The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-03
THE UNIVERSITY
The Visiting Committee of For
mer Students
Makes Its Report on Institution
Needs.
WISCONSIN SPENDS MORE
Elves Times as Much as Does
Kansas.
How Our State Is Not Meeting
It's Demands.
WISCONSIN SPENDS NOR

The visiting committee of former
students of the State University mas
made an interesting report on the
needs of the institution. 1t reads as
follows:
To the Alumni Association, University
of Kansas: 49,
year 1916-1917 has made ITS 1rst
semi-anuual inspection of University
conditions and submits this, IT'S pre-
liminary report, which will be con
fined to the immedlte financial heeuS
of the institution.
The members of this committee are
taxpayers and citizens of Kansas, VINO
were graduated by the University
from twenty to thirty-seven years ago
No member of the committee is either
an instructor or officer, or related by
blood to any instructor, officer or EN-
pIoyee of, the University. The great
majority of the faculty are strangers
to us.
We feel, therefore, that We see and
speak mainly as citizens and tax
payers, unbiased in our views, unless
1t be by a deep feeling of gratitude
TO the citizens of Kansas, living and
dead, who established and supported
the University, and to whom we owe
the training, inspiration and ideals
received by us in our college course
We are biased to this extent, that
alter many years out of the University
we find ourselves more ardent beIlev-
ers than ever in higher education by
the state.
Taxation.
Last year the man who paid taxes
on $1,000 worth Of property, paid
$3.50 ana no more, toward the AquIda-
uOn OF all state expenses. one collar
ana thirty cents in ii year, for peace,
"rucr, security, the protection OF lire
i:nu property, the promotion OF health
ana morality, the preservation of lib
crIy, the development of industry,
suppression OF crime, the care OF the
helpless and unfortunate, and the
ing er education Of the young or
inns dollar and thirty cents, less than
he sum Of sIXtyfiVe cents was spent
on the state schools as whole, md
less uhan twenty-five cents on the
state university.
The taxpayer cannot be too often
reminded that his taxes are not i'm
posed in Lawrence, Topeka, or Man
haitian; his taxes are imposed and
spent in his home city and county.
only one-tenth or one-tWelfth of the
total tax he pays in the city goes TO
state purposes. # the total tax bur
den is more than it should be, let the
complaining taxpayer sweep before
lis own door. II may be that the city
and the local schools ought to get on
with less money: We do not say yea
or nay; nut the state of Kansas should
not spend 4 dollar less than it Is
pending, and It probably ought -
send considerably more. The state
# Wisconsin spends five times rs
much. Nothing, of course, ought TO
he spent imprOvidently, but modern
state cannot be properly conducted on
a smaller total revenue than the state
of Kansas now has.
The man who pays taxes on $1,000
= orth of property pays for the sup
port Of the university the sum of less
than twenty-five centsS twenty-five
cents 4 year, that his child may have
"a course at college without cost. He
ought not to object to this, and, as
matter of fact, he does not object. The
man in Kansas who pays taxes on
$500 pays for the university the
sum of about eleven dollars. In Kan
sas, the man who pays taxes on $50
900 has q competence: and he should
not object to this small contribution to
the higher education of the children
Of those who cannot afford the high
tuition of privately endowed institu-
tons: and as q matter of fact, he does
not object The objection is made
when made at ALTO the total burden,
at least nine-tenths of which does n 1t
consist of state taxes at all.
Buildings.
Coming now to the specific and i'm
mediate needs of the State university,
w AillN mat inc SiVat pOuN u IIiS III
stitution. now as heretofore, is given in
Fraser hall, the main building on the
south campus. and in the old north
college. These buildings have stood
about fifty years. The old north col
lege as you know has been a scandal
for a quarter of a century. 1t has
been three times condemned. 1t is
unsafe and unsanitary. 1t is over
crowded. Ii is devoted to the depart
rnent of fine arts. which had an en-
Iollment in 1916 of two hundred
eiShty-siX students. 1t is as great a
disgrace to the state of Kansas as the
worst east side cenements are to the
city of New York. 1t cannot be used
after this year.
Fraser hall of course, is not so bad:
but there is probably not a high school
in the state of Kansas where the hous-
ing needs of the students are not bet
ter provided for than in Fraser hall.