Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-28

sess intelligence sufficient to justify
this plea that | am making for it's
further development, they are con-
sciOus of the relative position which
they occupy in the eyes of the State
and the comparison is not flattering
to them.
In reply therefore to the question
often repeated by those who unwill-
ingly assume any financial burden
as to where the money for the Uni
versity appropriation is to be found
the students. faculty and friends of
the University and of higher educa-
ton in the State of Maine have the
right to ask in return where does the
money come from to take care of de-
pendents. to pay a soldiers bonus, to
build roads? The State of Maine is not
so nearly bankrupt that it cannot at
ford to give adequate educational
facilities to it's boys and girls. and
its weak, sick. insane. and criminally
inclined are absorbing so much of it's
resources that unless it does give
these educational facilities as we'll it
will go into bankruptcy of person.
mel which is far worse than q bank
ruptcy of dollars and cents.
III. The Relation of the Budget to
that of Other States.
There has for some time pact been
o &C interest in the state in
schools and those of outside States.
and it may be of interest to see how
the state of Maine ranks as regards
her support of her State University.
In order to avoid the criticism that
larger and richer states than Maine
have been picked for comparison.
have gone to the opposite extreme
and have considered nine States
smaller in population and with less
net revenue as shown by the report
of the L. s. Commission of Internal
Revenue for 1921, than the State of
Maine. These states. gave in the
year 1872 % an average of about IS
cents per capita o their state colleges
or Universities. The State of Maine
gave 30 cents. and stands really
without competitors at the extreme
bottom of the list. Now in a con-
ference last year. your Governor re-
marked, when [ showed a chart Of
figures somewhat similar to the
above. that comparisons with other
states did not interest him--but they
do interest me and | nope that they
VIII interest at least some of YOU
When state is leader in this field
OF Education then il can afford to be
unintereSted in the problems of others
ii it so desires-althouGh l doubt the
Wisdom of self Sufficiency even then
but when it is the trailer-the rear
guard 50 to speak--its lack of inter-
est in the records of other states is
either a joke or n tragedy. I can
not conceive of working hard to ad-
vertiSe the State of Maine until it
has at least exceeded the average
performance of nine smaller and
poorer states in the matter of it's
State IniverSity-the University of
moro than n thousand of it's boys and
girls at the present moment
". The Relation of Present Re
solve to other Matters of HIGHER
Education in Maine
There are certain other matters
involving higher education in the
state of Maine which may pronerlv
be considered at this time. These
are the budgets for Agricultural Ex-
tension work. the Maine Agricultural
Experiment Station and Public In
struction in Forestry. They are at
present entirely separate items from
the University budget covered by
this resolve. They total respectively
$4,000. S56506 and 100000 for the
next two wear period-o grand total
of S1s3,10n. The question naturally
arises as to whether saving can be
made if these items are in some sat
isfactory way combined with the
University budget. The answer is
that no snch saving can he made un-
less program of considerably long
er than a two year period is agreed
upon.
If, however. as an alternative to
the present resolve an agreement
covering ten years can be reached
there can he saving made tn the
State of approximately S1t4.000
year as follows:
Let us first consider estimated fig
nres under the following headings
,ased on biennial appropriations for
the next ten years.
fA) University Of Moine $6o5. non M
tP) Experiment Station 80 000 M
(Cl Forestry $4,000 On
Cd Agricultural Extension As.aon 90
(E) Deficit 2S.5OO. 90
Total $S1G,SO0. 90
If. however 1t was possible to plan
ahead for. let US say, ten year