Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-26
GEORGE A. WELSH
On a City College

A CHANCE for every boy and girl who
n wants higher education is due them,
and it is the duty of the city and State to
provide it for them, in the opinion of George
A. Welsh. newly elected member of the
Board of Education Mr.. Welsh urges the
establishment of n city college here.
such course should be available to all
and should in no way involve their pauper-
ization," said Mr. Welsh. who thus places
the matter UP to the city and State cduca-
tional arbiters as their right.
"Reccnt developments have shown this
need in many ways he says. 'Ihrr" has
been marked increase in the number OF
young men and women desirous of higher
education This has shown itself all along
the line, both from the grammar schools to
the higher schools and from these schoois
to the colleges and universities. This growth
will continue in the years TO come at an ac-
ceeratcd rate.
$50 enormous has become the demand at
present that universities have been compelled
TO close their doors to many hundreds VINO
were knocking for admission. They are Pc
ginning to deem 1t advisable to establlsh
higher qualifications, to begin to draw the
line.
There will be more and more a tendency
TO have picked students, to compel demon
stration of special intellectual fitness for en-
trance Indeed. educators, following up the
development Of the bright child, are advo-
those with the genius type of mind, to de-
vclnp our leaders and specialists in various
lines of cndeavor. -.
THE high cost of living, which has hit
institutions and individuals alike, has caused
the former to raise their tuition fees to
cover expenses and has made the cost OF per
sonal maintenance so difficult Of balance with
the average income that many are forced to
forge tbr privilege of college or university
education.
at is well to develop the man of special
ability. il is no doubt necessary for the uni
versity to raise Its qualihcations ana lts tnl-
tion fees, but that does not get away from
the fact that it is also just as essential that
n great mass Of substantial, well-informed
and thinking people be also developed.
Glass Legislation Feared
.To illustrate this more c0ncrotrly. II
higher education is to be only for those who
can afford it. we will in time have. to a
greater or less extent. class legislation. Now,
| ns if class legislation were not bad enough,
the question arises whether even the classes
| in control of the reins of government would
| be able successfully to maintain that govern
Inent. II they did not have behind them a
| mass of reasonable, wel-informed people.
| You have only to turn your attention to
| Russia. the most obvious example of that
| kind today, to see win Il reasonable degree
| of cxactncss the ultimate outcome of such
u
'It seems almost trtc in this day and
| generation to argue the advantages of O
hiohcr education but when one considers
| thc amazing number of persons who fail to
| recognize higher education as a necessity
| nlus the number who would keep it more OF
| lose exclusive, plus the hard headed indi .
| viduaIs who extol the self made man and dis
| count the college trained man as an nrgu
| ment IL becomes apparent that at least
| few fundamental truths should be told tC
| show the urgent need Of higher education
for the general body Of the people.
'"1'hc war showed conclusively, rs is wei
! known. the need for trained men with
trained minds. For the most part, the meI
| who became officers were college trained
mon The effective men, III military sense
were Of the same type. Every man in tn,
| troininp CAMP and in tn" field realized that
IN n very short time. Hence one reason fOl
! the mcsent demand for higher education,
Advantages In Politics
| "In politics, whether one be a candidat,
for Office or Just a voter, the demand for th
| trnined mind becomes more and more ap
nprrnt Our lawmakers must be trained
mon and the men and women who send then
| thore must have an understanding and in
| trrcst in the questions Of the day and in
tellircutIy select them, II We are to have tha
,goyGrnment Of the people, for the people
and By the people, that Lincoln pointed on
many years ago
1--WE also want lvabc, reasonable IN
dorstanding people to make MP our popu
lation, people of principle and character
Furthermore, the city and the Stat
| and the country need trained men and wome
in increasing numbers. We need physicians