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Show REFERENDUM OF SENATE BILL 39 PROPOSED BALLOT TITLE IN REFERENDUM OF SENATE BILL 39 (CHAPTER 24, LAWS OF UTAH, FIRST SPECIAL SESSION) An Act providing that Dixie, Snow, and Weber Junior Colleges be discontinued as state maintained schools, and for transfer by the Board of Examiners of all property comprising said colleges to a transferee on condition tha said transferee operate them as colleges. If they fail to be operated as colleges, then all said property shall revert to the state. If such transfer is of doubtful constitutionality or held unconstitutional, the Board of Examiners shall sell the properties to the same transferee fur such consideration as it deems proper considering the savin to the state in being relieved of their operation. The voters, in the highest tradition tradi-tion of self-government, will make an important choke in November whether to return Weber, Snow and Dixie Junior Colleges to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Latter-Day Saints, or to leave the burden of operating the.se colleges on the taxpayers. This .statement represents the view of a non-partisan group, some Republicans, some Democrats, Demo-crats, some Mormons, some non-Mormons, non-Mormons, all of whom believe the cause of education will be best served by voting for the transfer. HISTORICAL RACKGROU N D OK THE ISSUE These colleges are historically Church institutions. Snow College was founded by the Church in 1KSS, Weber College in 1889, and Dixie College in 1910. Snow and Weber were operated by the Church for over 40 years, Dixie for over -JO years. In the early 1930's the Church voluntarily deeded the property and buildings owned by these colleges to the State on condition con-dition that, if the State ever ceased ceas-ed to operate them as junior colleges, col-leges, they, would revert to the Church. In 1950, faced with a State financial fin-ancial crisis, the Governor asked the First Presidency what the Church would do should the State no longer operate these colleges, the First Presidency replied that under the conditions of the deeds, they would revert to and be operated oper-ated by the Church. The Governor then recommended they be discontinued discon-tinued as State institutions. Four years later, the Legislature in a Special Session approved the Governor's Gov-ernor's recommendation. In this historical setting, their proposed transfer would merely be to their original founder, which has always served the cause of education well. SAVING TO TAXPAYERS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WITHOUT WITH-OUT ADDITIONAL COST TO INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH lhe transfer of these colleges will save taxpayers millions of dollars. dol-lars. Their operation already costs the State approximately one mil-lione mil-lione dollars annually, which, with normal growth, could be increased twofold, and require additional millions for capital improvements. These millions are badly needed for other educational expenses. Every Ev-ery school district is struggling with its budget. Many have been unable to raise teachers' salaries. Almost all are behind in school-, school-, building programs. Every elemen-' elemen-' tary school in Granite District, for example, is operating on a two-shifts-a-day basis. The superintendent superinten-dent advises he sees no end to this unfortunate condition for at least 10 years. With elementary and high school enrollment expected to almost double dou-ble within the next decade so that the need for additional funds will be desperate, and taxes already near the breaking point, the question ques-tion is whether the State can afford af-ford to spend one to two million dollars annually operating these colleges which couU' be operated equally as well, if not better, without with-out cost to the State. This question is sharpened by fact that their transfer will impose im-pose no additional burden upon tax-paying members of the L. D. S. Church. That is because tithing, unlike State taxes, is voluntary and represents only 10 of one's income. Consequently the Church use of tithing for the operation of junior colleges, rather than for other purposes, will impose no additional ad-ditional burden on any member. This is in contrast to power of the State to impose and collect more and more taxes without any 10ro limitation. Further, the Church's ability to finance these colleges is resolved by the statement of the First Presidency to the Governor that they will "be pleased to have Weber, Web-er, Snow and Dixie Colleges returned re-turned to the Church, which is in a position to operate them in a first-class manner, scholastically and otherwise." Indeed, we are advised ad-vised that should the Church operate op-erate these colleges, the percentage percent-age of its annual income which it will spend on education will not be more than it has often spent in the past. THE TRANSFER WILL GIVE UTAH A BETTER BALANCED EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF HIGHER LEARNING Utahns often fail to remember that historically the very heart of higher education in America has been the private and the church college. We forget that such grit institutions as Stanford, Harvard, and Yi.le, were founded for religious reli-gious purposes. Many are unaware that in 1950 thvre were at least 612 church-related colleges and universities in the U. S. Roman Catholic 23G; Methodist 89; l'rcs- FOR bytertan f4; Southtrn P.aptist 47; Baptist 39; Lutheran 37 Protestant