The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-08
GRADUATES DEBATE
CONSOLIDATION
COLLEGE ALUMNI ADOPT RESO-
LuTIONS FAvORiNG UNIFlcA-
TON OF SCHOOLS.
Resolutions urging the legislature

Resolutions urging the legislature
to adopt the bill calling for the con-
solfdation of the four institutions Of
Montana were adopted unanimously by
the lu1nn of scores of American coll
leges assembled in a meeting at the
Elks' club last night. Some 20 men
and women assembled in the club
room to discuss the question of con-
solidation as a matter for the general
concern of all college people. Speeches
were made by members of the univer-
slty faculty and by Missoula profess
sional men who are college graduates.
Not one dissenting voice was raised,
and when the time came for the pre-
sentation of resolutions they were
passed in a hurry.
D. L. O'Hern presided over the
gathering and called upon Clarence
Forbis, Montana ~, to discuss the
situation. Mr.. Forbis has been a stu
dent at the university and the agri-
cultural college, and based his talk
upon his experience at the two insti-
buttons. He told of the duplication of
courses which is so general as to make
the two colleges almost Identical. The
university has a law department, the
agricultural college has its courses in
agriculture and domestic science All
other branches are duplicated. If the
state is to secure the best results from
the two institutions, consolidation
must be effected.
James L. Wallace said that his ex-
%perience in other states has shown
him that those states in which the
institutions Of higher learning We're
consolidated secured better results han
those states that maintained separate
colleges. He said that it would be bet
ter to consolidate, even if Missoula
SHOULD lose the university, han to fol-
low the present system any longer.
Mrs. A. w. Richter told of the stu
alton in Wisconsin, and pointed to the
university there as an ideal.
William Murphy, formerly assistant
to he state attorney general, sug-
gested that the consolidation bill take
care of the money the state agricul-
tural college now receives from the
United States government. This
sparsely settled state, he said, cannot
support SO many colleges successfully
He presented a tabulation, which
he, with some other interested men,
made in Helena, to show that the
money Montana has expended on her
institutions would send every student
to an eastern college and pay all his
expenses.
After Mr.. Murphy's speech the
chairman called for expressions from
Sthose opposed to the movement. No
n answered. Mr.. O'Hern then asked
DR.. T. T. Rider to express his views.
DR.. Rider told of the Iowa situation.
There the university has the normal
schools and the department of domes-
tic science. 1t would be cheaper to
consolidate now than at any future
date.
Professor L.. c. Plant spoke of the
dispatch from Helena, printed in The
Muscular yesterday morning, con-
corning the vote of the state board
of education on the consolidation plan.
He said that Mcconnell, Galen,
Pickett. Largent, Leonard and Nye
either voted for Or t~elegraphed their
sympathy for the new movement. The
governor, ne said, naturally did not
vote, since he was acting as chairman.
He said that the governor declared
that he would not oppose consolida-
tion. In the evening paper Of Decem-
Der "a, said Professor Plant, Charles
n. Hall is quoted as saying that he
voted for consultations, and no de-
NAL of this report has been seen. "The
friends of Mr.. Hall know that he has
the University of Montana at heart"
said the speaker, zane we can at least
be sure that he will do what, from
his standpoint, seems to be for the
greatest good of the state of Montana"
He continued to say that Mr.. Harmon
left the impression here that he was
not opposed to the measure, n that
his successor, Mr.. Davee, had come
out strongly in favor of the plan.
Professor A.. w. Richter said that
the figures quoted in The Muscular
as estimate Of the expense of running
the proposed technical schools are
greater than the actual cost of running
the present engineering schools. Ele-
mentary education Is cheaper, he said.
Twenty-Five thousand dollars would
be enough for the technical schools.
He pointed out the expense of main
tanning two engineering schools, and
showed the extent to which duplica-
ton of courses has gone. 'If 1 owned
the state of Montana the professor
concluded, Il would build the biggest
and best sort of an institution here,
ana | would expect to get my money
back"
DR.. ]. H. Underwood presented the
olloWi report to correct the false
impression aroused by the figures
printed in The Muscular: The lands
remaining In the grants to the fou1
higher institutions in Montana at the
end of 1912, as shown by the lane