And all this hocus pocus up
on the part of Doctor Bunnell
raises the question whether he
is not the means of causing
great injury to the Agricultural
College. The people of Alaska
think, even though the great
dictator regards them as asleep
most of the time.
-x
First Division Opposed
to Agricultural College
Expenses
-X
One reason why the people of
the First Division demand
of their Legislative representa
tives that they keep the appro
priations to the Fairbanks Agri
cultural College to something
within reason, is because of the
tendency of President Charles E.
Bunnell to indulge in inexcus
able extravagance. To run the
college, with a permanent en
rollment of about 70 pupils, he
has a faculty of 23, who receive
as high as $4,500 salary per
school year. Salaries for the
young professors, with two or
three exceptions, run from $3000
to $3750 per school year. And
then Dr. Bunnell, who devotes a
large part of his time to lobby,
ing, receives a salary of $6000
per annum, and travelling and
sustenance expenses.
When the 1929 session of the
Legislature convened, the mem
bers were furnished some fig
ures concerning the College, that
are more than usually interest
ing. They show that the enroll
ment for the school year 1927
1928 was 83 in all courses of
college grade; 171 in summer
session; 109 in short courses of
ten weeks, and 1 graduate stu
dent. Excluding duplications the
total enrollment was 175, but the
average attendance is not given.
The total operating expenses of
the College for that year was
$83,906, making the cost per
student of regular courses, $1,
010, or including the total en
rollment of 175 the cost per
student was $479. For the 1928
1929 school year, when the op
erating expense was $100,256,
the enrollment and attendance
is not available but is reported
to be less than the previous year.
I his would make the average
cost per student regular course
considerable over $1,000 per
student.
. .And what a difference there is
in the cost of running the public
schools of the Territory. The
towns of Anchorage, Cordova,
Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan,
Petersburg and Wrangell, with
an enrollment of 2,477, were op
erated at a total expense of
$235,116, or an average cos': of
$94.92. Ketchikan had the la g
est enrollment, 653, with op' it
ing expenses of $47,653, or a ~ost
per pupil of $72.98. Of the 1 c Tns
Wrangell had the lowest en 'ail
ment, 173, and the cost was 1 22,
234, or $129.10 per pupil.
Dr. Bunnell has had soma ex
perience in teaching native
schools, but it availed him lit
tle. He could get further in
formation if he were to study the
costs of maintaining the public
schools throughout the Terri
tory. But he does not seek or
desire this kind of information.
And the general public is not
informed as to the enormous
cost of trying to build up the Ag
ricultural College , which had 83
college grade pupils two years
ago and about 70 this year. No
audit has ever been made of the
College expenditures, and when
Auditor Cash Cole sought to
comply with the mandate of the
law creating his office and have
the bills come to his office for
scrutiny, Attorney General John
Rustgard gave a written opinion
that this was not necessary, and
that the Territorial appropria
tion should be paid over upon
demand of the Treasurer of the
College.
..And of course that good,
staunch Democrat, Dr. Bunnell,
is using all his influence to have
his political followers enter the
Republican primary, and vote for
John Rustgard for the nomina
tion of Delegate to Congress. And
of course he is using his influ
ence to defeat the renomination
of Senator Will A. Steel, for he
holds him responsible for the cut
in the College appropriations
during the two past Legislative
sessions. Senator Steel believes
in greater economy at the Col
lege but he was instrumental
in seeing that the Territory
gave greater school refunds to
the incorporated districts.
In the last session he was re
sponsible for raising the refunds
to Ketchikan and Juneau from
$30,000 per year to $40,000, with
a proportionate increase to all
the smaller towns in the Terri
tory. In the 1927 session Repre
sentative William L. Paul had
the House pass -the bill that
largely increased all school re
funds, and Senator Steel cham
pioned the bill through the Sen
ate. And because of these in
creased refunds all towns in the
Territory have been able to
maintain better schools without
increased taxation. But of course
that means nothing to Dr. Bun
nel. He is only interested in his
pet hobby.
INSULT TO INJURY
-x
Counsel (for defense): “Now
what time was it when you were
attacked”?
Complainant (angrily): “I
don’t know; ask your client—he
took my watch.”
THWAIT’S PHOTO SHOP
KODAK FINISHING
COPYING—ENLARGING
Ketchikan