Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-03-20
THE CARNEGIE REPORT.

that Vermont discontinue aid to col
leges.
Mr. Hamilton Holt, editor of The In
dependent, recently made visit to the
colleges of Vermont, lecturing under
the auspices of the World Peace Foun-
dation of Federation of the World"
His lecture was clear and forceful
presentation, from the point of view of
the statesman and man of affairs, of the
argument for permanent court of in
ternational arbitration. Mr.. Holt was
received with enthusiasm and his lee
ture at Middlebury proved that he is
master in the art of addressing
students.
The issue of The Independent follow
ing Mr.. Hollis visit showed that he
kept his eyes and ears open during his
Vermont trip, and his opinion on the
question now at issue will carry good
deal of weight. 1t is forcefully ex-
pressed in the following editorial:
SHALL VERMONT GIVE AID TO ITS COL
LEGEs?
The little State of Vermont has re-
ceived from group of experts in the
employ Of the Carnegie Foundation the
astonishing educational advice that it
should have nothing to do with higher
education in its colleges and universities.
In report just published as Bulletin
Number Seven of the Foundation,
which includes the results of an elabor-
ate survey of educational conditions in
| Vermont and revolutionary suggestions
for the reorganization of its system of
public education, the counsel is extend
ed to the people of Vermont to cut off
all appropriations for higher education,
refuse all inspection and guidance of the
work of its colleges and universities,
and ignore completely all educational
effort beyond that of the public high
schools, except to see that the money
received from the United States for an
agricultural college be expended for
agriculture. The Carnegie Foundation
would make Vermont, a State famed
for its breeding of leaders, the only
State in the American nation to render
no support or encouragement to the in
stitutions in which leaders are traineda
Since the Vermont policy of higher edu-
cation is similar to that which prevails
in large number of Eastern States and
because of the great prestige of the
Carnegie Foundation in educational
matters, the question raised by the
recommendation is of wide interest.
One naturally inquiries Immediately
what reasons are advanced by the ex-
perts for their extraordinary proposal.
1t is not that Vermont is poverty
stricken, for the report confesses 1.-THE
State possesses much accumulated
wealth" and that lin few communities
is the general body of citizens so free
from want" There is no analysis of
the finances of the State, bat as mat
ter of fact Vermont has an annual in
come well over 81, 600, 900. all of which
is derived from corporation taxes and
lees VI NdIIOuS Minus OHlii TIC PiSoSHl
year there was no direct State tax for a
long period. The State spends $500, 900
year on its courts, $780, 900 on State
roads, aside from what is raised by local
taxation. $l87, 900 on care of the insane.
$3.50, 900 for its Legislature, $95, 900 for
its penal institutions, and we'll over
$50, 900 year for its National Guard.
The Vermonters who can dig $3.50, 00C
year from their quarries of marble
and granite, make their diaries yield
Sc, 500, 600 annually and saw lumber each
year to the value of nearly $13, 000, 900,
ought to be able to secure at least q
modest sum for the encouragement OF
the bright boys and girls who want to
go to college.
Neither does the Carnegie Founda-
ton recommend the abolition of State
aid to higher education because of the
unworthiness of Vermont colleges. In
so thorough a critique-the report ex-
tends over 240 octave pages and devotes
over fifty pages to higher education
naturally some short comings are dis
covered. But these are similar to de-
linquences which are found in the insti-
tutions of every State, and which
faculties and trustees are laboring tC
correct Committees at Harvard, Am,
herst and Wisconsin have drawn indict
ments of themselves fully as severe as
anything these experts have to say
against the colleges of Vermont. Ii
fact, two of the Vermont institutions
the University of Vermont and Middle
bury College, are pronounced by the
Foundation Report excellent colleges Of
their type, deserving of the generou:
and loyal support of their alumni. To
gether the three institutions have ovel