Protes-tant Episcopal 1G; Disciples of Christ 15; Seventh Day Adventists 12; Society of Friends 11; and Evangelical Ev-angelical Lutheran 10, and many others. In 1949-50 there were 1210 privately pri-vately controlled colleges and universities, uni-versities, as compared with only G41 publicly controlled a ratio of two private institutions to one public. Massachusetts, always recognized re-cognized as a grea seat of American Ameri-can education, has 25 private colleges col-leges and universities compared to 9 public. New York has 49 private pri-vate colleges ana universities and 7 public. In contrast, Utah has only 3 private colleges and universities univer-sities (B. Y. U., Westminster, and St. Mary's nf the Wasatch) as compared with 7 public (University (Univer-sity of Utah, Utah State Agiicul- i tural College, College of Southern Utah, Weber, Dixie. Snow and Carbon Junior Colleges). Further these three private institutions have an enrollment of less than 4,000 regular in-state day-time students, stu-dents, as compared with approximately approxi-mately 11,000 regular in-state daytime day-time students at the seven tax-supported tax-supported institutions. Compared with the national ratio this is a serious imbalance. Should the voters approve the transfer, the private institutions, which would then number six, would still have less than 0,000 day-time in-state students, whereas where-as the remaining tax-supported institutions in-stitutions would still have more than 9,000 day-time in-state students. stu-dents. But Utah would have a better bet-ter balance than now exists between be-tween private and public institutions institu-tions of higher learning. Should it be objected that the L. D. S. Church would have control con-trol of four of the six non-tax-supported institutions, the answer is that the Mormon population of Utah is 74 of the total. NO STATE RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE THESE JUNIOR COLLEGES The State of Utah has properly assumed the responsibility of providing pro-viding tax-supported elementary and secondary schools close to the homes of your young boys and girls. But it has never assumed nor can it be expected to assume the responsibility respon-sibility of placing tax-supported colleges or universities in the backyard back-yard of every able-bodied college man and woman. There are 10 cities cit-ies in Utah having a population larger than either Ephraim, where Snow College is located, or St. George, where Dixie College is located. lo-cated. At the present time Utah and Louisiana are the only states which entirely support junior colleges col-leges out of state taxes. Weber College lies midway between the two largest tax-supported schools in the State and less than 50 miles from either certainly not a prohibitive pro-hibitive distance to expect a mature ma-ture student to go for higher education. edu-cation. And again let it be emphasized empha-sized that the transfer of these schools to Church operation would not mean their loss to the public. ADEQUACY OF REMAINING PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS Neither would the proposed transfer trans-fer cripple our program of public higher education. Even in the impossible im-possible event that every student now in the three junior colleges were to leave and enroll in a public institution (U. of U.,-U. U.,-U. S. A. C, or the College of Southern South-ern Utah) their number would not push total enrollment at these institutions in-stitutions ar high as it actually was after World War II. Then, these three colleges together enrolled en-rolled approximately 15,500 regular day-time students. Last year they had a combined enrollment of only approximately 1 1 ,0 0 0 day-time students. On that basis, they could accomodate another 4,500 day-time students. The figure is nearly two and one-half times the total regular full-time day-time enrollment last year of the three junior colleges in question. Furthermore, they could easily be enlarged to handle many more students, if necessary. To do so would be much less expensive than providing separate campuses, buildings, build-ings, and faculties for small student stu-dent bodies. GREATER SPIRITUAL EMPHASIS The re-establishment of Church administration would mean, of course, a greater emphasis on the spiritual side of education. Regardless Re-gardless of religious denomination, this is a vital need in education and is a modern trend we have Watched with approval. In a world threatened by godless Communism, courses emphasizing the Christian concept of the dignity and primacy of the individual as opposed to the supremacj of the state are indispensable indis-pensable to the proper training of college students. This was emphasized empha-sized by D -. M. E. Sadler, Presi- dent of Texas Christian University, in his address at President of the Associatioi. of American Colleges: "As 1 see it, the full solution of this problem I of higher education! edu-cation! involves a complete conversion, con-version, a new direction, a return re-turn to vital religion as the focal center of ALL sound education. It will not suffice to have re ligion merely as one stone in the total educational building. It must be the over-reaching beam, the focalizing center, the permeating per-meating spirit, the uniting force which gives meaning and significance signi-ficance to all subjects and ALL courses. If God is the ultimate and controlling realitv of life. learning is obviously inadequate unless it does confess Him as its Foundation." As we set