The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-03-02
THOROUGH SURVEY or
STATE EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS MADE
Taxpayers Association Has Com.
pleted Task of Determining just
What Each One Is Doing; Facts
to be Given to People.

ENttNni correspondence 10 Inc Herald, |
Santa Fe, n. NJ, March 2--The Tax
payers Association OF New Mexico has
just completed a very thorough survey
OF the educational institutions OF tho
state, undertaken with the object OF
determining exactly what each insti-
tuition II doing and the service Il 10
rendering. and is now ready to ac-
quaint the taxpaycra with the facts
disclosed.
In order that It's position In the mat
ter may not be misunderstood, the as
ISOLATION desires TO make plain that Il
believes any money which brings an
adequate educational return 10 the
state Is money well spent, and that Il
considers this the attitude OF the taN-
payers generally but Il IL convinced
from the survey Just made that the
taxpayers OF New Mexico are not now
receiving an adequate return IN educa-
tional facilities and educational results
on then large annual Investment IN
the various state institutions: that
uniustified duplication aud unwar-
ranted waste obtain. and that the
time has arrived for New Mexico 20
systematize state educational inssruc.
ton In such n manner as TO insure
fun value In service for every dollar
expended, and to provide superior ed
ucational advantages for the youth
ot the state.
This association" says Director A.
r.. James. Ia outlining the views OF
the organization, has no brief for
any present Institution. We are ask
ing simply that some state policy be
adopted. both on the grounds OF econ
o,ny and that the state may develop
an angflfnfinn ~ hlnhAe tauaa.. .nl
| a Normal school OF which the state
may justly be proud. II the present
policy continues II liz unlikely that any
institution can develop It's highes, use
~fulness. They will continue to be re-
garded as local institutions. ppo
ed and lobbied for on the basis OF
local patronage. The state should be
bigger than any OF its parts. II should
nave a policy broader and more far
seeing than To yield merely to pork
barrel demands"
In connection with any movement
for consolidation. the fixed property
value of the institutions Is a matter 10
he considered. The seven educational
institutions OF New Mexico have a
property value OF tl,254, $685.. and i'm
the chool year OF 1915 the total ex-
pended for an purposes by these insti-
%tutions was S53s. 1901. \ comparison
Of the mount shows that the prop
erty value In proportion To the annual
expense Is small. that consequent
~ the abandonment Of any OF the pres
ent property would he justified by re-
ductions I'm the maintenance costs. ON
the 1915 basis, the expenditure In
two and one-half years would more
than equal the total valuation of the
seven institutions.
one OF the three Normal schools.
nov being maintained by the state,
the Spanish-American Normal at FL
Rito. is shown by the survey To he
simply q rural graded school no dif-
ferent from scores OF rural schools
throughout the state. and as such
without legitimate claim for supper
by state wide taxation. Ninety-five
per cent OF its pupils are IN Gle
m%cntnry grades. 80 per cent are from
the county in which It is situated, and
the annual cost Ia the taxpayers per
student receiving training as a leach
er IL f6i5. The association uggcsts
that II hc recognized for what II ~.
y local elementary school, and that
the plant be onated to Rio Arriba
county.
or the small enrolment Of 80 ut the
School of Mines at SOcorro. but ~
are New Mexico students. and the In
struction OF each Of these 10 students
Is costing the taxpayers Sl30i yearly.
The annual cost per student for tho
entire number enrolled rs t62O. The
association believes that II may prop
erly be questioned whether any an
stitut.o on teaching only ~ New Mex
leo students should be supported ny
the taxpayers Of the state Its sug.
gcstion in connection with the school
OF Mines ~ that the work either be-
done ~ the University. or abandoned
altogether.
with reference to other state in
stitutions. the association old that
there should be- consolidation TO the
extent of eliminating an unwarrauted
duplication, and that until his ID
done there will be- serious waste uud
rcHtri,tod educational advantages.
Cost n service details In councc.
ton with the operations II all state
educational institutions. as disclosed
10y the recent survey. are printed IN
fun In the TaX Review, and viii be
summarized Tor the press.
! kulT[ M n0OuC