The log cabin Democrat., 1914-11-27
AGRICULTURAL SCHOOLS AND
 THE STATE DEBT.


 dollars in debt. The four agricultural schools established in, 1909, have cost the state nearly a million dollars. If it were not for the expense of the az ricultural schools, the state would have money in it's treasury and those who render it service would not have to hawk it's warrants about and sell them at such discount as the buyers wish to exact.
 This is not an argument against the agricultural schools. But is an argument either that an additional and separate tax levy for the main tenance of these institutions should be made, or else the apparently excess sive appropriations granted them should be greatly curtailed.
 When the bill creating the four schools was enacted, an appropriation of S40,000 for each was made. In ad- dition to this it was provided that the towns securing the schools should of- fer cash bonus and donate at least 200 acres of land. It was argued that, being merely district high schools which specialized in agricul- ture, and receiving the income of large areas of productive land, these schools after their establishment would be practically, self7supporting, or at least require but little for their maintenance. 4. %6-
 But the following legislature, in 1911, appropriated nearly $500, ,OOO for the agricultural schools. Of this amount, howeyYr, Governor Don aghey vetoed almost half. For the First district school, 5,423 was ap- propriated and $34Ssy vetoed, leav- ing $30,434; for the Second district school, $72,80O was appropriated and $29,70O vetoed, leaving $43,1OO; for the Third district school, 5000 was appropriated and $34,90O vetoed, leaving $40,1OO; and for the Fourth district school $75,00O was ,appropri- ated and $34,7O0 vetoed, leaving $4O,- 300. Thus total of. -$287 ,223 was appropriated for the four schools, of which Gov. Donaghey vetoed $133,- 2S7, leaving net appropriations of $153,934. Added to the $l6O,000 ap- propriated in 1909. this brought the total cost to $313,9S4.
 Most of the items vetoed by Gov ernor Donaghey in 1911 were for buildings and new improvements, the funds for the maintenance of the schools being main!y left unimpaired But, in spite of the fact that it is un- lawful to contract expenditures for which there is no eppio tion, the boards of trustees of the agricultural schools proceeded to erect these build ings, and when the legislature met in 1913 budget almost staggering in it's proportions was presented. Because of the magic word, "agriculture," the legislature granted practically all of tbese demands, and because the state was practically without a. responsible governor after Senator Robinson per formed his unadmirable feat of quit ting the office within few weeks aft CT his inauguration, there was no one to veto any of the items.
 So that the huge total of $644 ,929, equivalent to practically one-third of the states entire income for two years, and averaging little more than $161,0 for each school, was appropriated to the four schools in 1913. This brought the total appro priations for three sessions of the leg islature for the agricultural schools to $95S,S an amount considerably greater than would be necessary to put the state on cash basis today.
 While these excessively liberal ap propriations were made to the agri- cultural schools, the University of Ar kansas, the State Normal School and the various charitable institutions were denied needed items for inn provements and support, and the treasury of the state is bankrupt for the first since the reconstruction. And we hesitate to contemplate the situa- tion if the expenses of the agricul- tural schools are increased in the same proportion when the next legi- lRture convenes.
 The remedy for this situation, as we see it, is to fix a definite tax levy for the support of each of the states educational institutions. A certain fraction of a mill should be levied for the University, a certain fraction of mill for the State Normal, and for each of the four agricultural schools. This would not only relieve the states