Show The University and the Legislature T THE TAHE HE people pe of Utah are accustomed to take great pride in their educational educational educational system and justly too as in theory there are few better systems while in practice Utah surpasses some older States in educational matters There are a good many crudities still however and it is manifestly impossible that in a pioneer State the standard of off f learning can rank with that of States whose schools and colleges have been established for two centuries The f principal educators in Utah are devoting all their energies to the improvement of schools It is clear that if any advancement advancement advance advance- I f ment is made it must be directly by bythe bythe r the improving of the teachers and indirectly indirectly indirectly in in- directly through the schools where teachers are fitted The University is the only public institution in the State for the training of the teachers and a avery avery avery very great number of Utah educators are numbered among its Normal grad graduates ates Of course there are private institutions in the State where teachers are trained but as these are primarily founded for sectarian purposes they can never attain the popularity of the University The University proper is the only public in institution institution institution in- in in this mountain region where a c college education can be obtained This year for the first time the courses here were put on the same plane with those of Eastern colleges Considering the limited resources at their disposal the Faculty have done remarkably go good d dwork work for the past two years but they need something more tangible than hope with which to carry carryon ou on their work and if the present legislators truly have the educational interests of the State at heart they will get it Two years ago the outlook was very dark for the Unive University sity and at one onetime onetime onetime time it was even whispered that its doors would be closed but by the strictest strictest strictest strict strict- est economy the work was carried on and the present year finds the doors still open the coffers empty and a small deficit of sixteen thousand dollars Economy may be wealth but Utah will never greatly prosper intellectually at least by starving her most creditable educational institution and leaving her children to grow up ignoramuses Two years ago the salaries of the professors were were reduced d the force of instructors was cut down since then and no new apparatus or books though greatly needed have been bought Each professor has since that time almost without exception been doing the work of two men Such a state of affairs existing it is obviously impossible impossible impo sible that the work of instruction should be carried on as successfully as it might particularly as as' the number of students wi is continually increasing The work in inthe inthe inthe the advanced College courses has not suffered so much as that in the Preparatory Preparatory Preparatory atory and Normal Schools since by far the he greater number of students are included included included in in- in the latter But as it is the Normal students who are in the majority majority majority major major- ity and they are the ones who swell the lists of teachers the work done among them should be done very thoroughly No professor should have more than one of those immense classes comprising from om one to two hundred students but as s a matter of fact some of them have two or three Every thoughtful person will admit that this state of affairs should hould be remedied and the CHRONICLE trusts that all will join in urging this Legislature to be more just than its pre pre- 14 t Whatever impairs the work of the U University or tends to prevent it from doing the work it might do can cannot cannot ot but injure the public schools Governor Wells seems to have realized realized realized real real- this and knows what disadvantages the University and through it the public schools have been put to by a lack of funds In his message to the Legislature Legislature Legislature Legis Legis- lature he has stated the position of the University clearly and forcibly and has urged the appropriation of funds which will at at- least enable it to exist Whether the Legislature will see fit to act upon the Governors Governor's suggestion remains to be seen The amount appropriated by the thelast thelast thelast last Legislature fell lamentably short of what had been justly expected so that now an additional appropriation must be made to cover the debt incurred since then The suggestion that a permanent special tax be levied for forr the support of the University seems to be an excellent one for unless some such permanent provision is made it will be impossible to do justice to the work of the tion If the appropriation recommended by the Governor be made even then the thel needs of the University can only partially partially partially par par- 1 be supplied but the fact is recognized recognized that the State is unable to do more at present 1 In relation to the land on the Fort Douglas reservation the Governor though regretting the fact that he could not urge an appropriation for building on the new site still thought a small sum might be granted for the purpose of planting trees He also expressed the hope that during the next two years a rise in the value of real estate would make it expedient for the present site to tobe tobe tobe be sold and the proceeds devoted to erecting new buildings on the reser reser- Both of these suggestions are founded on an interest in the welfare of the University and the CHRONICLE heartily endorses the Governors Governor's opinion It would certainly be a disgrace to the State if her chief institution of learning were forced to forfeit t the e land grant |