The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-07-10
MASON WRITES AGAIN
ON COLLEGE MATTERS

ositlon, basing MS remarks upon GER
tain editorial utterances of the Journal.
His statement follows.
al have before me several editorials
clipped from your daily paper during
the last three months. all of which bear
upon our state educational controversy.
Four of these editorials are quite in
teresting, when placed in pairs Two
of them are headed, Why Thker?' and
two Wisconsin University In your
second editorial. Why Tinker?' YOU
place great stress upon the fact that
our o. A. c. drew 81 students from
California last season, and that these
were 'Sl powerful arguments why our
double system OF state educational in
stitutions was better than California; S
consolidated system.
"You state some very good facts
about the standing of both state insti-
tutions, but you lose sight of the fact
that the standing of any state iastitu-
tion, like that, of any private institu-
tion, depends solely upon those in
charge of its management.
''The board of regents and their
school faculty In one state may pursue
an entirely different policy from the
board of regents in another state.
which may or may not have consoli-
dated state schools.
"A student of the University of Ore
gon wrote me few DAYS ago. stating
that the California state educational
institutions schooled nearly 200 Ore.
gonians last season. If this is true,
and have every reason to believe il
is, then why lin your own language)
are not these 200 powerful arguments
in favor of consolidated state schools,
such as California now possess.
''The fact is that neither of these in
cidents offers any argument.
"Any state school is what its board
of regents, through its school faculty,
makes 1t, when supported by the peo-
pie.
This swapping of students from
different states, as an argument, is in
line with some of the statistical cost
per student arguments being prepared |
by both sides of this controversy. Iso.
lated cases may be found that look
plausible to either side, but, upon anal
ysis, we find the cost per student de- |
pends entirely upon the management
OF those in charge and the services rem
dered. One board of regents NAV be |
lieve in hiring the best talent obtaina-
BILE, paying large salaries to their in
structors, while another board NAV be- |
lleve 1t is economy to operate on a |
cheaper basis. One board may spend |
thousands of dollars in laboratory, Ii. |
brary and other equipments, while an
other board may think it wise to save
some of this expense.
Zone board may do much extension
work, reaching into every home. as you
say Wisconsin is doing, and another
board may follow an entirely different
policy. When state schools are conso-
idated and many of their departments.
such as agriculture, horticulture, ami.
NAL husDandry, domestic science, peda-
gogy. municipal government, civic i'm
provement, ETC., are extended to the
citizens of a state, as is now being done |
by the Wisconsin. New York and Illi-
nois state colleges (al consolidated
schools, then the cost per student be-
comes fallacy, for the whole citizen
ship is students.
In all candor, when you wrote the
two able editorials on the wonderful
achievement, success and advancement
of the Wisconsin state university. why
did you not tell the public that the
state university is the whole
thing in that state; that it represents
one of the strongest, if not the strong.
est, consolidated state institutions in
the United States?o Quoting from your
own editorial, you say. If any one in
terested in the well being of the com
munlty were asked what state univer-
sity is dong the most good, in the di-
rectlon of public, social and personal
health in body and mind, the majority
would probably reply, 1.-The University {
of Wisconsin. :" There is no standing
still to take breath in its activities.
Have we any state educational in
stltutions, being operated separately,
that will surpass, or even compare [
with, those in Wisconsin, New York,
Illinois, Missouri, California, Mime.
sofa, and many other states that have
consolidated state schools?
'All of us know that they stand at !
the top. and that it is no new expert /
ment.
I'VE believe that a consolidated state {
can give to its constituents |
better service for less money (consider.
ng the extent of services rendered.
han any state can give under divid-
I'd, antagonlstic and much duplicated
system. under such as Oregon has been
.rylng to run her state schools for the |
asst 20 years.
Appropriations for new state +
Ichooi buildings, located in different /
'arts of our state, have been politi- !
'al joke in Oregon for many years.
Many good bills have been defeat
ID, and many questionable ones have /
'ecome laws, just because the combin- I
Ition for appropriations for state J
chool buildings so ordained 1t.
Give us one grand state educational :
with millage maintenance
ak, and one board of regents over all
he state schools. When this is done.
he recommendations from the board of
egents to our legislature will be re- Z
pected. No pickering will be neces-
ary every senator and representative G
Pill have voice and vote for or / i
gainst the board of regents recon-
and the people will hold | h
hem accountable for their acts. AS e
he University of Oregon referendum
etition now filed and the consoli. t
alton Of our state schools is a live D
opic, presume much discussion will
e in order. Many of our best citizens
ave assisted in holding up these two :,
University of Oregon appropriations. i
elieving that its is good business not i
expend another Sl75. 900 if we ever H
xpect to correct mistake and consol- y
late our state educational institutions. +
luch argument is yet in store to show +
hy it will be better for us. to do so,
nd those who believe that they should N
OF be consolidated will have to show y
large percentage of our voters. and
specially our taxravers, some good
sason why we should continue under Il
lr present system. The duplication d
! work. and the cost of the same are W
ct to be given, and our taxpayers will "
e interested in this. tc
"In conclusion, | want to answer D,
BUR editorial question, why Tinker W
with our state educational institu- W
ons): This same question is alwavs nj