The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-05

STATE TO take the money required for
the maintenance and equipment OF
three schools and thereby secure more
nearly adequate funds for the support
OF one first-class school of engineer
ing. 1t is also an i~ndisputable fact
that it is possible to maintain as a
university department a teachers COL
lese Tor one-third the money that
would be required to maintain a sep
crate and Independent institution.
The Agricultural and Mechanical
college and the university are each of
ferlng a lumber of arts and science
courses. If the money required to
support two such colleges were con-
centrated in one, this college would be
strong enough to attract a large num-
Der of students who now go to other
states where better libraries and lab
oratories are accessible, where a
greater variety of courses is offered
n where a larger and ADLER teaching
staff may be maintained. 1t is not
necessary to point to the fact that one
general library is sufficient for the
needs of any university however great.
Neither is it necessary to point out
that the individual student may learn
mule dilS Z lilolS llld itE"l mn ii
the atmosphere of a great university
center than in an isolated college. All
these things and more are so generally
conceded by educators that it seems a
waste of time even to call attention to
them. Indeed, it is easy to show that
as a pure business proposition it would
pay the state to consolidate it's higher
institutions Of learning, wen if the
present plants at Dillon. at Bozeman,
! at Butte and at Missoula. costing APP
J p]roximately 81, 900, 900, had to be aban-
doned. Fortunately such an apparent
waste of money is not at all necessary.
The state needs for the perfection Of a
great school system all these plants
one university, but many polytechnic
high schools.
The schoo of mines at Butte enrolls
about 40 or so students. If this insti-
tuition were converted into a first-class
POLYTECHNIC institute, the city Of Butte
| alone would send to the institution
from 800 to 500 students. 1t is now
necessary for a. boy, before entering the
school Of mines, to graduate from a
four-year high school, and after this
there is offered to him at the chool Of
mines preparation for only one career,
that of a mining engineer. Both boys
and girls, after finishing the grades,
should be able to enter the polytechnic
school, where preparation, not for one
career, out for a score or more. would
be offered. The normal school build
ings at Dillon are none too large, nay,
! they are not half so large as many in
Observation-Disclosures high schools of
othpr ctSteC hc much rnjCht he said
of the university plant at Missoula and
of the agricultural and mechanical col
lege at Bozeman. They are Just such
plants as would be required by a first
class Observation-Disclosures institute,
fitting the great mass of boys and
girls for useful careers and the more
energetic and ambitious ones for the
freshman class of a good university.
If the new university be located either
at Missoula or Bozeman. the present
plans M equipment would suffice
perhaps for one department of the new
consolidated university. If, however,
the new university should be located
at Billings, at Great Falls, at Helena,
at LeWistoWn, Or at some other city fit
to be the seat of a great university
the plants OF each of the four instltu-
tons would be sun needed for the per-
lection OF d great chooI system tor the
state. Indeed, Montana Would neeC
not only these secondary schools, bul
at least two or three more, one to NEE
present ueInaudS On tue eastern SIDE o.
the state, say at mics City, Bllungs
Or at some ulher suitable point; II d
hallspell, or at some other point III tina
beautiful Il growing sectlon, and on,
III the northern part Of the state.
1t may be mentioned IN TINS con
nectlon tnat the military post DIT AS
~slnnlDolHe, upon WnlCn the government
mas expended S2,uVU,U 900, Is now abdn,
uoneu TO bats ana u%esolatlon, and tina
there is now pending IN congress a oh
70 turn over TO the STATE these splend
UulldlnSs ana sultabIe grounds tor the
use OF Il great aGrICuIIurai-lndustrla
institute. At anUulu, however, be moth
lng more imam d secondary school,, al
u4sner euucallon beng left to the state
UNIV erSlty aIONe. 1t may be claimed
nat 10 supper five or SIX secondary
SCnOOiS ana n university would cos
lne state more imam Is now required tt
MAINTAIN our four separate higher in
SututlonS. SUCH, however, is not the
case. university eduCatlOn Is AWAY
and everywhere expensive, but it does
not require large sums OF money Il
support Il good nIgn sCnool, especially
WIcre the buildings including library
and laboratories ana other equipment
are already prOVldeu. An annual IN
come OF from $lJ,UUU to $4,000 is adc-
uuale for the maintenance of a good
secondary school.
Polytechnic High Schools.
Moreover, it would be possible fol
the state to donate out of it's vast
domain Stllf remaining tor public
schools-a domain OF 1884, 2S4 acres
$4,000 acres for each of these sec
ondary schools. Such an allotment OF
public lands would doubtless give tC
each of them in time an endowment
OF Il half million or more-an endoW-
mcnt larger than that of many good
colleges. Indeed, if the four state in
StltutlonS were consolidated, it would
be possible to maintain the present
efficiency in each of tbnyu and to save