The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-02-03
o the Editor of the Palladium :.

To the Editor of the Palladium
At a large convocation meeting held
few weeks ago at Indiana Universe
ty, President Bryan and number of
the faculty gave to the student body
and friends of the university some i'm
portant salient facts touching the
present status and future welfare of
the institution. Correct data as to
the income and needs of the university
were carefully reviewed and some
very vital things touching the schools
work and its relation to the masses of
the state were explained by those hav-
ing the matter in charge.
Our state university has arrived at
the most critical time in its history
since it was founded 1t stands at
the parting of the ways, and its future
usefulness TO the state and its stand
ing as one of the great universities
of the middle west, hangs in the bal
ance.
The vital question is, will Indiana
answer the urgent call and sustain
higher education in its public insti-
tutions established for that purpose
To put it briefly, the state must make
immediate provision for adequate sup
port by increasing the present mill
tax which was levied in 1889 or the
university must abandon much of the
important work already begun, to say
nothing of the work which il could
accomplish by proper extension and
expansion. but which, of course, can
not be thought of, unless the state will
danger of it dropping into Fl second.
rate college.
To make the problem more concrete
let us compare the income of our two
universities with that of the universe,
ties of our sister states which in point
of wealth, location and population fall
in the same class.
! The group of states to which Indi,
ana belongs geographically and his,
torically comprises among others
Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin
Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas and
Nebraska. Indiana stands fifth in the
list in point of population and seventh
IL.
At present there is not one of the
states just named that is not making
better provision for higher education
than is the state of Indiana. Our
state not only stands last in the group
but her yearly contribution Except
ing nett is less than any other state
by more than the whole income OF
Indiana University during the past
year.
Following are the incomes of the
higher educational institutions of the
states mentioned during the veal
1911-1912:
Wisconsin Zone institution s2,1S9, O5t
Minnesota 2,344,45
Illinois 2,3O5,211
Missouri 1,S54,74;
Iowa 1.-TWO institutions) 80. 1,67S,39t
Michigan 1.-TWO institutions) 1.936,24E
Ohio (three institutions) :. 1,59O,641
Nebraska lone institution 911,S4(
Indiana 1.-TWO institutions. S31,S1i
What evidence do these figures act
ually present? They show that In
diana which has ever boosted of hel
intellectual and educational progress
and of her superior school system
has actually fallen to the lowest place
in the list of those states included il
the group o. which Indiana forms
natural part. The most of these state:
have begun to realize that their higher
educational institutions are one o
their most valuable assets and hav.
thus made a proportional provision
therefor.
1t might be we'll to note some of tn,
things which the university is doin,
for resident students and for the stat,
at large.
The institution. aside from the reg
ular art department has established
and maintains among other things
l. A graduate school for research