Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-07
COLLEGE AND BECCAR
Pennsylvania Standing on Higher
Eduoatlon--Away Down the List.
Solicitors Of Aims Busy These
Days--As to Market Houses
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN

wreath on our IennSyNunla euucatiohai
system.
II is in connection with the tiresome
weeping and wAiling over the unprece-
dentcd extravaganza for educational de-
vclopment under the Finegan system.
In 1918 the great State Of Pennsylvania
appropriated Just nineteen cents per capita
for the support of higher education, he
tells me.
1t ranks twenty ninth in the United
States in that respect.
Nevada held the record Of money given
for this purpose.
II spent $1.79 per head.
=. OF course, the pullbacks will yell that
Nevada is small State with small popu-
lation. Right
But how about California; 1t contributed
eighty three cents per capita.
Ohio came through with forty cents and
the great state of Illinois with thirty seven
cents. Twice az much as Pennsylvania.
Minnesota appropriated eighty five cents.
Oregon 81 10, Michigan sixty six cents and
riotous West Virginia thirty four cents.
DR. EDWIN Il. SPARKS, now presi-
- dent emeritus, pulled State College out
of a rut.
1t was languishing for lack of money and
suffered from paucity of students and equip
nent.
DR.. George w. Atherton gave his life to
the work. He laid the foundations.
DR.. Sparks, with Walton Mitchell and
board of trustees. all of them live wires,
worked for years on the job.
They finally succeeded, but DR.. Sparks
broke under the strain.
/ happen to know, for I've seen him under
pressure at intervals ever since they called
him out of the West to head the college.
Being college president of the right
Kind imposes more worries than the presi-
dency of a great city bank.
Especially II you have to 70 down on
your knees every two years to a Legislature
and beg money to keep their institution
going.
BY their" mean the Legislatures, the
peoples college. 1t is the one educational
institution owned and operated by the Com.
monwcalth.
Have you ever thought of that?
lt IL the one great educational plant in
Pennsylvania that has no rich patrons, no
private endowment and no tuition charge.
FREDERICK RASMUSSEN, secretary
l. of agriculture was one of It's faculty.
There are other big, nationally known men
like Frear and Armsby and lot of others
on its staff.
neering sciences, are scattered over the
United States. Yet II has been only in the
last fifteen years that it got going properly
It's school of electrical engineering has
the finest equipment of any institution in
the United States.
plicants for admission. It's got an enroll.
ment now Of 1927 students.
Twenty-Five years ago, when l first lee
tured before the student body, the old chapel
accommodated all of them.
During the last seven years $500 students
have been refused admission.
Last fall put Of nearly 1900 applicants
for the freshman class only 750 could be
admitted
\ PROMINENT Philadclphian recently
"A remarked on the recrudescence of beg
ging on the streets.
In the course of walk the other day
on one side of Market street, from Seventh
to Thirteenth, | counted six mendicants
There was one to every block. l did not
notice how many were working the other
side Of the street.
Possibly these persons are not classed as
beggars Under our paternal city ordinances
they might be identified as "Deddlcrs."
Three Of them, though, were beggars out
and out. They made no pretcnse of holding
two thumb worn lead pencils as y raw
camouhagc.
fat, one legged solicitor of aims held
lighted cigarette In one hand while with
the other he shook some pennies In a dirty
cap to attract the attention of pasSersby.
TT DOESN'T matter what the various
i bureaus. charities aud police may declare
to the contrary, there are more bcggars-
today than have been seen here for years
Panhandling, too, Is becoming q popular
nuisance once more.
The Say, Bo. could you spare a nickel
70 git me cup n coffee" citizen Is again
lurking on the side streets.
Always they fight shy OF the big thor
oughfarcS. They're too conspicuous for
their purposes.
The tens of thousands Of the jobless may
be urged in extenuntion Of this
1t IS not an available excuse, however
The character of the "maccrs," their voice
manner and language are evidence absolute
that they are regulars, "
Where's the police beggar squad, any
how
GEORGE w. RICHARDS has been n
" market superintendent for q great many
years.
Wednesdays and Saturdays he tells me,
are the big retail market days.
Twenty five years ago every day wp.
market day, though Wednesdays and Satur.
days were always overflow days
Th"y're still overflow days in most Of the
smaller market houses.
The curbs are then lined with farmers
and the sidewalks are pretty we'll obstructcd
with the wares OF gardeners and flower
sellers.
Old residents of West Philadelph,s I,
particular, recall when there were farmers
stalls in operation every day at the FortIeth
Street Market House.
Not all Of them, to be sure; but n foi,
proportion.
Mr. Richards succinctly accounts for the
change from quarter Of q century ago.
"JN THOSE days the neighborhood store
L was simply a small grocery" he said.
"The extent Of its vegetable offerings weTc
potatoes and cabbage '''
To-day they carry all sorts of eerIv
southern and winter vegetables. They
handle everything but soda water and wear.
ing apparel.
The gardeners and small farmers tbst
formerly occupied market stalls four davs
week are gradually disappearing. ''
at Is impossible for them, with tbe,-
home raised and hothouEe vegetables 70
compete with southern growers In quality
or price.
"A market farmer cannot maintain a de-
livery system for two days week az q
profit.
Just the same, the regular small retail,
neighborhood shops cannot supply euch a
fresh stock Of farm products as the market
house stalls on certain days.