Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-03-12

Vard Amherst and Wisconsin nave drawn
indictments of themselves fully as severe
as anything these experts have TO say
against the colleges of Vermont. In fact
two OF the Vermont Institutions the Uni
versity of Vermont and Middlebu'y Coz
lege, are pronounced by the Founuation
report excellent colleges OF their type de-
serving of the generous and loyal support
of their alumni. Together the three IN |
sututions havo over 1000 students, lfo IN
structors. buildings valued at N,5bo'ooo'
endowments of $1,G5O,Ooo, and annual IN
comes of $4,000. 1T cannot be said that
such colleges are unworthy Of public sup
port or SO rich as not to need IL
The sole reason advanced by the Car
negc investigators why Vermont should
do nothing for higher education is that
the institutions which have received State
support for the past 30 years are not own
ed and controlled by the state. According
to this report Vermont, like many other
States in the East, has never established
a State university, but joined its land
grant agricultural college to an existing
foundation, az wa s done also In New YORK
and New Jersey. state appropriations
have been made to three institutions, to
which specific fields of educational en-
deavor have been assigned, and also In the
form Of State scholarships in the three
colleges. 1t is this practice which Is con-
demned by the report as unwise public
policy. There is no argument or the dues-
ton, but simply the fat dictum that 1t Is
| impossible for a State to find any middle
ground between absolute ownership and
control of a single institution and cutting
Itself loose from all connection with high
er education. This, OF course, is dogma,
pure and simple.
! We doubt IL the ode- American COM
monwealths, which have already a suf-
| tlciency Of colleges and universities on
private foundations, are shut up to such
a dilemma. If it is true, it Is certainly
a thousand pities. The Eastern colleges
need more of the spirit of the great IN
sttutions of the West, and if something
of the zeal for public service and the feel
ing of participation in the life of the com
monwealth, which has proved so fruitful
and stimulating in Western institutions,
could come over the older endowed coll
lcges, it would render them far more use
full. A State should welcome the oppor-
ltunity to relate It's colleges to its public
schools and make them an integral part
of it's educational system. Vermont is
fortunate that its colleges believe them
selves public institutions of their State
and should do all 1t can to strengthen
State connection and stimulate the spirit
of State service.
The theory of the experts employed by
1.-THE Carnegie Foundation seems to be that
there can be no cooperation between pub
lie and private philanthropy. That theory
is certainly belied by a thousand success
full examples of the opposite practice in
every State in the East In New York
city the municipality erected Sll,ODW
library on its own land, appraised at
s20,OO0,OO, and made over its control to
the trustees of three private foundations,
to whom it appropriates 100000 n year.
and subjected them only to a contract to
maintain free public library. New York
neither owns nor controls the library, yet
the city supports 1t, and is satisfied with
the results. Over half the libraries in the
State of New York, which receive annual
State appropriations, are administered I'M
der the same conditions. Museums, hos
pitfalls, orphanages, homes for detectives,
are all managed in a thousand instances
through the friendly cooperation OF sub
lie bodies and private corporations. why
not colleges and universities? We are moi
aware that either Johns Hopkins or Cor
nell. or Dartmouth, or the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, all Of which have
4, lreceived public grants for private admin
istra ton, have either failed in educationa
efficiency disappointed their public
benefactors. The mention of these In
stitutions certainly disproves the state
, ment of the Vermont report that continu
! Iance Of State aid would dry up the
springs of private philanthrophy," since
few institutions have been more prosper
ed from generous gifts than these which
fall under the condemnation of the Car
negie principle.
OF course State aid should be accom-
panied by full financial accounting, to-
, eether with adequate inspection by quail
fled State officers and direction of the eX
penditure of State money. 1t may be tina
Vermont has been negligent in these re
spects but if so the fault should be cor
rected and the State should not be advised
not to concern itself with higher educa
ton under any consideration. 1t would
be particularly unfortunate if the State o
=. Senator Morrill,, whose bill creating tn
= land grant colleges did more to stimulate
higher education in America than an!
- other educational act in the history of tin
= nation. should become the only State II
the American Union to make no provision
. whatever for higher education. Wyoming
with less than half the population of Yer
mont and a third many college stu
Idents. would not dream of cutting off it
university. The newest States. Arizon
. and New Mexico, neither Of which ha
~ a third many people as Vermont, no
- even a still smaller fraction of the wealth
. both support higher education. We ha
y lsupposed that Vermont youth We're par
ticuarly ambitious for education, and tina
lNermonters were especially proud of thel
:" boys who press up from humble homo
! and become men Of influence and powe
- through college training. The little fal
kee State, tradtionally chary OF It's inde
"a pendence, should consider well before
d" yields to outside counsel, however hlg
Its authority, and denies college opportr
:" nifty to its youth. This report shows tina
- the Vermont colleges are now receivln
II only 100000 year out of the 81, S95 900 eA
" pended annually for education. The pro
'e portion for higher education is not to
~ great and had better be increa sed ratht
than diminished.
The Carnegie Foundation has eXerte
- hitherto a very wholesome influence
u American education. Conceived as
" pensioning agency for retiring collef
ttNp, l,n hntr yh IN m n