Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-21
STATE COLLEGE
ASKS S2,93S,OOO
Bill Presented For Improve
ment of the Center County
Institution Today

The trustees of Pennsylvania State
College, are about to ask the Legisla-
ture to appropriate $2,93S,000 for the
next two fiscal years for the main
tenance of the big institution; for new
buildings; for additional farm lands
and for new armory. Definite and
specific reasons for each of the be-
quests is contained in the briefs pre-
pared by Attorney III. Walton Mitchell,
of Pittsburgh, chairman of the board
of trustees, who gives largely of his
time to furthering the progress of the
institution.
The House bill was introduced to-
day by Representative Harry Scott,
of Center county, while the same bill
will go into the Senate next Monday
night bearing the name of Senator
William E. Crow, as sponsor. Both
men are ardent supporters of the
Center county institution.
AT the same time that these bills
appear there is an agitation heard in
Philadelphia, started by State Treas
urer Robert K. Young, against edu-
cational institutions receiving State
diu IndL are not unUer the SuperNl-
sion of the State. He made an attack
on the policy of the State giving of
it's money to the University of Penn
sylvania and the University of Pitts
burgh and advocated the gradual
withdrawal of State funds from such
institutions.
Pennsylvania State College is not
included in the Young speech before
the Philadelphia audience. 1t is gener-
ally conceded to be in line for a much
larger appropriation this year than
in 1915 when it received 100000.
Penn received the same amount and
Pitt 100000.
States request is subdivided in this
way: Maintenance and buildings, ST.
2S6,000; farm lands. 100000; extern
sion work, $242,000; : new armory
$350,000.
With regard to the extension item
Mr.. Mitchell said that the National
government will give State about
$242,0O0 contingent on the Common
wealth duplicating the bequest. The
National government gives this money
to recognized State institutions for the
advancement of agriculture and do
mestic science.
The armory item is one of the most
important things in the list of State
Colleges requests this session. When
the present armory was erected there
were 1875 students undergoing military
instruction at the college and now
| there are 2,400 taking military train
ing out of a total enrolment of $500
But it has been a handicap at State
| Under the provisions of the National
defense act which became q law June
3, 1916, certain equipment is given by
the government to students of State
| colleges provided they drill three days
a week and also provided that the
State gives them a building to allow
drill through the entire college year
The handicap in the Center hills is
that the winter weather is so severe
that outdoor training is not followed
and the two by four armory is not
large enough to permit one third ot
the students to maneuver. To take
advantage of the governments gener-
osity and to keep abreast of the de-
velopment of the institution State
needs and wants q real armory.
In the domestic science courses
| State has made great progress. Tha
school has grown in six years from 81,
| girls to now when there are 207, an(
President Sparks is predicting even
greater expansion.