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

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sugar Coated or Unco0fed NS8
OterSO Vars tie Shahrd W
stated that II the Governor raises his
hand in warning and the money Is not
forthcoming. the appropriation will be
carried over his veto. and falling In
this, several. If not all, Of the Board
Of Trustees Will resign. These figures
and this situation require no comment.
State Aid Comparisons
For purpose Of comparison call
your attention to the fact that for the
fiscal year Of 1923 the State appropriate
ed for IS private hospitals and I other
charitable institutions the sum Of $751;
10000. and for the "a private academ-
les the sum of $54,260.00; a total Of
s237.750o0. These u institutions COM
bined received less than what was
given to the University in 1922. the
latter amount having been $2S0,95I5S.
The Budget. Committee of 1921 rec
commended a total appropriation of
$55S,257.00 for the University for the
two fiscal years of 1922 and 1928. while
the Budget Committee Of 1923 recon-
mended s701.67s.00 or 1910 increase
for the fiscal years 1924 and 1925.
The State always has been liberal to
this institution. In 1902 1t gave it
$4,000: in 1912. $4,000; in 1922,
S2S0.957.57: while in 1925, $693, 506.27
is demanded. This latter figure repre-
sents an increase in one year OF 246 &c.
The total amount the State has given
to the University is $3,233,014. These
millions represent the States invest
ment in higher education and that in
vestment must be conserved. I give
these figures to offset the charges that
the State has been parsimonious in its
support of the University.
Limit Number Of Students
It probably will be generally ad-
mitted that the State never can af-
ford. and some will hold that it
would not be desirable, to provide
college education for every boy and
girl in the State. How many young
people in Maine need a college educa-
ton is problematical, but how many
the State can afford to educate is not
problematical. Apart from these
questions however believe that
taking conditions as they exist, the
State without unduly burdening itself
can maintain well-equipped. high
grade University of from 900 to 1000
students and that such an institution
would be a credit to the State. Be-
yond this point the State at present
should not go. This can be brought
about in one of two ways: either
this Legislature can establish 1000
students as a maximum for the Uni
versity or the scholarship require
ments can be raised to accomplish
the desired results. Such action
would meet with the general approval
of thoughtful citizens. You and
face a very practical problem. Tn
less this, or some succeeding LegiS-
lature or the Board of Trustees have
the foresight and courage to take the
initiative. I predict that within five
years the University of Maine will
number at least 1000 students. Con-
ditions then would become even more
unbearable than they are at present.
Expansion Program
The program laid out by the presi-
dent and trustees and submitted to
this Legislature is one Of expansion.
The expenses of the University have
increased rapidly. One item, that Of
salaries. shows an increase for 1923
over 1922 of S32,610.0O. The teaching
forces are constantly increasing, "a
new teachers being called for in the
University's latest Budget estimates.
The payroll of last September shows
the employment of 80 persons in the
Administration Department. SO in the
College Of Arts and Sciences, q in
the College of Agriculture. 81 in that
Of Technology, so in the Experiment
Station, as in the Extension Service
and 1S6 others on the regular weekly
payroll. These make q total of 424
persons receiving salaries at this in
stitution. This gives some idea Of
the University's present obligations.
If conditions are allowed to continue
on their present course, unchecked,
the University Of Maine will soon be-
come a burden too heavy for the tax
payers to bear.
1t is apparent that those who in the
past have had charge Of the Univer-
sity have sought to initiate the great
western states. This accounts for it's
having lived beyond it's means. AS
the president of the University
frankly stated at the conference al
ready referred to, the institution I'M
der his charge is approximately but
500 efficient. I maintain that such a
state Of affairs is deplorable and be-
fore l retire from the office of Gov
ernor l hope the University of Maine
will be placed on a secure foundation,
with the number of it's students
limited, all Of them well housed and
we'll taught and with every branch of
it's activities working well within a
comfortable margin Of safety. Today
this institution is an overSrown
school. improperly nourished. with
both it's teaching force and it's stu
dent body working under difficulties.
Its trustees and friends feel under
pressure to plan in every way to OBJ
tain increasingly large sums Of
money from the State Treasury, and
in doing this they often have felt
obliged to resort to political influ-
ences in order to keep the Univer-
sitys head above water.
Bates, Bowdoin and Colby
Bates College, with it's tuition of
$4,000 expends $4,000 year to
educate each student. 1t has 9 adj
ministrative officers and 80 in
structors and teachers, and an en-
rollment of 5S7 students. Bowdoin
with the same tuition has 81 officers