Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-02-19


GUS instrument of all those devised in
the office of the Carnegie Foundation
for assailing the intelligence of YER
monters. On page 1876 chart is given,
which is intended to show at glance
the economic folly and moral obliquity
of .Vermont's present policy of aiding
the colleges. A comparison is made
with other States on the basis of
assessed valuation of each State, and
the graphic representation of this COM
parison shows that Vermont, in her aid
to higher education, is four times as
extravagant as New Hampshire, eight
times as extravagant as Massachusetts,
nine times as extravagant as Rhode
Island, and twenty-eight times as ex-
travagant as New York!
Of course something is the matter
with this argument. Deception is writ
ten large upon the very face of it. Let
us experiment little with the chart.
Assume that the sum paid by New
Hampshire is about right, and use that
line of the chart as a fulcrum on which
to swing the scale. Assume that lit
tie is subtracted from the wealth of
Vermont, which is possible any year,
and that little is added to the wealth
of New York, which is more than posi-
BILE, and what happens to the chart?
The huge seven inch black line repre-
senting the turpitude of Vermont aid
to higher education shoots out of sight
in blank space and the little one-fourth
inch line representing New York is re-
duced to an infinitesimal point. In
other words, New York may become so
wealthy in comparison with Vermont as
to pay nothing at all for higher educa-
ton, or such an infinitely small sum as
to be incalculable! But let that go.
Several things are omitted that are
necessary to make the comparison com
plete. First, Vermont has no large
cities and no large millionaire citizens
to swell the assessed valuation. Moth
ing is said about this.
Secondly, in the other States there
are already large and richly endowed
colleges and universities that do not
need State aid. Nothing is said about
this.
Thirdly, on page 1876 it appears that
the comparison is not absolute but
relative to the condition of elementary
and secondary education. Of this rela
ton between the expenditure for higher
and for lower education in the other
States nothing is said.
Fourthly, the argument omits entire
ly the moral, intangible, immeasula a
BILE basis of education, the desires and
aspirations of the people The wealth
of community never has, and never
can be, the basis for determining its
higher education, and it is a gross es-
tim,te of human character to assume
that this is possible.
Vermont is poor State, in compari-
son with New York. Let US admit it.
Bat must we be satisfied with education
that is proportonately poor? If this
wonderful chart proves anything, it
proves that the Vermonter should be
content VITA a higher education that is
one thirl as good as that of Connecti-
cut, one-eighth as good as that of Massa-
chusetts, and one twenty eighth as good
as that of New York! This cry Of
poverty, raised by the Carnegie Foun-
dation and its chief trumpeters, Gov.
Fletcher and Superintendent Stone, is
a shameless exaggeraton and perver-
sion of facts. They say that the 500,
900 now appropriated for the colleges is
in itself an understandable burden and
is necessary for the salvation of the
common schools. Who has complained
of this intoerable burden? Nobody but
the Carnegie Foundation. AS to the
suffering public schools, the Carnegie
report shows.by its own array of facts
that their condition is as good as in
neighboring States. Improvement is
needed, but this is a permanent and
universal condition. Vermont is now
receiving over $3.50, 600 annually in au-
tomobile licenses, to be expended on
, IOduS' ARE BOou IOduS illOIe NECESSARY
than good education? The Commission
proposes to spend twice the amount
given to the colleges on an experiment
with secondary education that has
never been successfully tried out in any
State of the. Union. Must the splendid
work of the colleges be curtailed and
crippled for the support of doubtful
experiments like this? Must Vermont
be made an experiment station for
Carnegie projectors and theorists at the
expense of the colleges? These are
considerations that come home to us
seriously at this moment.
The bill now before the Legislature, if
passed, will bring upon Vermont the