Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-10-07
THE COLLEGE DRIVE

1t speaks well for the growing spir-
it of tolerance and good will when
we find that eight small colleges, in
our state, have associated themselves
for the purpose of improving their
financial condition, raising the quality
of their faculties and increasing their
salaries and preparing to take care of
the greatly increased attendance due
to the return of the soldiers and
sailors.
These colleges are Beloit, Campion,
Carroll, Lawrence, Marquette, Milton,
Northland and Ripon, representing de-
|nominational and non-denominational
Protestant and Catholic groups.
Unlike some of our neighboring
states, Wisconsin has been fortunate
in the fact that her small colleges are
scattered throughout the state-thus
Lawrence is at Appleton; Marquette,
at Milwaukee; Northland, at Ashland !;
Carroll, at Waukesha; Campion, at
Prairie du Chen; and Beloit, Ripon
and Milton in their respective cities.
1t is well known fact that edu-
cational institutions draw their stu
dents largely from the nearby coun-
ties. This being the case, each of
these eight colleges has an enrolment
that represents many denominations
This tends to breed a spirit of toler-
ance in religion and hospitality to
wide and divergent points of view.
| On the other hand, where the var
ious colleges of a state are located to-
gether in or near the metropolis, the
boy coming from Methodist home
will naturally go to the Methodist COL
llege; the Congregationalist to his col
lege; the Catholic to his, and so on.
/ The spirit of tolerance is even more
widespread than this, for We find that
these colleges do not confine them.
selves to professors of the same faith
but seek out the best teachers they
can get for the salary paid
The Great War has been a trial tC
these excellent sesoals. At first il
cut down the attendance and reduced
the income. Then these colleges
found that they were losing some oi
their best teachers, because other
states were offering better salaries
Now that the War is over and the
boys are returning from the army and
navy the colleges are swamped with
students. but not having funds tc
meet the emergency of high costs ant
crowded class rooms, they are faced
by serious diiema.
4 That dilema. in short, Us this
either adequate funds must be raised
to take care of their pressing needs
or the colleges must lower their pres
ent high standards and thus cease Il
be institutions of the first class.
There iS nfh oil
colleges of the proud state of Wiscon
sin are surely not going to tell thes,
soldiers and sailors that they can no
give them an education. not even af
tier bonus has been voted them b,
the state.
1 This being the case, are we going {.
! tell these returned heroes that Will
| we will take them into our institution
| we are not able to give them a first
class college education. but will hav
TO give them something that is not tn
best, even though they deserve it.
This is what il means. for if a col
lege with inadequate funds must tax
care Of a large increase of student
it can only be done by crowding class
es 10 the point of ineffieiency. or b
hiring cheaper class of teachers, o
by doing both.
One of the best known Of thes
. eight colleges lost FIVE of its facult
] this summer because of larger OF
portunities elsewhere. How is thi
/. college to replace these men In til
/. face of q growing deficit, II can onI
.. be done by hiring poorer teachers. ur
/. less the public spirited citizens {
J WISCONSIN uho haEava In h1uhar ar3f
! cation and believe In granting ou