Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-28

fact, howeer, that there is being spent
in the State in the present year 49,
100000 for education should be borne
in mind rather than the figure which
he gives. He has made the school
item appear as small as possible and
the university item, by the adding OF
various sub-items, as large as pos
sible in order to provide the type of
comparison that he desires.
3. In making his State aid COM
parisons he uses private institutions.
having previously admitted that the
university is for all practical pur-
poses State institution. THE logic
of this action on his part Is difficult
to discover.
a. After having stated to me in
letter Of October IS, 1922 ut would
hardly be wise to limit the size of the
university by statute" he now pro-
poses exactly this move. Aside from
the educational absurdity Of denying
the opportunity Of attending the
State University to those boys and
girls Of the State who morally and
intellectually are fitted to profit by
it, the contradiction of his own state
ment is one example of why the trus-
ltcS anu ilelNC louiAo ~ -
reach any cooperative agreement
such as he signs for.
5. He further shows a rather re-
markable ignorance of even the
commences. principles underlying the
University by comparing the cost OF
instructing the students in Bates,
Bowdoin and Colby, all Of them col
leges of Liberal Arts, with the cost
per student at the University or
Maine where more than half of the
students are members of the colleges
of either Technology or Agriculture.
Anybody with even SmatterlnS OF
information concerning the organ
ization of University instruction
should know that the cost per STU
dent in colleges Of the technical type
is uniformly higher because OF equip
ment and specialized instruction
than it is in college of Liberal
Arts. This is another example of why
cooperation has been difficult.
6. The proposed treatment OF out
of-State students beside being mar
row and unneighborly in the highest
degree as compared with the treat
ment of Maine students by all the
other New England States would in
addition make it impossible for a
boy or girl born and bred in the
State of Maine or coming from State
Of Maine people, not residing in the
State, to obtain his ducatior in the
University Of aine without paying
approximately twice what he would
have to pay to attend the other
Maine colleges. If this is encour-
agement by the State of Maine Tor
young men and women to come to 1t
and to remain within its borders,
fail to see it.
Z. The statement that the institu-
ton has actually lived within the APP
preparation that the State made for 1T
two years ago should be supplement-
ed by a statement that the Governor
has received both from the President
of the Board of Trustees and from me
some months ago letters calling his
attention to the fact that this saving
was onl.- apparent and that it APP
peared on the books as result Sc
verely handicapping the quality of
instructions given to the boys and
girls Of the University. Failure to
mention this fact is a part truth and
does not do the situation justice.
S! The lack of college spirit is be-
moaned and no reference whatever
other than a slurring one, is made to
the present activity of the alumni and
friends of the institution in preparing
to raise fund of $500,00000 for
memorial to the students and alumni
of the University who gave their
lives in the World war. Common
courtesy or at least desire to in
crease this college spirit might have
suggested to the Governor the value
of recognizing what activity has al
ready been started in this direction
Q. If the foregoing was not suf-
ficient to decrease rather than in
crease college spirit the appointment
of four new trustees by the Governor,
the statement that the University
SHOULD start it's career unhampered
by any traditions of the past
shows such a complete lack of the
qualities that uDderly college spirit
that the announcements on this
subject have almost equal weight
with the profound requirements of
education suggested above. The
proposed treatment of the Trustees
would be a subtle way of handing
over to Governor Baxter the control
of the Board and from this it is easy
to see who he considers to be the
persons. or perhaps better person,
who have "at heart it's future well
fare"
, To follow his financial suggestions
would mean disaster to the Univer-
sity. To follow his administrative
suggestions would mean decrease
rather than increase of interest on
the part of the alumni, and to follow
his educational suggestions, including
the limitations of the number of stu
dents, would make the University of
Maine and the State of Maine
marked and laughing stock to any,
one who took the trouble to consider
its situation. l know of no better
document than the Governors mes
sage which follows. as he says his
most earnest and careful considera-
ton of tie situation to bring out the
need for those of us whose efforts
are being given to the safeguarding
OF the interests of the boys and girls
Of the State of Maine to take up as
we have and to hold to even in the
face of pressure course which we
know will give the boys and girls
what they as future citizens of the
State deserve.