The Daily Missoulian., 1914-05-25

is the question of whether or not the
people of Montana shall in good faith
keep the compact entered into at the
time of the location of these institu-
tions. The question of whether or not
the educational institutions of Mon
tana should be consolidated had the
careful consideration Of the constitu-
tional convention and of the early ses-
sions of the legislature, with the final
result that the state university was
placed at Missoula, the school of agri-
culture and mechanic arts at Boze-
man, the school of mines at Butte, and
the state normal school at Dillon,
while the charitable, penal and re-
formatory institutions We're placed in
other sections of the state. BY this
action the state unquestionably en-
tered into an implied contract with the
citizens Of these respective places.
Not only did the citizens of Missoula,
Bozeman and Butte make substantial
donations of land to assist in the up
lj1ilding of the institutions located
there, but as the years went on the
cities themselves became more and
more intimately associated in COM
mercial way as well as social way
with these institutions of learning.
Because educational facilities We're
what they were, men moved their FAM
lilies to I3ozeman, Butte or Missoula,
acquired property there, the value of
which is even now contingent upon
the retention by these cities of the in
stitrtions they now possess. This is
particularly true of both Missoula and
al Of al pf
schools would so seriously affect prop
erty values in these cities as to work
a distinct hardship upon a large num-
ber of people whose Investments have
been made in the expectation that
the state would honor the contract ii
implied when these institutions We're
originally located.
A States Faith.
Another question involved is that
of the state keeping faith with the fed
eral government in the matter of the
endowment of its institutions of learn
| ing. The national government do
mated to the state of Montana 4G,560
acres of land as an endowment for its
| state university. 1t gave 100000 acres
| of land as an endowment for the school
/ of mines, and it gave to our common
/ wealth 100000 acres of land as an en-
doWment for the college of agriculture
and mechanic arts. / think I see III
the marked disproporton of these lane
grants distinct purpose on the part
of the national government. The ag-
riculturaI college and school of mines
grants were made many times larger
than the grant for the university IL
the evident intention of giving aid ant
encouragement to the mineral and ag-
ricultural industries which destiny has
made of such vital importance to thi:
state / believe that congress fell
that the state government, ever anX'
ious to promote its advancing civiliza
tion, would make ample provision fo
4 university dedicated to the arts ant
the professions, but that there wa!
danger that practical instruction tend
ing toward the development of our tWt
greatest resources would need NOR
substantial encouragement. I do no
say that under a consolidated univer
sity it would be impossible to utiliz
only for the purpose for which the.
were intended the income from thes
respective land grants, but neverthe
less in the event of consolidation
can easily see the possible develop
ment of a disposition in future years
| when the agricultural college endow
ment shall amount to a princely sun
even more than the combined perma
| ent endowment of the school of mine
/ and the state university, to spend par
of the income from this grant in tn
furtherance of general university Wor
and at the expense of the agriculture
education of the youth of the state.
Financial Problem.
| The financial problem involved b
. the proposed scheme of consolidatio