The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-10-30

are SpmlnB rum sSnOols ahu NOi-
leges as to what their financial poll
cy should be during the war. AS to
curriculum, this may be out OF my
line. although Mrs. Babson and |
are largely responsible for Babson
Institute and Weber College. Both
will continue operating and should
be crowded with students when the
war is over. Like other patriotic
schools, we expect much smaller
than normal attendance during the
war. As to financial policies, how
ever. am qualified TO SPEAK.
Patriotic Demands
These comments. therefore. are
| directed 10 parents. TO boards of
incorporators. boards OF trustees
and the faculties OF educational IN
situations. especially those exempt
from taxation. These have an extra
obligation to our country TO which
/ they pay no taxes, and particularly
| TO their local communities which
do not even tax their real estate.
This puts educational institutions
in an entirely different class from
commercial. industrial and other
business corporations. Colleges.
therefore, should forget themselves
entirely. After carrying out con
tracts with present students they
should put the good of the country
rst-certainly before their facul-
/ ties and other employees.
During the recent business de
| preston IL was up to all such insti-
tuitons. especially those taX-exempt.
to do what they could TO prevent
unemployment and to keep facul-
ties and others employed. Today the
situation is very different Most
men and women now working for
educational institutions are needed
in war work and we should endeay-
or 10 get on without them wherever
possible. The United Nations must
win this war or all Of our education
al institutions. as We now know
them. will go out of existence. Ger
tainly, endowment funds would be
wiped out. To try to maintain the
present curriculum and staffs is, In
my humble opinion, unpatriotic. un-
| patriotic. unbusinesslike and unfair
to the students This is especially
true now that the 1S-yearolds are
to be drafted.
What About Women's colleqes7
Temporarily, women's colleges
have an advantage. The draft Law
does not yet effect women. On the
other hand, all those concerned
should see what is happening to
women's colleges in Germany. Italy.
Japan, and the occupied nations.
Even in England their curriculum
has been entirely changed with
great stress upon vocational work.
Colleges are justified in training
women to become expert stenog-
raphers and typists, accurate &C
countants and machine workers. To
ask girls, however. TO continue col
lege during the remainder of this
war under the cultural college pro-
gram is, to my mind, absolutely
wicked.
Naturally. the officers and de-
! partment heads Of many institutions
are loathe to make such changes.
Such men and women are naturally
| conservative and are often the last
TO recognize the serious conditions
that this country faces. Hence, it is
especially important that the trus-
tees should take a hand at this
critical moment Trustees as a rule
are good-natured. intelligent gen
tlemen who usually. and rightly so,
let the president run the institution,
being content TO back him up and
collect their fees. Such a policy Is
alright in ordinary times, but these
are extraordinary times. Today trus.
tees should assert their power IN
case the president and faculty do
not cooperate 100 per cent in the
necessary readjustment
What About Endowment Funds7
College finance committees should
seek Investigation under normal
conditions. Furthermore. as bonds
become due. colleges may be justi-
fled now in reinvesting a certain
proportion OF the money in corpora
ton bonds OF similar character IN
order to enjoy proper divirsifica-
ton. Certainly, any surplus income
from endowment or other funds
should be invested only In govern
ment bonds, preferably the so-called
Series G." Furthermore, an effort
should be made to reduce expenses
so as to buy more government
bonds. Certainly, income from en-
dowment funds should not now be
used to pay faculty members and
other employees who are needed In
war work. This applies especially
10 the Unnecessary overhead with
which so many educational institu-