The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-01-09
The U.W.'s Position

EDITOR THE TIMES:
The state university stands
ON the recommendations of
the educational survey COM
mission.
Ii accepts and supports
each proposed reform I'm high
err education because Ii be-
lieves that the interest of the
taxpayer and the university
are cOincident in the long run.
IL knows that our kind of
government and society must
be run on high brain power,
well trained; and that the
people of the state of WASH
ington propose to have an eff
fective system of higher edu-
cation. The truth is that the
present system is only excel
lent I'm spots. Poverty i'm pub
lie support and lack of cO-Or-
dination among the institu-
tions themselves are the two
causes of our half attainment.
While we rank mt the top i'm
support of common schools,
we have the mediocre rank of
9th In our contribution to
tho university-cOllege system.
There must be more money tc
take care of the growing college
But the state ought
not to spend a dollar more OF
money until ii lays out a plan that
will guarantee the economical ex.
penditure of every dollar contrib.
uted. The survey commission
work will give this guarantee, and
that is why we favor it. 1t pre-
vents all additional Implications
Of work, 1t eliminates some of the
present ones at once.
The quarrel over the survey
report is not an in
stitutional quarrel over money
Every institution in the state Is
willing to accept the financial rec
concentrations. The combat is one
over policy involving efficiency
and economy.
Fair play to the taxpayers of a
young, growing and expansive
state demands that the legislature
enact the surveys report into law.
Fair play to the boys and girls
who are to be educated demands
that the money used for higher
be 80 wisely spent that
one efficient professional course
In every line of endeavor be found.
ed rather than two feeble and
competitive courses of training.
The university rejects once and
for all the theory that this state
can or ought to support one com
plete university at any one spot
1t points out the folly of attempt
ing to have two complete universe
ties. Not one of our richest state:
has ever been able to support NOR,
than one complete university gu
of the public tax. And our youns
state does not promise to breal
the rule of human experience. w,
accept experience and tn advice O
the best leadrs of the educationa
profession.
The state of Washington has {
divided system of higher educa
ton, not consolidated university
The university at Seattle is only
one OF five parts. The state col.
lege and the three normal schools
are coordinate units. The educa-
Lional business of each part is to
do what 1t can do most efficiently,
and forego what other parts can
do more successfully. This is the
theory of the report and the uni
versity accepts it.
The system of higher education
In this state is for the service OF
the commonwealth, and what II
does should not be a copy of Older
institutions in other states, but the
product of direct scientific sur,
vey of the needs of our own state
and its taxpayers. The surve!
commissions report points GU
that theory, and the university
accepts 1t.
The report tries to build III
five strong parts to the higher