The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-01


 1 differences are based on fact. No man who understands college administration will question the fact that the work of the university is being conducted with l rigid economy. On the other hand, no man who properly appreciates the func' tion of a modern state university will l for a moment deny that We are forced l to neglect certain kinds of service that l we ought to render.
 There is need, for instance. of the 1 development of a school of commerce, or business administration which in i wolves merely an expansion of certain | courses in economies history, and com mercial law. together with the addition of a limited number of courses that | might be inaugurated at comparatively small expense. It is not our purpose | however. to discuss at this time this 1 rhase of the general problem. We de . sire just now merely to call attention to the fact that the University of Ala 1 hama lacks the means to perform so | obvious a duty as to engage effective 1 ly in any phase of extension work, | which constitutes so large and so im- | portant a part in a modern unlNerS tV programme. This great field of serv- l ice, by means of which an institution | projects it's educational forces be- l -ond the campus. Is carried on in state
  Through the aid of the general edu- cation board the department of secon- | dary education, cooperating with the state department of education has done a monumental work in developins g and strengthening the public hi~h sclools Yet the legislature has done
 nothing to provide an opportunity to | organize the extra mural service thaI
 t Is eager to render We shall not
 desist until we have been permitted to satisfy every community needing nelr
 to enrich it's life that such help can
 be found in these halls. The great
 task of helping to conserve the public
 her 1th, of bettering social and eco.
 homie conditions of building up
 sound school system, of suggesting
 modern methods in taxation and in "lu-
 nicipal procedure. of establishing cor
 respondence study, of giving lectures
 in various communities, of providing
 extension teaching, of conducting com
 munity conferences and institutes. oi stimulating debate in the high schools of making surveys and investigation:
 in subjects of community and state ave , ndes of human service ;s a task thai
 challenges our Fundamental efficiencN as a state university The state cannot , affor to deny us the opportunity t
 serve the people in every high all. hcirful way The trustees have al
 
 ; aiIing to render this service, they ar, not unconscious of the duty and thu responsibility of the university to dt
 fer Alabama in this great field wha
 is being done by the state universities
 of other progressive states It i: simply and solely a question of finance , The legislature alone can remedy th' , situation.
 Equipment and Support l ha pf modern institution , of learning depends in large degree upor 1, the financial support given it. Back O
 all it's efforts lies it's business organiza ton and administration. Precisely as |, : the case of other business enterprises it . activities are restricted in direct propor ton to it's financial resources. An inst
 tuition of learning can he said to be com
 pletely equipped only when it is prepared
 to serve the commonwealth in every higi and helpful way. Few states are yet giv f ing to their universities sufficient sup l port to guarantee their highest efficiency f No will question the fact that thu
 young men and young women of Ala , hama entitled to as good training al f the youth of other American states. Tn a trustees recognize that the present finan cial status of Alabama would not justify 7 such appropriations as are now beins made to those universities supported o' [ the more populous and wealthy states a iul IL IS clear that t0e dppTOpTldllOn' . must be largely increased if the Univer ] sity of Alabama is to receive such aid al , the comparative wealth and population E of the state would clearly entitle it t' T receive. The fact that the student bod, . is now practically twice as large as i I was four years ago means that, ever f though the programme attempted shal !, | remain unchanged, there must be pro O vided a larger teaching force and large t equipment in order to meet the presen Y situation.
 : Immediate Needs
 The most pressing needs of the uni
 versity are as follows:
 1. A larger maintenance fund to provid \. teaching force adenuate to the task ( n giving undergraduate instruction to tn IF largely increased student body. This l n an immediately essential need. Attentio Il Is also called to the fact that we are no' q able to offer comparatively little gradual ' | I(.k7.lIH1IIT1