana the same institutions
must suffer. Would there be money
for a "Greatcr University when there
is none for anything else?
Again, where in Montana, or in any
other place, world Montana's Greater
University get 500 students, 1t could
not draw from Idaho or Wyoming. for
they already have the ideal CONSOLE
dated university. It might have a hard
time drawing from Wisconsin or Min
nesota. Before n student can enter
the colleges of Montana under their
present standards he must have COM
pleted a high school course in an ac-
credited high school, or it's equivalent.
There are about 40 graduates of
Montana high schools each year and
that number will probably increase in
proportion with the growth of the
state.
In the east it is ordinarily COM
puted that 20 per cent of the. high
school graduates attend college. It is
greater in Montana. Let us say so per
cent Would go to college. Some of
these would go east no matter what
facilities Montana offered. The writer
learned that fact when travelling over
the state in the interest of one of
M~ontana'S institutions. 1t is an in
~disputable fact. Perhaps enough
from other states would come In to
balance that loss. That would mean
20 freshmen in one year at the
Greater University" 1t is almost
preposterous to assume thai all OF
these would finish their course. Blu,
let us grant the plan every benefits
of every doubt. Assuming that they
all stayed he four years, there would
be 900 students in attendance.
BY these most liberal figures thu
advocates of the consolidation plar
have exaggerated to nearly six time:
the truth. Perhaps the exaggeratior
was not Intentional. 1t may hav'
been due to ignorance But wha
business have people possessed o
: such a liberal quantity of ignorance
to talk about something of whicl
their ignorance is densest? BY tn
natural process Of deductiye. reason