The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-07-17
As TO THE UNIVERSITY QUESTION

The local papers last week. copying
the letter from the Portland Oregon
Journal, printed communication iron
A. |. Mason relative to the Uniyersit.
of Oregon and Oregon Agriculture
College amalagmation. MIR. Mason ad
vances some pertinent argument as t
the amalgamstion of the two institu
tions. Although from data that ha
already been gathered such a course
does not seem feasible to students ant
praetial educators of the state, it ma!
be that further study of the educa
tional systems of the state may caus'
a change of sentiment. Mr.. Mason
who with others of the state has beer
instrumental in promoting the refer
endum petition against the University
Of Oregon appropriation bills passed a
the last session Of the Legislature
has but very little to say about the
referendum petition. 1t is this tinker
ing the newspapers of the state have
been criticisng. We suppose that the
Portland Journal referred to this in its
editorial entitled, "Why Tinker?"
Mr.. Mason, and those who have
signed the referendum petitions, would
place higher education in this state II
a chaotic condition. And we are will
ing to wager that more than 90 pei
cent Of those who have signed the pc
titions do not know just what they
signed. The plea was tmade to them
that il was to referend bill for the
appropriation of funds to make stiff
collard individuals out of the boys OF
the country. You know. there is.-a
class of people that such talk always
appeals to. Every !. W. W. in the
country to whom the petition was pre-
sented, we can feel free to say, signed
it.
We do not want TO place the body of
good citizens and MIR. Mason in cate
CORY with |. W. Ws. But we do think
that the body of good citizens who
signed this petition. if they would free
themselves from all bias and become
better acquainted with the problem
would become materially smaller. In
deed, il is small as it is. Men tinker,
according to Mr.. Mason, TO keep pace
with civilization. But wise men, in
stead of "revolting", believe in evolu-
tion. Tinkers usually mend holes. MIR.
Mason and those offering to sweep
away the appropriations of the two
universities would tear the bottom out
the pan and have ready no means to
replace 1t.
As to the amalgamation of the two
institutions, even the University OF
Wisconsin, which Mr.. Mason talks
about SO much, is feeling the i'll effects
of having its two schools. that of
higher education and the agricultural
and industrial school combined. The
classes of students who attend the two
branches of the institution are so diff
ferent that social friction has already
arisen between them. The University
Of Wisconsin has made a success be-
cause it was begun Alright and because
it has had the hearty support of the
people of Wisconsin.
The University of Oregon has beer
hampered and weakened because It has
been forever under the hammer of sucf
men as MIR. Mason. The inception OF
this trouble for the University of Ore
gon was in political log rolling. 1t was
aided by prejudices of men who's,
children attended the Oregon Argicul
tural College, even though these preju
dces were subconscious. But the ques
tion is too great an one to be settled
by prejudices. The citizens of thu
state of Oregon should be able to view
the needs of the two institutions i'm
partially. If they go but deep enough
they will find that the course that th,
referendum petition will promote viii
be an injury to the Oregon Agricul
tural College.
An organization was recently formet
in Portland to make study of tn
problems of the higher education of tn
state. Some of the states most learn
ed citizens are members OF the organ
iaztion. They have not yet said tha
the two institutions of higher educa
ton should not be eventually combined
but they want to make thoroug
study of all phases of the problem. A
present. it is the great weight of opin
ion among educators that the tw
should be kept separate the univer
sity, where men and women of NOR
mature age shall go to study the highe
branches of learning, and the College
place for the boy and girl who'wi
study horticulture, agriculture and tn
methods of the industries.