The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-04-15

The state organization of the Uni
versity Funds Campaign is busy this
month obtaining petition signatures
that will place before the voters Of
Montana this year the proposals des-
tined to lift the University of Mon
ANA from its present financial rut to
a place on a par with other lines Of
state progress. The proposals are for
a bond issue of $4,000 10 for build
ings and a special maintenance tax
levy of one and one-half mills.
The higher educational institutions
of the state face a financial crisis,
says a statement from the Helena
headquarters of the University Funds
Campaign. Rising costs of equipment
and supplies, the necessity of increas-
ing salaries of instructors, rapidly in
creasing student attendance-and all
this with an income that remains
practically stationary, with the pros
pect of becoming less in the future
have brought about a crisis that cannot
be ignored in Montana.
"Yet a feature even more dis
turbing is the fact that the state
assessed valuation will rise above
5000, 900 this year.. When the
valuation rises above this figure,
the rate of taxation for all state
purposes must be lowered from
the present two and one-half mills
to w mills, according to require
mentS of the constitution. State
officials will not be reduced in
number or salary, necessarily, nor
can the funds of such institutions
as the p~enitentiary be lowered.
The final meaning is that the loss
of revenue for state purposes will
fall Upon the educational institu-
lions; this loss would cut practi-
cally in half their PRESENT IN
ADEQUATE FUNDS"
Figures of the United States Census
Bureau show that Montana spends less
per thousand dollars of wealth for
higher education than any other west
ern state, except one figures recently
published by a Pacific coast state as
an argument for increase of their own
OpCi INLNo, ShON I1Ohldud Win
a lower building investment per stu
dent than any other state west of the
Mississippi river.
In the matter of higher education,
Montana stands very low among west
ern states, if not admittedly last, in
financial support. One of the Mon
tana higher educational institutions
has had an increase in student attend
ance of $40 per cent since 1900, yet
the floor space for student instruction
at that same school has increased but
43 per cent in the same time. There
are many cities in Montana which
have larger investment in their city
schools, or even in their high schools
alone, than the state of Montana has
invested in the institutions at either
.ozeman or Missoula, the two largest
Of the state educational institutions.
It is a notable fact that students grad
from many of the Montana high
have found equipment in the
higher educational institutions
inferior to their high school equip
nent.
The condition is at the crisis in Mon
ana. The proposed measures for a
,ond issue and a special tax levy are
Tot attempts to take advantage of the
for ex~travagant outfitting of
higher education, for the measures are
destined to allow the schools
financial support enough to "catch up"
With the progress of the state. The 3,
proposals now being initiated are the !
put forth by the competent +;
md proper state authorities for the 4.
condition. 1t is not a problem q,
or state educators and state officials ,
ntirely. 1t is the problem Of the Mon :
ana citizen; a frank statement of .
acts that demands a frank answer at A..
he polls !.