Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1913-03-07
WHY CHARGE Is MADE
FOR SOME COURSES
President Bryan Explains Plan of
instruction in Music and Fine
Arts at the w. S. G..

Arts at the w. S. C.
As is well known to nearly every
badly, instruction in music and fine
arts (including elocution) is charged
for at the college. Lately, this pol
icy has been called in question local
~, so a statement of the principles
involved may not be out of order.
Originally no provision was made,
either by law or by enactment of the
board of regents, for these subjects
The parents of many students, par
ticularly of young women students,
desired that along with the substan-
tial studies preparing one for the
several professions and occupations,
there should be an opportunity for
their children to carry some cultural
subjects, such as music, or fine arts,
to add to the culture aud refinement
and pleasure of the home. Rural
homes in particular stood in need
OF such influences. To give the en-
tire time of an instructor for a reel
tation period to single student
would be immensely expensive, and
would involve a burden on the tax
payers. No Institutions, public or
private, were undertaking to furnish
individual instruction in these
branches without charge. 1t was
the belief of the board that they were
not justified under the law in so
doing. With the desire, therefore,
to furnish the necessary facilities so
that students could have their Gull
tural studies of high and guaranteed
character and at low cost, and SO ar
ranged that they could take them
along with the regular studies, the
board undertook to establish a de-
partment of music and fine arts on
a self-sustaining basis, as nearly as
possible.
To that end, encouragement was
given to any private parties who
might be willing to build a conserva-
tory by agreeing to rent the same for
period of ten years at ten per cent
gross on the original cost. Some
pianos were bought, other rented,
and the proceeds of the rental of
these at the moderate rate of 81
per month, also the rental of rooms
in which parties might place their
own instruments, were to be applied
on the rental of the building Teach
ers of the very highest standing, with
large training and experience were
engaged on a minimum guarantee.
The income for buttons in some
cases in full, in others so per cent,
constituted the salary of the teacher,
the other 10 per cent being applied
on the expenses of the building.
Rates were made much lower than
for lessons of similar quality in our
cities. All individual pupils pay for
their lessons, and all teachers receive
this (paid through the college office
as their compensation for this work.
professor Strong receives from the
college a salary for teaching the mill
tary band, the orchestra. the glee
club chorus classes, and classes in
musical theory, and all these are free
to the students. Professor Kim
brough receives a salary for the man
agement of the music department,
but his salary for teaching pupils
comes exclusively from his pupils and
varies with the number. Dr. Evans
receives a salary for playing at
chapel and yespers and his classes in
musical appreciation. but the bulk
OF his pay comes from his individual
pupils. All the rest receive their en-
tire pay from the proceeds of their
work.
The income of this department for
the past two years has exceeded
$4,000, all of which was paid to
the teachers of the department as