it, this spiritual training train-ing is desirable for all students, and it has been the policy of that Church to admit to its institutions of higher learning members of all religious faiths. FACULTY. STUDENT RODY, and CURRICULUM POLICIES The transfer will also assure a high-class faculty, probably un enlarged student body, and an enriched en-riched curriculm. The First Presidency has announced an-nounced its intention, if the transfer trans-fer is approved, to operate these colleges "with a well qualified faculty competent to meet educational educa-tional needs of their respective communities." This is significant to those who remember that Weber College, for example, when operated opera-ted as a Church school, had at its head President David O. McKay and on its faculty such distinguished distin-guished educators as Ernest L. Wilkinson, now President of Brig-ham Brig-ham Young University and Administrator Ad-ministrator of the entire L.D.S. Church School System; Dr. Henry Aldous Dixon, now President of Utah State Agricultural College; Dr. Leroy Cowles. former President of the University of Utah; Dr. A. L. Winsor, now Director of Edu- t y. hi,. . i cation at. torneii university, and dozens of other men and women who have been recognized by other educational institutions for their educational contributions. Dixie and Snow as Church colleges also numbered on their faculties men who have attained high standing in education elsewhere. Also, it is not unlikely that Church operation of the colleges, which now draw almost all their students from their respective communities, com-munities, will result in a more diversified and enlarged student body. The Church is a world-wide institution and has student drawing power not possessed by the State, as is evidenced by the fact the B.Y.U draws over 50 of its students stu-dents from outside Utah. FAIRNESS AND CONSTITUTIONALITY It should finally be emphasized that the return of the junior colleges col-leges will in no sense be a gift of any property to the Church. As to lands which the Church conveyed to the State and for which the State paid nothing, they will, of course, revert to the Church as a matter of law, without any payment therefor. That is only proper. "As to lands which have been acquired and buildings built at the expense of the taxpayers of Utah since the three colleges were conveyed to the State", the First Presidency has given the assurance that "the Church is will, ing to pay whatever price is fair and equitable." This magnanimous position removes any charge of unfairness un-fairness and eliminates any question ques-tion of constitutionality. In any event, the constitutional question properly rests with the courts and need not concern the voters. CONSIDERED DECISION The decision to be made is not a sudden one. It wai proposed to the Legislature four years ago and has been the subject of discussion dis-cussion frequently since then. It has now been before the people for over 8 months. It is a decision we can make with full confidence that the future of all education in Utah, elementary, elemen-tary, secondary, and higher, will be brighter when the transfer is made. I, LAMONT F. TORONTO, Secretary Sec-retary of State of the State of Utah, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THAT the foregoing is a full, correct cor-rect and true copy of the argument for transfer of Weber, Snow and Dixie Junior Colleges, as filed by the Committee For The Return of Junior Colleges, IN WITNESS WHEREOF, 1 have hereunto set my hand and affixed the great seal of the sta'e of Utah at Salt Lake City. t!iii-8t.li t!iii-8t.li day of September, 1 951. LA Mn NT F. TORONTO Secretary of State (SEAL) People should vote AGAINST abandoning Weber, Snow and Dixie junior colleges and transfering them to the LDS Church. The entire subject should be referred re-ferred back to the legislature so that there may be made a complete study to lay a good foundation for meeting a much larger problem in higher education which will confront con-front the state and its people within the next several years. HASTY, ILL CONSIDERED ACTION T'ie action taken separating these schools from the public college col-lege plant was done hastily and ,..,.i,,,.,f .,., ..... ,t ti,, DUIIl'Uk tlilj 1. UllJIUH 1. HUH V L ,111. educational needs of the state. Yet within the next several years Utah will face the problem of increased output from its high schools as a result of the war and post-war increase in birth rate. Within fourteen years this will amount to 178 percent of the present pre-sent number in the state as a whole and in the Weber College area there will be two for every one now moving out of high school into college. By all accepted tests these youth will require education beyond the high school level. These facts raise many questions as to how they can be provided for, not the least of which are costs and ability oi the state to pay, the types of schools to be provided, the number and quality of the teaching staff and the total equipment needed to turn our youth out from school fitted for vocational vocation-al employment and for successful living in our complex society. No one has given any answers to these questions. The entire subject sub-ject of closing out these colleges as part of our public plant was decided in less than two hours at a secret caucus. It was a Pearl Harbor type of attack made without with-out any advance warning. No chance was given for the people to be heard, no thought given to whether these very schools would be required