Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1916-11-30
Start Ball Rolling
For Normal in 1918

A. committee has been appointed
from the Ashland Commercial Club
which will work in conjunction with
the representatives from this county
and educators of the state in secur-
ing a reopening of the Southern Ore
gon normal school at Ashland.
Every effort will be centered upon
the placing upon the ballot and the
carrying of a bill reestablishing the
normal at the election two years
hence. Realization of the fact that
no appropriation could be expected
from the legislature this year was
made plain by the representatives at
a meeting held with the committee
last Friday night The fact that the
Pendleton normal bill, with its vastly
greater appropriation and with the
opposition offered by Weston, came
very near to carrying, and that the
Ashland normal proposition will have
no opposition of the kind, leads to
the belief that the voters of Oregon
are beginning to understand the need
of more normals and with two years
of educational work it is hoped that
the Ashland normal bill will receive
a substantial majority.
A meeting of a number Of inter-
ested Ashlanders was held Friday
night at the Commercial Club to lay
out a plan and start the ball rolling.
w. II. Gore and Ben Sheldon, who
will represent Jackson county at the
next session of the legislature, we're
over from Medford to exchange views
with workers for the Southern Ore
gon State Normal at Ashland. Repre-
sentative c. NJ. Thomas was expected,
but was unable to be present.
Mr.. Sheldon and Mr.. Gore both ad-
dressed the meeting-Mr. Sheldon go
ing into the situation quite exhaus-
lively from every angle. He and Mr..
Gore both expressed the belief that
Ashland's ultimate chances for the
reopening of the Southern Oregon
normal are excellent and growing
better Both, however, were agreed
that the securing of an appropriation
from the next legislature is out of
the question since the tax limitation
bill carried at the recent election.
1t was the final conclusion of the
meeting that bill presented to the
people two years hence-providing
for the establishing of a normal
school in Southern Oregon and an
other in Eastern Cregon-will carry.
r. Sentiment for the normal schools is
steadily increasing The state board
Of regents has declared for two more
state IfOrmals The editors of the
state, gathered here in convention
last summer, have a broader ooncep-
tion of the issue than ever before.
Educators generally see the need
Brief speeches were made by Mr..
Eubanks for the local school board.
Prof Briscoe as to the attitude Of the
faculty E. ]. Kaiser and others. It
was pointed out that the regents
practically demand that additional
normals be located in cities that pro
vide 1000 or more school children
for cadet teaching. It has been
found that Oregon's one normal at
Monmouth has been hampered by
lack of this facility. The local schools
have 1910 pupils to say nothing of
the Belleview, Neil Creek and Soda
Springs schools contiguous to the nor
NAL property The Ashland schools
would gladly cooperate with a normal
in the matter Of cadet teaching
Homer Billings, who acted as chair
man Of the meeting after President
Frank Jordan of the Commercial Club
called it to order, was authorized to
appoint an executive committee to
formulate plan Of campaign to be
submitted to the committee as a.
whole and afterward to our repre-
sentatives in the legislature. The
meeting then adjourned