St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-05-19
Possibly Premature.

Prof Raymond A. Mcfarland of
Middlebury College feels so pleased
over the success of the colleges and
normal schools in getting so far into
the state treasury during the last
session of the legislature that he has
broken out into print under the head
! ing Carnegie VS.. Vermont-A Yer
dict For the Defendant" in the Bos-
ton Transcript and later in the Mid
dlebury Register, the Middlebury Col
1ege organ. He said in part:
1t is now matter of history that
the proposed educational reforms OF
the Carnegie report and the commits
Ision, as incorporated in a bill in the
LEGISLATURE, met with immediate
death in committee with no voice
raised in opposition to the killing.
substitute educational bill was in
PRODUCED and became law, the pr1n-
cipa1 opposition to it being in the ma
ture of a protest against some fea-
lures of the bill which we're similar
to recommendation of the Carnegie
report The new law continues and
makes permanent the annual appro-
priations to the colleges, it puts new
life into the normal schools by in
creasing their budgets and leaves
other matters essentially as they
have existed. In fine, the new law
continues, in some cases with en-
phasis, the educational policy to
which Vermont has been committed
for a number of years.
Both what was enacted and what
failed of enactment emphasize the
failure of the Carnegie survey.
He continues to discuss their fail |
ure and concludes that ''the educa-
tional experts failed to interpret the
spirit of the Vermonters, tells of
the deadly effect of the cry made in
New York" and so on.
We do not question the historical
accuracy of Prof. Mcfarland. The
charge that the educational bill of
he state commission was made in
New York." was a gross falsehood
out it did have considerable influence
IN those who did not know it's falls
ty. The colleges did get into the s
tate treasury to greater extent J
han ever. But time may show that I
he issue is not finally settled. To :
he head of a college belongs the re-
of the false cry made
4 New York" and any one familiar
nth the spirit of the Vermonter
noWs such deceit will react when
thoroughly understood
Although the appropriations for
he colleges were made permanent
Y the last legislature the next legis-
Iture can stop them if it sees fit
he only objection to Vermont col
ges in the past has been that they
ere receiving too large a proper
on of the public school moneys for
le work they were doing for the
udents of Vermont 1t is claimed
lat institutions serving 81 per cent
the children of the state should
ave more support and those serving
lily three per cent should have less.
nat opinion is not extinct in the
ate and the colleges and normal
hools of the state will have to meet
in the future. The colleges of
having secured what they
esired from the state funds must
9rform the benefits they have prom
ed, must give a service that war
nts the use of such large pro-
triton of the state funds or give up
% plum they are now sucking.
will be sure to ask for this
count of their stewardship and if
ey have failed to make good it is
zely that Prof McFar1and's crow
g over their great financial victory
III be found to have been very pre-
allure.