to met our present and future needs for education. MORE STUDY NEEDED. This entire question should be given the most serious study by a properly constituted commission in order that some blue prints may be drawn to handle the educational problem. Until such plans are made it is a very dangerous step to propose that the state cut up and get rid of so large a part of its college system. These junior colleges with their emphasis on vocational courses short of four years of study, may well become the keystone of the plant the state will require to meet larger enrollment. The Commission on Higher Education appointed by the President of the United States made a report in 1947 in which it held that the junior colleges, or community colleges or vocational schools, by whatever name they may be called, offer the most promising pro-mising means of meeting the postwar post-war surge for expansion of college education. EDUCATION A PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY The principle that education is a state function operated by the people and for all the people regardless re-gardless of race or creed is deeply imbedded in our American traditions. tradi-tions. Our pioneer forbearers and the great leaders of the L. 1). S. Church who foundet' our Utah commonwealth com-monwealth wrote into the state constitution a requirement that education ed-ucation must be an obligation of the state, free from sectarian control con-trol or domination. This tradition, this constitutional mandate should not be so lightly handled that it can be thrown aside after only two hours deliberation by a small group of people. The twenty-odd years of money, labor and planning which went into the building of these colleges as part of our public-schools public-schools justifies more serious study. Utah needs no such dictatorial methods to deal with is educational system. The people are entitled to some voice in dealing with their public affairs. JUNIOR COLLEGES ECONOMICALLY SOUND What has happened to our state finances? The state found the means of supporting and building these schools during all the depression depres-sion years. Now with the income of our people eight times as great must we cry proverty and bankruptcy bank-ruptcy and close out these colleges col-leges ? In Utah we spent 50 times as much for alcoholic beverages and tobacco in 1952 as was spent by the state for operating the four junior colleges. For maintaining the state prison, juvenile courts, reformatories reforma-tories and correctional institutious, AGAINST old age assistance and other forms of relief and social security, the state spent more than 20 times w-hat it spent for these four junior colleges in the same year. For highways the state spends ten to fifteen times as much annually as it does to operate these schools. Surveys consistently have shown that the per capita cost to the state at Weber College are the lowest of any colleges operated by the state and all costs of operating these junior colleges are not out of line when measured by student output with the senior colleges or with colleges of other states. The Utah Foundation in a recent report showed that in 1950 state and local support cost only $280 per student for higher education in Utah whereas where-as the national average was $437. Utah's costs for higher education are not burdensome. Through education edu-cation we increase the income of our people, supply help for our growing industry which calls for greater mastery of tools and skills in its manpower. Through education educa-tion we build manhood and womanhood woman-hood as our first and major line of defense against revolutionary and destructive ideology, reactionary reaction-ary isms and world conflicts which threaten to destroy our American way of life. Our public school system sys-tem has made the greatest of contributions con-tributions to the success of our people, peo-ple, to the building of America and the continuation of our way of life. Education is the producer and not the consumer of wealth. JUNIOR COLLEGES ARE CULTURAL CENTERS These junior colleges have become be-come cultural centers of large areas and big segments of our population. pop-ulation. Weber College serves an area of more than 124,000 or approximately ap-proximately 16 percent of the state. Of these more than 50,000 are not members of the L. D. S. Church. In the 1952-53 school year this college enrolled 4,797 people in its various courses of whom more than 2,700 were in evening 1 .J 11 1 mn liaises unu mure man i,uuu were full time day students. Its contributions contri-butions to the educational advancement advance-ment and the enjoyment of a richer life extended to more unnumbered thousands through Weber, Morgan, I)avi3 and Box Elder Counties through community concerts, lectures, lec-tures, community theatres, choir, band and orchestral groups. The educational and cultural level of whole communities has been lifted. JUNIOR COLLEGES ARE VOCATIONAL CENTERS The junior colleges have grown into centers for training of both youth and adult in vocational education. edu-cation. State funds are used to support vocational schools at Provo and Salt Lake. What those schools are to their areas, Weber College is to its area and to some extent Dixie and Snow are to the regions they serve. Here the great emphasis empha-sis is on training for employment in those jobs, those industries which are established in the communities. com-munities. During the war Weber College trained thousands of people in special skills for jobs at. the