The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-28
HE ESANSWER
Constant Reader Declares
School at MankatO Needed.
False Economy to Neglect
Youth for Low Taxes.

Editor State Journal:
We notice in your paper of January
20, 1913, Mankato, Kan, bids for a
branch normal training school, also a
letter from a party by the name of
r. W. Turner, who apparently is the
local representative of your paper.
me impression conveyed by the ar
tlcle, Mankato proposes to donate to
the state their high school building
with eleven acres of campus ground,
estimated at $4,000, to be used by
this proposed branch of normal school.
Your local representative states he
believes there is no need for another
normal school, the high school normal
course provided by law is sufficient;
that the burden of taxes is already too
high, that Kansas will do we'll to
properly support institutions of higher
learning now in existence. In other
words he sets himself up as a better
judge than 500 school district officers
and teachers, if the figures given in
the article are correct, of what is
needed in educational facilities.
The statistics of Kansas university,
Kansas State Agricultural college and
other institutions of higher learning
show a very, very small percentage of
high school graduates enter those col
leges, the parents claiming Gin this
section of the state) they are too far
from home to send their children,
that the greater number of pupils in
each class prevents proper attention
to each individual child and many 9TH
er reasons that would be overcome
should their children be nearer home.
AS for the additional taxes com
planned of by your representative, af-
ter studying the matter carefully, do
not see how this can be entered as an
objection, even in view of the cam
paign promises and platform pledges
of the recent election.
False Economy Is Seen.
If the town of Mankato donates this
high school building to the state, the
state is ahead $4,000, while the only
cost to taxpayers will be for the in
structors and up-keep of the building,
and this divided among the taxpayers
of Kansas, would be so small, that
even your correspondent, referred to
in this could not notice it.
Economy can be reached in many
ways. Depriving children of proper
educational facilities in any section of
the state is not economy and the voters
of Kansas did not vote away their
right to educate their children properly
by voting for those state and county
officials who made '1ower taxes their
campaign promises.
The Record of Kansas.
Kansas has always stood with the
foremost states of this Union in edu-
cational facilities, but am sure that
pinnacle, was not attained through
Mankato, and Just think, the offer
comes from his home town too.
After travelling over Kansas, and
the Sixth congressional dis
trict, 1 feel sure Mr.. Turner did not
take time to inquire into facts pertain
ing to educational facilities before
writing his article. 1t can not be said
otherwise, the schools of northwest
Kansas are as good as any, surpassed
by none, but superior in many re-
spects to those found in other states,
but where the state has an opportuni-
ty to better the conditions at such in
finitesimal cost it should certainly take
advantage of it, and show TO the
people of the Sixth district, that al
though it had been overlooked for |
some time, it still remembered it being
on the map.
Manl<atO Is an Ideal Place.
Mankato, the town seeking to make |
Kansas this gift, to have Kansas send |
It's instructors into the northwest por- |
ton of the state, is a most ideal place |
for such institution, besides it's ouali- |
ication in clean minded, Christian |
people. a clean. town, it has, what |
no other town in northwest Kansas |
possesses. a fine Y. NJ. C. A. build |
ng that a city of ten times the size
IF Mankato would point to with pride, |
five churches, the best high school,
teachers and officers included any,
where in Kansas. two of the strongest |
banks, water system, electric lights, |
opera house and city hall, and miles of |
pavement, and last, but not least, a
Boosters club that is for the upbuiId- |
ng of Jewell county in general, Man
cato in particular, and here's hoping
Mankato Will Win.
A CONSTANT READER.