The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-01-24

spiration to North Carolina for great
er and nobler achievements" This
plan contemplates and necessitates a
liberal support of our institutions for
higher education. 1t is from these
institutions that we must expect the
talent to carry on the work in our
primary schools. l believe the Leg
is:ature at this time should take pro-
per steps looking to the coordination
f the government of our colleges
nd universities. 1 believe more
satisfactory and effective admins
tration on our educational work
#ould result if we had one educa-
tional board, or Commission Tor all
our colleges instead of a separate
board of trustees for the Government
Of each institution. If you should
see fit to adopt, as I hope you will,
me plan which 1 will suggest with
reference to the tax department this
recommendation for the government
of our higher institutions of learn
ing will be in absolute harmony with
the plan for the administration of the
fiscal affairs of the state. I think al
so that the same rule can be made
to apply with equal advantage to all
state maintained institutions and ac-
tivities. One board for penal and
charitable institutions, and another
board for our educational institu-
tions, would in my opinion; be con-
duciye to economy and efficiency.
For a number of years we have had
in connection with our state insti-
tutions for higher education a free
scholarship system. I have not hesi-
tated when a candidate for office to
criticise this system, and I do not
hesitate now to recommend to you
the abolition of all scholarships, and
the substitution of a scholarship loan
fund. This fund could be admins
tered by the Sinking Fund Commits
sion, or some other department of
the state, as you may see proper to
provide. Under the present scholar
ship law it's benefits are awarded on
competitive examination. The per-
son making the highest mark is en-
titled to the scholarship, provided of
course, that certain conditions as to
financial ability, etc., are shown to
.xist. It favors the person who has
already had superior advantages. Its
benefits are lifted to the favored
few. Under the scholarship loan fund
all of our institutions of higher edu-
cation would be open to every boy
and girl who could stand the neces-
sary entrance examination, and who
could be Accommodated by the institu-
tion.
Suggests Loan Fund
It may necessitate, and I hope it
will, the enlargement of our plants
in order to accommodate the increas-
ing demands. The student who OBJ
tains a loan from this fund should
;e required to repay the same with
out interest in four annual install
ments. TIL efrst payment to be due
in two years after graduation. This
would insure payment of the entire
loan in ten years, or to be more ac-
curate,. each loan granted would be
repaid within six years from the
date granted. In the twenty-ninth
annual report of the Board of Trus-
tees of Clemson College, pages 49,
II, I find the following language
eff it is to be admitted that a tech
nical education adds to young
mans earning power (and surely
such an education represents CAPT
tai of at least s2O,OOO.OO) then any
young man should be willing to &C,
cept a loan rather than a gift OF
$4,000 to help him obtain it. The
...::::::,cry a. su-l los c.so;v:lere is
Int d. AZ e~se.!y aoug..is by the
~oaliy needy and invariably I;a.,."
Better Than Scholarships.
The Board Of Visitors of Clemson
College for The year 1918 called at
;crtion 20 the fact tEat s;rce the il
a;ro,TYation CT the s.lcl2rShi;, systerl