Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-08-10
HAVE WE TOO
 MANY COLLEGES Philanthropists Give Money and Buildings Erected in
 Their Honor
TOO MUCH JEALOUSY
Finances Expended in Huge Struc- lures While Faculty is Too Of.
 ten Not Up tO Standard.
(BY JONATHAN WINFIELD)

tBl LUNA HAN W INT | Washington, August 9.-It has been one of the very watchwords of Amer ican civic ideals that education can not be too widespread This ideal has been diligently pursued and everywhere throughout the United States educational institutions have been built up with remarkable rapid ity. The question has now been raised as to whether or not too many colleges have been founded. A chap ter i1 the year book of the commits question.
 | This treatise admits of tho possi- I1bility of overriding tho building of Icolleges. The problem is particular | ly acute as regards state institutions. In many of the states the educational work concentrates in one great state ,states, three or more educational in- istitutions are maintained at state ex- llpense. The greatest trouble is that similar lines of education must be duplicated in these several colleges under state patronage. Facilities are multiplied and the expensive equip Iiment of the technological schools es iipecially are necessarily manifolded lEwhere the education is not centralized The Commissioner of Education be- lieves that where such conditions eX ist there is bound to be great waste of money and effort. Much of the nat Eural energy of such state institutions is sapped by the jealousy which exists between them Where state sup ports several colleges, those colleges conduct eager campaigns to increase the size of their student bodies be- creased attendance they may make reasonable demands for increased ap- propriations for maintenance
 The Commissioner of Education makes exceptions in some cases. He says that where states have mining sections of importance, a special school of mines under state super vision is by no means undesirable, even where such a school be in addi- tion to regular state university. He also says that it is not undesirable to have several primary colleges under state direction. The expense of main- ta;ning these is not great. It is only
 in the. case of secondary or advanced schools where the services of instruc- tors who command high salaries arc necessary, that the practise of dupli cation should be avoided.
 :, 1t is a fact that by spreading out many schools weaken themselves, Ol are weakened through outside influ' n ence. One of the most frequent ex' amples of this is found in the prac' tise of certain rich men in giving li- braries and other buildings to col. leges and universities. When a phil
 
 educational institution, that school cannot do otherwise than accept the gift But it is understood that the building is to be, in most cases, at least memorial to the doner. So he will not consent to having his money put to any other use than the erec- tior of school building. Therefore the library or other building is con- structed and immediately becomes a white elephant on the hands of the in stitution. In some cases. Of course, buildings are much needed and are welcome gifts. but in many others, money to run what buildings already stand. rather than more buildings to :rowd the campus. is amore desirable gift.
 Nowadays. it is considered that the kindest philanthropy which can be
 lirected toward college is to endow
 chair of learning. That is. to set aside money in the schools name, the income from which will pay the sal
 ,ry of one or more good professors.
 But to give handsome building. the
 lpkeep of which will prove costly, to
 poor college. struggling to pay it's
 professors salaries is like giving q
 sealed can of food to starving dog. !! The Commissioner of Education de- . | plOreS the ignorance of the Spanish , tongue in this country. Recently sev- s' eral responsible and remunerative 9t positions in South American Univer- '. sities were offered to the United le States at large through the Bureau | Of Education, but there proved to be so few persons in this country who can i, speak Spanish fluently that the po- lS sitlons went begging until filled by