Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-12-17
The State and
Higher Education
Continued from Page ~


community only about IS years re
moved from the Red Indian. higheI
education should have achieved sucl
vogue in the middle west that ou
University is abreast of institutions
in the east which had a start of TIVE
centuries.
Good for State.
We have given some consideration
to what the State of Minnesota ha:
done and is doing for the University
Now let us turn the picture arount
and note some things that the Univer
sity has done and is doing for the
state.
In the first place our University
has made it possible for the young
people to secure a higher education
for much less than it would cost them
or their parents in the endowed col
leges or universities of the East. The
difference in tuition alone between
the large universities of the two Sec
lions of the nation runs from SIPS
to 5000 per year. Add to this the
costs of transportation and the higher
cl argos for Living in the East and
one begins to appreciate what con-
tributiOn the University makes to cltl-
zens of Minnesota, to parents and
teachers, by it's standing offer OF
higher education at lower rates than
can be secured elsewhere. Moreover
this offer is not a matter OF one year
or of two, but of generations.
An endowed university owes a debt
of gratitude to it's benefactOrs. A
state university is conscious of obi
CATION to the commonwealth. AS a
result, our middle western universe
ties have extended their campuses and
their services to the very boundaries
of the state.
All the year around the University
has experts in many fields within its
employ There are many, many times
when farmers, hcrticulturists, daily
men, poultry raisers, builders and
many other citizens wish to confer
with these experts. The specialists
are efficient and generous in their
services.
Even our legislators lean upon the
University specialists in such matters
as conservation, refOrestation, crop
rotation, penology, taxation, and many
others. If we have made any pro-
gress in municipal affairs, in prob
lens of taxation in separating local
and state revenue. in regarding fran
chises as valuable property, in dis
tinguishing between private business
and business charged with public
nature, in the administration of char
ity and relief, in the treatment of
abnormality and crime and in myriad
other problems and interests, it is
largely because of the specialized
knowledge and generous service of the
great staff of this University. Such
services cannot be measured by yard
sticks nor weighed in balance, but
they are invaluable to citizens of the
state and to future generations.
Mass Education.
/ would like to bring before you
one or two thoughts which have much
impressed me the last few years. We
have reached the stage of mass edu-
cation. While this fact brings new
opportunities to the masses, it also
brings up new and perplexing prob
lens. Mass education costs the state
a great deal of money. 1t puts a ire
mendous strain upon educators and
upon the educational plant. There is
in mass education the danger of con-
gestion, RECOMMENDATION and super
ficiality.
Unfortunately some students come
to the University just because it is the
conventional thing to do. To them
the University is a delightful place
to spend four years and it might be
still more delightful if it were not
for the professors.
Up to a certain point education is
a necessity for the individual and for
the safety of society. Beyond GER
tain point, however, education be-
comes a privilege. It's expense comes
out of the common store of wealth
which all create. 1t is not we'll, l
believe, to make precious things too
cheap, to cast pearls before swine,
as the Scripture says.
Some day, in the near future,
hope, the state will do even better
than to give every one who wishes it,
a college education. 1t will seek to
give this privilege to every youth who
deserves it. No mark of class or
creed or poverty shall be allowed to
stand in the way of the promising
student. If the parents of the deserv-
ing youth are able to cooperate and
bear, or share, the extra expense, let
them do So If they are unable to
do anything, the state nevertheless
cannot afford to let real ability &C
to waste. Democracy needs leader
ship of every kind and where stall II
better look for leadership than to oul
universities?
The leaders who come from our uni