Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-03-24
PROFESSIONALISM VERSUS PRO
DUCTION.
Editor Journal:

EultOf journal.
Your paper seems to be open TO com.
ments on our high-brow educational sys.
ten that we are spending millions on
annually and do not seem to be getting
anywhere in the real development Of
the Industries of the state. Oregon is a
state with vast potentialities in the way
of basic raw materials, which capital is
more than ready and willing to make up
into higher forms for the markets of
the world. The Corvallis Times -uazette
announces that Pres. Kerr OF o. A. c. is
to go east for six weeks, and says:
President Kerr will attend /. CON
ference in Washington, D. c., Gained by
T. r Claxton, commissioner Of educa-
tion, to consider the establishment in
larger institutions giving eouses in engi-
neering and commerce, of courses in
commercial engineering. 1t has been
reported that the demand for men
trained in engineering and commerce
exceeds the supply. Representatives Of
leading institutions where engineering
gnd commerce are taught viii be pres
ent. +"
Now it is well known fact that en-
gineering and commcre1aii pi o1esslons
are oyer-crowded, and some may ask
why extend engineering and commercial
conTses in farmers college2 The
commercial and business colleges can
moro thsn supply the demand for book
lroopors onJ rolas,nanob;D - ,.,ho+a,,or
else the agricultural college is going to
turn out About three .foutths OF the
students from that institution are al
ready turned out to be anything and
but successful tillcrs or yne
soil 70 make the agricultural college
still more completely professional col
lege or second state university seems
the height of educational folly for a
state like Oregon. The agricultural col |
lego should confinc itself to courses in
agriculture, horticulture, animal indus
try and domestic sconomy, ins,ead of
putting on all the airs of o college Of
liberal arts and competing with all the
business colleges and institutions for
training men in the profession.
Why is land cheap around CorvallisH
II was stated by prominent fruit
grower the other day that land in orch
ard could be bought there for one-half /
what it can be bought for TT Salem,
and quarter Of what it can be bought |
for at Hood River. If the agricultural
college really concentrated on produc-
tion of agriculture and horticulture why |
should not the farming and fruit grow
ing section around where it is located |
blossom with production and the indus
tries related to producti0ng 1t is d no
tolious fact that canneries and fruit !
drying enterprises have langmsneu at
The seat of the agricultural college, and
have only been revided by outside pusi-
ness interests. Agricultural and horti-
culture have languishod likewise and
have not caused any worry to the army |
of professors and specialists. In vain
10 the people Interested in the develop |
ment of the state make appeals to the
agricultural college that it make itself |
felt to increase production, and that it
Iurn out men and women who are pri-
narily interested in production instead
Of professionalism. Oregon does not
need professional people. Oregon needs
men and women who can increase the
supplies Of raw materials and lower the
nigh cost Of living while increasing the
sources Of wealth and tax-paylng abil-
ty. The sixweeks trip Of President
Kerr to increase our facilities for turn
ng out more professional people in com
nc-ce, engineering and what-not-any-
hing but producers from the soils u
Door investment for Oregon. The six
weeks trip with travelling expenses will I
cost the taxpayers u Thousand
lollars and what forg We are taking
men and women away from the Farms
md educating them at public expense
o 60 into the already over-crowded pro
'essions in the cities. Our dairy indus
ry is languishing because milk produc.
ion IS falling off. We have lost two
ugar beet factories built in this state
It cost Of over million Of private
aptal because there were not people
in growing beets and the al
led industries that utilize the by-prod-
lets of the beet sugar industry.
Col. Z. Hofer,
nrrx1 rxyrryr, rtrr esxrrrvr - Y,ry, r,f- xrrr,,