The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1920-04-03
|RCCS The PASSAGE OF
EDUCATIONAL TAX BILL
University Of Oregon Student
Says Institutions Crippled
Unless Vote Favorable.

i, calling tor "A levy OF Lee mills
IN the relief OF the Oregon Agricul-
nn Collerr. the University OF Ore.
,on and NE oregon Normal school
passes when II IA voted upon May
these Institutions will be crippled
md higher education to thousands
Il the young men and women of the
tate will be denied. This In the
vord brought TO Burns this week by
ssh Abbott. n junior In the Univer-
bly OF Oregon.
According TO Abbott the University
4 Oregon Is in a critical condition to-
,u This year saw hundreds OF for
nsr students and ex-service men re-
harm 10 the University following their
psriods OF service together with the
|hsuy Of several hundred new stud
ntA the graduates OF state high
1uAsols. With this increase In en-
pilnsnt there has been no increase
n door space. equipment or moro
teachers. The University now has
iAs same building and equipment TO
core for 1890 students that IL had Z
pears ago 10 accommodate 700. As
n 10 now classes are held In all the
buildings from early morning until
the early evening and cheap. inex-
pcnsive anneses have been added TO
ome OF the buildings 10 house the
overflow.
The educational welfare Of Oregon
demands the speedy relief OF o. A. G.
the University OF Oregon and the
Oregon Normal which have been
crippled by causes over which they
have no control. namely an increase
In attendance OF $50 percent In
ccmparison to an increase In niliaGe
income OF 3.s percent: the worldwide
riss in operating costs and the fallen
buying power Of the dollar.
10 other words. the three institu-
tons are trying In 1870 to train two
sad one-half times - many students
% one half the income. ~ compared
WITH 1919.
Tie University OF Oregon needs
buildings for the general sciences.
Tor commerce and economies. for
household arts. for Journalism. for
the school OF education and for iibr-
iy study. IL needs also dormitorics
and student hospital and infirmnry
Tor housing conditions. too, are ex-
iremely crowded which requires the
nrletest OF caution 20 prevent the
spread Of epldemics. The total
cost OF all the buildings at the Uni
vssity Is $3.50. 600. which Is but
10000 more than the cost OF
Lincoln high school. a single build
ips. In Portland. Actual statistics
aAow an increase In attendance OF
lse per cent AZ the University and q.
=. c. during the past seven years
While the increase In classroom space
ior the same period has been i6 per
ssnt.
As result OF the high cost Of iiv-
ing and the inability OF the Univer-
MY TO pay higher salaries the state
n losing much OF its best faculty
material who are leasing for the col
reyes OF other states or going into
other forms OF business. The Uni
'efsity lost three OF its best profess
ofs last month, namely, Dr. warren
D. Smith, Or. e. IA. Edmondson and
Dr' Joseph Schafer. All three men
'ook positions paying double their
university salary and In one case the
Increase In salary was nearly three
lines as large.
The average investment In build
lngs per student for the United
states was 1896. according to statis-
'lcs complied In 1918. but the aver
'ge for the University Of Oregon In
1890 is only sS22 and for the Agri-
culture college only $500.
The Joint ways and means commit
zee OF the last legislature after con-
''dering carefully the crisis at the
'hree Institutions. recommended to
me legislature a levy of LIZ mills for
ne Agriculture college and the Uni
'ersity and six one-hundredths OF a
Mill for the Normal.
The legislature was prevented by
NE six per cent tax Limitation for
'o'lng the appropriation itself so It
'e'erred the bill to the people. Be-
'ause the levy OF 1926 mills could not
become effective until 1921 and be