A Talk With the Chancellor.
"In talking with a representative of the KANSAN yesterday, Chancellor Strong spoke of the standing of the University of Kansas as follows :
"In this special edition of the KANSAN I wish again to call the attention of the students to some matters of great importance to the University at this particular time. The University of course does not want any undignified solicitation of members of the Legislature for assistance, but it daes wish that the students, graduates and friends of the University shall seek to make the members of the coming Legislature understand thoroughly what are the real needs of a large and complex university. It is very difficult to one who has not himself been a part of a large university, or has not seen it with his own eyes, an adequate idea of how very complex such an institution is and how numerous are its interests. If we could bring every citizen of the state of Kansas to Lawrence and show him the University, we would have very little difficulty in getting an income and an adequate to over necessities.
In the first place, the appropriation for the general maintenance recommended by the State Auditor, is a minimum amount and is absolutely necessary for the continued growth of the institution. The University has fallen behind other institutions in income and equipment so largely and for so many years that it will take a superhuman effort to any where near catch up. We were once on even terms with such institutions as the Universities of Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska. However, I am afraid they have now irrevocably passed us in the matter of income and equipment. What the University is asking of the next Legislature both as to income and buildings, will still leave us far behind the institutions mentioned, and will put it somewhere near the end of the second class of institutions according to income, or well toward the third class. Our present situation is therefore an intolerable one and we do not believe for a moment that the people of Kansas will be satisfied to have things remain as they are. The Chancellor of the University travels widely in the state and meets a large number of representative men, and he feels sure from experience that the people of Kansas are not caring whether the total appropriatons are larger or smaller than they were two years ago, but that they are caring whether or not the institutions that bear the name of the State receive adequate support and whether the money is spent for legitimate and necessary purposes.
With regard to buildings we are in fully as deplorable a condition as in regard to income. The fact is that the University of Kansas never has cost the state of Kansas anything like what other such institutions have cost the states in which they are located. For that reason the state has got into the habit of fixing upon
small things for the University of Kansas. The present value of private gifts to the University aggregates all out $400,000. It would be difficult to find a like state of affairs in the case of any other state university in the country. The University of Kansas has a total of twelve buildings including the one now in course of erection. Missouri has twenty-six, Arizona has seventeen, Minnesota has thirty, Arkansas has seven, North Carolina has sixteen, Michigan, twenty-three, Ohio has eighteen for instruction alone, Nebraska has twenty-two, Iowa twenty, Georgia sixteen, and Utah eight. Of our twelve buildings, one is the original building and is situated too far from the present site of the University to be used for general purposes such as recitations etc. It is now used by the music school and is so old and in such poor condition that it is always
a question whether it is worth while to place any money on it for repairs Another is the building containing the heating plant, which cannot be used for any instructional purpose whatever. Another is the University residence which was a gift to the University by a relative of Dr. F. F. H. Snow's and which is to be used as a residence by Dr. Snow during his lifetime. It, also, is not available for general University purposes. Another is the new Museum building, in which there are no recitation rooms and which, generally speaking, is not available for instructional purposes. It is a museum building pure and simple, built to hold the very valuable collections of the University. Another is the old Chemical Hall, now used for the courses in medicine,—a very small and cheap building that ought to be erased from the campus. It will be noticed that this makes
UNIVERSITY NEEDS.
Oh honored sirs who have to do With making state laws,—give us heed,
While we enumerate a few Of the things that we most truly need.
We want a gym for girls and boys.
And we want it with fixins, too.
For too much study our health de-
five buildings out of the twelve that are either not available for general university instructional purposes, or else are not in any way such buildings as a modern university requires. At the very best the number of buildings available for instruction is eight. It should be remembered, too, that four of these twelve buildings, were gifts to the University and did not cost the state a dollar.
In fact, we can't do ...
We've worked with almost nothing
Come and see—and then you'll not doubt it.
We want a building for engineers, but it must be designed without it.
I hope you'll agree-it won't do! We want a building for engineers.
We want to finish our present balls They are in a deplorable state:
For, as they stand, they're merely walls.—
Unfinished, unequipped, out-of date.
We want more land, we've crowded been.
Each year we're growing, each day;
We use much money, we know
We're worth it,--wouldn't you say?
We want a "permanent student body."
But if you see that our needs are secured,
We'll attend to our worthy Chancellor's hobby
The students will then stay—be assured.
THE BUSY FRESHMEN.
The Freshman Newspaper Class has done a great deal of extra assignment work this week on account of the special issue of the KANSAN which appeared today. They are getting a touch: of the real work and are proving competent newspaper men.
Prof E. F. Engle entertained the members of the Rice County Club at his home on Kentucky street last Monday night, Refreshments were served and the social evening was very pleasantly spent.
It will be seen that the University is in a desperate condition as to buildings for general classroom and laboratory purposes and if the condition is desperate now it is easy to see what it would be by the end of the next biennium with three or four hundred more students to care for than we have during the present year. It is therefore not a matter of convenience or desirability, but a matter of absolute necessity that the University have the two buildings that are asked for—the gymnasium and the engineering building, and that they be as large and as well equipped as the future of the University demands. We are not going to ask for a dollar more than is really necessary to get the kind of buildings and equipment adequate to the real needs of the institute and to provide for the immediate future of the University."
NEW RULES.
How the Chicago Conference Affects Kansas.
The annual conference of western Universities, held at Chicago during the past week, adopted several new rules which will do much to eliminate professionalism in football in schools under the Conference. Henceforth, a man must be in school a term before he can take part in University athletics. This will almost entirely do away with the large number of men who enter Universities every year for the sole purpose of playing football, and who leave at the close of the football season. The rule has been in force in the east for several years,and has been found to be beneficial there. It will be, however, a harsh rule for many of the western Colleges, as the student body is less staple here than in the east, and the Freshman class usually furnishes a large proportion of the football squad. The rule will also affect the small denominational schools more than the Universities as the student body is less permanent and the players on the football team are usually term men, Kansas University will be as well, if not better, off than a majority of the western universities next year, as a large number of this year's veterans will return next year.
The Conference also made a ruling with regard to the Haskell and Carlisle Indian schools, recognizing them as colleges, thus placing them under the Conference rules. By this ruling, Haskell loses seven of her star players, all of whom have played beyond the four year limit.