The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1914-06-10
DISCUSSING CONSOLIDATION

Inc prOpOS1tlOn 10 COnSOllOate Mon
tana's educational institutions is the
subject of newspaper discussion
throughout the state, each side to the
controversy submitting plausible ar.
guments in favor of, or against, con.
solidation. Some sensible remarks
upon the subject appear in the Miles
City American, to this effect:
There are exceedingly good rea
sons why a university should not be
segregated in any of its parts, and it
is obvious that the several depart
ments of higher learning are parts of
a true university. While one can
clearly recognize all of this, yet there
is considerable room for doubling
the wisdom of attempting to bring
these several institutions together at
n place after so much money and so
much toll have been expended in
building them up as separate institu-
tons.
The first mistake made by Montana
was in scattering it's educational in.
situations: the second. and it appears
to us, the gravest mistake has been to
allow these institutions to become
competitive in character.
We want an agricultural college and
it is possible a department of me-
chanical arts might properly be es-
tablished in connection Herewith, but
it does not strike us that a school of
engineering, of liberal arts or of mu-
sic have n place in an agricultural
college.
When the managers of a school sub
ordinate its purpose in it's title and in
their letter heads and circulars, play
up in strong type and words, "MON-
TANA STATE COLLEGE," and then
in small type, "of Agriculture and Me-
chanical Arts" it would strike the av-
erage man that there exists more OF
an idea of building up an institution
Of higher learning that would be COM
petitive of a college of liberal arts or
a university than there was to pro-
mote the advancement of agricultural
science.
1t is not meant by this that the in
stitution at Bozeman is 10 doing it's
perfect work as an agricultural col
lege, for we believe that with such
men as Professor Cooley and Profess
sor Linfield, the school will rank
high in the list of agricultural col
leges, but we do claim that the curse
is so arranged, and the offers made
so tempting that youth who car lit
tie for the study of agricultural sci
ence will go there rather than to the
university of the state. The injustic,
and improperly of all this should b
obvious.
We do not so much object to tn
maintenance of a lobby at Helen;
during each session of the legislativ,
assembly for the purpose of gettin!
something more for the institution a
Bozeman, but we do contend that i
lobbying is the proper caper, the unI
v~ersity, the state school of mines an,
the normal school should withou
question be allowed to do what |
usual with the Montana State Co
lege."
Let the agricultural college be i
truth an agricultural college, and W
will take Oft our coats and boost &c
its success, but it should be force
to contine itself to the objects fc
which agricultural colleges We're or
ated.
There is no more sense in a yOun
mar going to BoZeman to study civ
engineering, electrical engineering
mechanical engineering than ther
would be in a youth going to a medi
al college to study farming. There
about as much sense in having chair
of fine arts and music at an agricr
tural college as there is in teachin
the tango at a theological seminar,
Engineering. music and arts belon
to a university just as much as d
what are usually termed liberal art
medicine or law, and their study ;
the agricultural college should be i
terdicted. This duplication of courses
this attempt to make OF the agricu
tural college a rival of universitie
and colleges of liberal arts or science
must be stopped if there is any ide
of heading off the physical consolid;
ton of the several schools.
While The American is willing
concede that it would be SO %eNpensi>
to bring about a physical consolid
ton of the several institutions as
virtually decide it to be unwise, sti
it is insisted that there should be co
solidation to the extent of placing a
under a university board headed
a chancellor, who will see to 1t TIL
training for mining engineers shall
given at the state school of mines. al
nothing else: that the institution
Dillon shall train our youth for Il
avocation of teaching: that the a
ricultural college shall cOnfine itse
to the teaching of agricultural Sc
ence, and that all other liberal al
scientific education shall be comm1
ted to the university.
The farmer boy who is ashamed
make known his connection with
agricultural college should get out
A.. c-~,>- uo~iDo II &c ON nhSnC