Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1920 — STATE NEWS ITEMS [ARTICLE]

STATE NEWS ITEMS

The Doings of Hoosierdom Reported by Wire. FINANCIAL CRISIS AT SCHOOLS Indiana and Purdue Universities and State Normal Endangered by Insufficient Funds—lmmediate Aid Is Asked. Indianapolis, Sept. 24. —Indiana s three state institutions for higher education are facing a serious financial crisis. The presidents of Indiana and Purdue universities and the Indiana State normal school, at a conference with the state board of tax commissioners, declared that the higher educational system of the state is on the verge of complete collapse unless more funds are secured. The conference was called to urge the tax board to increase the state levy for the institutions. Members of the faculties of Indiana and Purdue universities are resigning in alarming numbers to accept positions in other schools offering more attractive salaries, officials of the institutions declared. The Indiana State normal school is unable to fill long-standing vacancies in the faculty because of inadequate salaries. With depleted corps of instructors the institution will not he able to maintain its high standard of instruction. Dr. W. L. Bryan, president of Indiana university ; Dr. W. C. Stone, president of Purdue university, and Dr. W. W. Parsons, president of the Indiana State Normal school, represented the Institutions before the board. The three officials were unanimous in the opinion that the work of the schools Is suffering seriously from the financial stringency and that immediate relief is necessary. They emphasized the effect of increased costs of malntenance and operation upon the finances of the schools. The present tax levy for the institutions Is 2.8 cents on each SIOO of taxables in the state. The levy fixed by the legislature in 1913 was 7 cents. Under the 1919 tax law, which increased valuations in the state millions of dollars, the tax board scaled the levy down. Funds secured from the levy are distributed on the busts of two-fifths each to Indiana and Purdue universities and one-fifth to the Indiana State Normal school. Members of the tax board questioned the representatives of the institutions as to the amount of the increase in the levy necessary to provide relief. It Ivas stated that a levy of 3.8 cents, an increase of 1 cent, would provide temporary relief, but was not sufficient for a permanent basis. The tax board has been of the opinion that there is douM as to their authority to increase the levy. U. S. Lesh. assistant attorney general, who represented the state legal department in the conference, gave an informal opinion, holding that the board has the power to increase the levy. He said that an official opinion on the subject will be issued soon. J. W. Fesler, a member of the board of trustees of Indiana university, expressed Hip opinion that the question of providipg more funds for the three institutions is the most important which has ever been considered by the tax board. He said that It Involves the integrity not only of the institutions of higher education, but also of the entire educational system.

Big Potato Yield to Acre.

Goshen, Sept. 24. —Farmers owning land along streams near Goshen are to engage extensively in irrigation, following an experiment made by Henry Cripe, a farmer, who through irrigating, raised potatoes, averaging 288 bushels to the acre. Mr. j Cripe installed a pumping plant operated by electric power, and taking waiter from the river at the rate of 70 gallons a minute, flooded his field whenever necessary.j For eight years farmers in this section have suffered heavy losses through long droughts.

Depositors Ask Damages.

English, Sept. 24. —Damages aggregating .$36,110 are asked in suits filed in the Crawford circuit court against the Leavenworth State bank by 29 persons who lost securities when the safety deposit vaults in the institution were robbed on the night of December 3, 1918. The complainants allege that the bank did not afford the same protection for the securities placed in its care by the patrons as that given the money belonging to the Institution.

To Move Plant to Indiana.

Indianapolis, Sept. 24.—Announcement was made here that the Steel Fabrication corporation has completed plans to move its plants, now in Chicago Heights and Harvey, 111., to Michigan City. The move, according to the announcement, was brought about by the R. L. Dojlings company, dealers in investments and securities, who invested $1,000,000' in the corporation on condition that it select a site in Indiana.

Escaped Convict Arrested.

Jeffersonville, Sept. 24; —W. C. Reiss, alias Wilbur Roberts, who escaped from the Indiana reformatory here November 7, 1919, by scaling a wall about the institution, Is under arrest at Toledo, 0., according to word received at the reformatory. He will probably be returned to the Institution. Reiss was sentenced to the reformatory from Elkhart county July 2, 1919, under the name of Wilbur Roberts.