Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1914-10-09

ST. Superintendent D2yee, head
Ct tie public school system Of Mon
tana, has written an open lettaT TO
the taxpayers OF the state il wh.cn
he explains his views upon the quea-
ton Of the consolidation OF the states
institutions of h'ghar education, which
is one of the reegondum questions
before the voters this fall.
Superintendent Dayee says he had
not intended TO make any public
statement on the consolidation ques-
ton, but he has been urged by so
many to explain the situation that he
has concluded to give to the public
the facts in his possession.
THESE facts" says MIR. Dayeo,
warrant an. opinion favorable to con-
solidation and l feel that this opinion
is based upon a purely patriotic inter
est in these institutions, founded for
the benefit of our children and our
children's children"
The consolidation of the institu-
tons, according to Mr.. Davee's nS-
ures, would effect a great saving to
the state in maintaining its higher
schools. Much duplication would be
avoided, One library, one chemical
laboratory, one gymnasium, one set
of buildings, instead of three each.
"The duplication of equipment and
instruction is a policy which leads net
only to economic waste, but what is
more important, to a lack of highest ell.
cheney in teaching and investigation"
One recitation room will seat TWEEN
ty students as easily as a single stu
dent; an instructor can teach twenty
students as easily as he can teach
Mr.. Davee gives figures, taken
from the official reports of the univcr-
sity, the agricultural college and the
school of mines, which show that one
tenth of the whole number of classes
in the three schools have but N
pupil in each class. Another tenth
has but two pupils in each class; an
other tenth has but three pupils in
a class. A summary of the reports
shows that three-ffths of the classes
have fewer than ten pupils each.
BY adding just one professor, salary
$4,000, to the faculty at the agricul-
tural college, that institution could
take care of the entire attendance at
the school of mines in fine shape with
out any increase in equipment. The
work would be more satisfactory
than at present, because the mines
sA,,J1-kz ,xo.15 Lor,o uo1,ohJa o1aa4fua
courses which are not now available,
and the saving to the state would be
over $4,000 in maintenance alone.
By combining the agricultural col.
lege and the university, even If there
were no reduction in the size of the
faculty, there would be a saving to
the state in maintenance alone of
| $S1, 1000. Add to this the saving in the
school Of mines and the state will
save, in maintenance alone, $111,000,
And there would be increased efficien.
cy, in addition to the saving in money.
1t Is true that the cost of maintain
ing a consolidated institution would
be greater than the cost of carrying on
any one of the present segregated in
situations, but that increase would
not be great. In the estimate of saw
ing which Mr.. Davee makes there has
been nc account taken for a reduction
in the size of the faculty; that reduc-
tion would take care of the differ
ence in the cost of maintenance. Out
of the saving which the state would
thus effect a fund could be provided
for the aid of rural schools and for
the development Of the common and
high schools of the state.
One argument which has been
urged against consolidation is that the
cost of needed new buildings would
be too great. The cost of needed new
buildings at the segregated institu-
tions, just as they are now, would be
$4,000. These are buildings which
it is admitted must be built If the
present segregated system maintains.
This sum would care for the building
needs of a consolidated school.
1t is easy to say that this change
would cost the state a million dol
lars. But it is not easy to prove that
it would, for 1t would not. But If it
did cost a million it would be worth
1t, just because it would remove the
higher education system of Montana
from the field of politics. 1t would
make 1t no longer the football of poll
t~icians, to be used in swapping and
trading for the support of this or that
measure, always to the injury of the
schools. Consolidation would stop this.
It is said that the segregated insti-
tutions reach more people than would
a consolidated institution. This Is
bot true. No matter where a student
lives he must go to Bozeman for ed
ucation in agriculture, to Butte for
education in mining engineering, to
Missoula for law or forestry or jour.
nalism or liberal arts.
The measure before the people
leaves the location of the consolidated
institutions to a commission of emf.
nent educators. These men are above
the suspicion OF local interest. They
will locate the consolidated university
where it will be best for it to be