The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-01-30
Higher Education
EDITOR THE TINES:

II Washington give a decent support
to higher schools? That is ques-
ton of public policy which the
representatives Of the taxpayer
must decide.
From the standpoint of effective
educational policy there is only
one answer. The higher schools
need more money. The disinter-
ested experts of the United States
Il bureau of education. our own edu-
cational leaders, and even legis-
/ lative commission, which started
it's work preiudiced against addi-
/ tiOnal expenditures, agree that ed
ucational competency in uniyer-
sity, college and normal schools
requires larger expenditures.
From the standpoint of sound
social and political economy, this
country and this commonwealth
must have trained leaders, both
/ in citizenship and in vocational
activity. Our country cannot get
/ along without brain power. A
small democracy may be more or
less safe as long as 1t lives to II
self, in protected isolation, but 1t
cannot live and be stupid In the
middle of a world competition.
The chief business of this coun-
try right at this minute is two
fold-to pick leaders and to train
/ them. The older forms of govern
ment picked them through a caste
system and trained them through
an exclusive apprenticeship on the
Job of fighting and ruling. Demo-
e! cratic America selects its BRAIN
power from anywhere in the whole
population, and uses the school
system to do the eliminating and
the choosing. And then it uses
both the school and the job to
train and equip the better mind
to service.
Sometimes the average man gets
q little worried about spending SO
much money on the education of
few. Only a small number go to
college. This state ought to spend
about $3.50 on every university
student. This seems like treating
a few very well. But there is a
fallacy in the thought. The chief
contribution of a section boss on
the railroad is to increase the ef-
ficiency of so men under him. The
chief contribution of a Taft, Will
son or a Roosevelt is to direct the
political thought of the millions.
When the state picks and trains a
leader at great expense it spends
its money on itself, not on the
man.
A new country such as Wash
ington starts behind the other
states In development. 1t needs
trained leaders more than other
states to catch up in its develop
] ment. That is why this state needs
trained agriculturalists, manufac-
turing engineers, commercial
leaders and the like.
: Have we an effective program
of higher education in this state ?
We have not. Financially we
: have a lightheaded educational
: system. We rank first in the
: Union of states in our support OF
5 common schools, elementary
schools and high schools. We
rank oath in our support of high
err schools-colleges and univer-
sites. We are nourishing the
Drawn of the state, but We are
stingy with its brain.
: The conditions in this state are
unusual. The state has grown
faster than any other. Its growth
has come through immigration
rather than the birth rate. A
large part of the immigration has
been from an agricultural popu-
lation, which sends an unusually
high percentage of its children
to college. These three factors
have congested the university un-
til 1t is the most rapidly growing
large university in this country.
A generously supported high
school system always brings more
students to the gates of the uni
versity. That, too, has embar-
raised the university. What are
you going to do about it, Mr.. Tax
payer? Shall we shut out your
son and your daughter? Shall
we say to them that they cannot
have a chance to prove they have
the brains to serve In high and
responsible places?
Again, IL we admit them to the
university, shall we give them q