Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1921-02-19
DOES THE EASTERN
SHO' NEED A COLLEGE?
Some Reasons Why A College
Should Be Supported On The
Peninsula.

Many persons have asked why there
should be college on the Eastern
Shore. Maryland has too many COL
leges, it has been argued, so why sac
rifice and struggle to maintain one on
the Eastern Shore? This reasoning
seems to confuse some people.
The Eastern Shore of Maryland
has a population of almost exactly
100000 people, which is roughly one
five hundrsdth of the population of
the United States. There were in the
United States last year about 100000
college students. There should be,
therefore, about 1000 college students
from the Eastern Shore. A high au-
thority in the United States Bureau
of Education estimated that the ideal
college should have 500 students. 1t
is obvious. therefore, that the proper
answer to the above question is thai
the Eastern Shore does not need a
college-it needs two colleges.
A few more comparative figures
should be Of interest to the Eastern
Shoremen. The fourteen counties of
the Western Shore have 8 colleges.
Their taxable basis is $412,OOO,O0O,
or $51, 100000 per college. The tax
able basis of the nine counties of the
Eastern Shore is $1O6,0O0,OO0, which
according to the ratio of the Western
Shore counties is more than enough to
support two colleges.
Ii we compare the Eastern and the
Western Shore counties on the basis
Of high school attendance the results
are still more striking. According to
the report of the Superintendent of
Schools for 1919 there were 629 grad
yates of approved four-year high
schools in the Western Shore coun-
ties, and 356 in the Eastern Shore. If
the Western Shore needs eight COL
leges to care for it's 629 high school
graduates, it follows that the Eastern
Shore should have four and one half
colleges for its 356 graduates.
If we compare the Eastern Shore
with Baltimore City the results are
also favorable. There are in Balti-
more City about 625,OOO people, 653
high school graduates (1919), and
four standard colleges, not to mention
numerous other schools doing more or
less Of college work Milton Univer-
sity, several business colleges, the
4.M.C.A. schools. the Berlitz School
of Languages, etc. This gives an
| average of about 1876 900 people and
1913 high school graduates per college.
The one college on the Eastern Shore,
therefore, serves about 80 pr cent
more people and 118 per cent. more
high school graduates than the aver
age college of Baltimore City.
Or let US take the State of Della
ware for our comparison. Delaware
has a population about equal to that
of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In
1919 it had only 242 high school grad
yates. Yet Delaware supports a
flourishing college with about $50 stu
dents. Thus, the Eastern Shore dem
onstrates far more lively interest in
education than the State of Delaware,
and ought to support college about
so per cent larger than Delaware
College.
1t is obvious that whether we draw
our comparison from the entire coun-
try, from the Western Shore, from
Baltimore City, or from Delaware,
the result is always the same-the
Eastern Shore furnishes an ample
field for one or even two very flour
ishing colleges. In view of these facts
can the Eastern Shore afford to let
its college fail? With such field as
this, if the Eastern Shoremen will
but lend their interest and support,
Washington College can quickly de-
velop into the foremost college of
Maryland and one that will compare
favorably with the best known col
leges of the land.