The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-02-11
DOES The EASTERN
SHORE NEED A COLLEGE
YOU'LL SAY 1T DOES

Many persons have asked why
there should be a college on the
Eastern Shore. Maryland has too
many colleges, it has been argued,
so why sacrifice 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 hundredth 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 col
lege students from the Eastern
Shore A high authority 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 that
the Eastern Shore does not need a
college-it needs two colleges.
A few more comparative figures
should be of interest to Eastern
Shoremen. The fourteen counties OF
the Western Shore have eight col
leges, Their taxable basis is S412,-
100000. or S51, 100000 per college
The taxable basis of the nine coun-
ties of the Eastern Shore is sos :
100000 which according to the ratio
of the Western Shore counties is
more than enough to support two
colleges.
If we compare the Eastern and
Shnrn counties the
basis of high school attendance the
results are still more striking. Ac-
cording to the report of the Super
intendent of Schools for 1919 there
were 629 graduates of approved four
var high schools in the western
Shore counties, and $50 in the East
ern Shore. If the Western Shore
needs eight colleges to care for us
629 high schol graduates, it follows
that the Eastern Shore should have
four and one half colleges for It's
$50 graduates.
If we compare the Eastern Shore
with Baltimore City the results are
also favorable. There are in Baltl-
more City about 625,000 people, 653
high school graduates (1919),, and
four standard colleges, not to men
ton numerous other schools doing
more or less college work (Mllton
University, several business COLLEGES
the Y. M. c. A. schools, the Berlltz
School of Languages, etc.. TINS
gives an average of about 1856, 600
people and 1853 high school gradu-
ates per college. The one college on
the Eastern Shore, therefore, serves
nQnnlQ and
118 per cent more high schooi
graduates than the average conege
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
graduates. Yet. Delaware supports
a fiourishing college with about $50
students. Thus the Eastern Shore
demonstrates a far more lively in
terest in education than the state OF
Delaware and ought to support col
lege about SO per cent, larger than
Delaware College.
It L. ANXIOUS that whether we
drav our comparison from the en-
tire country. from the Western Shore
from Baltimore City or from Della
ware, the result is always the same
the Eastern Shore furnishes an
ample field for one or even two very
fourishing colleges. In view OF
these facts can the Eastern Shore
afford to let its college fail? With
such a field as this, if Eastern Snore-
men will but lend their interest and
support, Washington College can
quickly develop into the foremost
college of Maryland and one that
will compare favorably with the best
known colleges of the land.