war plants in the Ogden area. It made a big contribution to the war effort as well as to the vocational advancement ad-vancement of the people. For many years it has conducted special courses for on-the-job training train-ing in industries. The farmer has his college at the agriculture college, the business and professional man has his college col-lege at the university. The college of the laboring man, the skilled artisan or tradesman is in the junior colleges and in the vocational voca-tional schools. JUNIOR COLLEGES REDUCE BARRIERS TO EDUCATION Without increasing the costs to the state, these junior colleges make it possible to avoid heavy financial penalties which would be imposed on parents in sending children chil-dren away to school and they bring two years of college and complete vocational courses within the reach of thousands w ho would not otherwise other-wise be able to afford this education. educa-tion. Surveys shov that nearly one-third one-third more high school graduates attend colleges in those communities communi-ties where colleges are located and the difference is largely accounted for among those in poore. families. Under state control, these colleges can have no barriers against any race, sect or creed but are held open to all. JUNIOR COLLEGE TRANSFER UNFAIR TO LDS CHURCH If these colleges were to be maintained main-tained to present standards under control of the LDS Church, then any transfer of them would merely transfer the costs from all taxable property and income to orly those people who are tithe-paying members mem-bers of the church. Business and industry, utilities, mines, privately owned corporations and all the property owned by them would escape paying any part of their support under such a transfer. As all people benefit from education, educa-tion, so all should help pay the costs. As all business and industry benefits from the higher skills and advances in technology produced by education, so all business and industry indus-try should help pay the costs. It is neither fair nor just that the state should pass these costs on to the more limited ability of the LDS rw n T" I -it nur nil fVii tt?t a P (Vina junior colleges while the larger part of taxable wealth escapes. TRANSFER UNFAIR TO NON-LDS FEOPLE There can be no question but that the LDS Church would maintain main-tain a high standard of education in these schools if transferred to them. But it is unfair to the more than 50,000 non-LDS people livinjr in the Weber college area to force them to send their children to an LDS operated school, or pay the heavy financial penalties in sending send-ing their children away to school, or have their children do without1 an education. It would be equally unfair to expect that our LDSj people would receive kindly such an enforced choice were these schools to be' operated by the Catholic Church or some other religious denomination. ONE PACKAGE DEAL UNFAIR Lumping the three junior colleges col-leges of Weber, Snow and Dixie into one lot to be transferred to the LDS Church is unwise and unfair. un-fair. Either all three must be abandoned by the state and transferred trans-ferred or none. There may be good and sufficient reason why one or more of these schools should be turned over by the state but there is no possibility for each school to CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION Grave doubts have been raised by competent legal authority whether the law is constitutional on the grounds that the transfer given preference to one particular religious body. If a majority of the voters next November fail to vote AGAINST the law. the act will probably be teBted in the courts. Pending the outcome of that test, serious damage would be done to these colleges caused by them being left in uncertain status with neither the state nor the church finally in control. REFER SUBJECT BACK FOR STUDY In the twenty-odd years these schools have been supported by the state, they have grown to become be-come an accepted part of our public pub-lic Bchool system. They have grown to become the heart centers of the areas they serve providing education educa-tion and culture which have lifted the levels of large segments of our people. Utah is emerging into an industrial indus-trial state with new industries locating here, each industry requiring requir-ing special skills in the manpower it employs, each needing some facility to training of its manpower. man-power. We here are developing a dynamic economy which is placing the state in. competition with its industrialized neighbors. We must keep it that way with our schools and public institutions advancing to serve our expanding empire. These facts, these considerations justify more than a two hour study in a secret caucus behind closed doors for deciding the future of education. The safe way, the reasonable way is to refer the whole subject back to the legislature legis-lature by voting AGAINST this law. Let us plan the future of higher education carefully and well before taking any such drastic step as planned by this law. I, LAMONT F. TORONTO, Secretary Sec-retary of State of the State of Utah, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a full, correct and true copy of the argument against the transfer of Weber, Snow and Dixie Junior Colleges, as filed by the "Junior College Action Committee," a3 appears of record in my office. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of Utah at Salt Lake City, this 28th day of Septerrber, 1954. LAMONT F. TORONTO Secretary of State (SEAL) |