The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-01-04
Coordinate the Colleges.
(Charleston Evening Post.)


trustees Of the South Carolina Mill
tary College known to us all as The
Citadel, notify the legislature through
the newspapers that it is to be asked
to erect new buildings for the college
on a new site. 1t is stated that this
is part of ambitious plans for a gen
eral enlargement of the scope Of this
excellent institution.
The ways and means committee Of
the senate will hear what the trus-
tees and other interested persons
have to say about the project, and ad-
wise the legislature what action should
be taken. The project will then be
final disposition.
Each year questions involving the
development Of our several state col
.leges are settled in this way.
What do you think of this system
for planning and ordering our scat
tered and growing group Of state sup
ported colleges?
At first glance you realize the i'm
portance of the subject. For one
600 annually are involved.
Before going further let me set
your minds at rest as to what is to be
said about, this particular Citadel pro
ject. It is not going to be support
ed nor attacked in this article. it is
cited only as a striking illustration OF
the need Of a more rational centlal-
'izd control of our colleges
South Carolina has seven institu-
tions for higher learning: the Uni
versity, Clemson, Winthrop, the Cita-
del, the School for the Deaf and
Blind, the Medical College and South
Carolina College (for negroes). Lo-
Gated in six different counties, they
are scattered over the State from the
mountains to the sea- They were
started mad located haphazard. They
have been developed haphazard, ex-
scept for such incidental symmetry OF
development as the legislature could
give. AS one who has for fourteen
years watched the efforts of the leg
islature in. this undertaking, as one
who mas been intimately associated
with. and a part Of this machinery o.
coordination I advise you It is unsat-
isfactory. and unsuited to. the pur-
pose
There ought to be a central board
chosen for its qualifications to pass on
the general problems involving the
development and management Of
these institutions. Such a board of
srecially trained men could plan the
growth of our colleges along well con-
sidered lines. It wol,d stand between
the legislature and the problems IN
volved. But the legislature would
have the same power to accept or re-
ject that it now has by reason of its
control of appropriations.
Such a board would assist The two
appropriation committees 10 s,ct IN
telligently. and it would relieve the
institutions of having to pursue the
den oralizing methods now .neccssar;;
to get the wished for appropriations.
This last consideration is perhaps as
important as the first.
Today, if one Of these boards OF
trustees decides its college needs
new building, or other large item.
what is the procedure? The whole
legislature must be appealed to and
particular attention paid to the two
appropriation committees Individual
members are often written to and
seen, public opinion is worked on
through newspaper articles. Gradu-
ates are stirrel tn activity, the n;edi-
cal fraernity IS caiied )a il Il medi-
cal building IS wanted, AMI the law
yers if it be a law building. Finally
the legislative committees hold long
hearings where these, organizations
focus on the thirty-odd bewildered
members all the influence they have
mustered.
+ These campaigns develop a certain
college loyalty, but they are not good
for the institutions. Much time and
energy is wasted building up quasi
political machines, and premium is
put on activities designed to pull
wires.
This is not said in a spirit OF criti-
cism Of those who employ these meth
ods. The blame rests with leS;si-l-
lures that have made these neIho is
necessary. Perhaps some oE TIE ex-
pressions used may give offense # 1t
is not thoroughly understood that
those responsible for the conduct of
these colleges have been required by
conditions oyer which they have no
control to enter into this competition.
They have been sufferers, not offend
ers.
We have partisan efforts in the in
terest of particular institutions.
There is no one to present the case
for the colleges as a whole. The leg
islative committees attempt to consid-
er all demands, but they have not the
knowledge. the special training, nor
the time to arrive at well-balancad
judgments; though they must, under
our system of government, be the
final arbiters after the facts shall
have been gathered and digestvo
the theories developed and set forth
by the experts.
There are practical difficulties to be
wisely decided on and provided for in
the terms of any act covering the
S,,|,iect Pitt these are matters of de-