The Portland daily press., 1884-01-19
Especial to the Press.l

Especial to the Press.
WAsHlNGToN, Jan. 18.
The prospects of the passage of q bill appro-
priating large sum from the surplus revenue
of the country to educational purposes, do not
seem to be as good as they were some months
ago. The committee on education has Just had
its first meeting, and its preliminary work has
not been especially favorable to the project.
The more unfavorable feature, however, Is IN
the attitude Of the chairman Of the committee
toward the proposition itself.
81 do not believe much in the project" he
said to your correspondent late yesterday as he
stood in the corridor at tha House aud chatted
about the bill and its prospects. He is himself
college graduate, farmer by occupation, bot
strong Southern man in his views and pre-
judices. "My idea OF educ Gational mattsrs, he
said, 'is that people who will appreciate or
make auable use OF education Is those who
will get /. by their own efforts. favor educs-
tion, OF course, for those who win accent it, but
have serious doubls about this proposition for
the general distribution of the surplus for this
PURPOSE, at least on the plan proposed In
most OF these bills. tell you the people OF
this country do not appreciate education. or
those whose business it is TO impart it. Look
at the miserable salaries they pay their teach
ers. Why the average male teacher only gets
$37 per month for six months of the year, and
the female teacher S26 per month for the same
time"
"You do not think the bill in its ueuslly pre-
sented form, Of q distribution OF funds accord
ing to ,.,iteracy, is the proper thing then, Mr..
Aiken?"
''Nu. am not satisfied with II, and what is
more am very sure that it will not pass.
why nOt.M Mr.. Aiken; the general sentiment
OF the House has been understood to be quite
favorable 10 it, has it not?''
II don't think Congress will pass any meas
ure that is going to send money into the
South" he answered quietly, as be stroked his
gray beard. "The proposition has been to dis
,rioote the money on a basis OF illiteracy, Civ
log it where it 10 most needed. Under this
proposition the very large bulk OF it would go
to the South. and Congress will never pass any
thing that gives the South any money. That
has been the mystery OF all congressional leg
lslation. Look at the rivers of the South, and
her harbors, her cities without public build
ings: everything shows that Congress will not
give any large sums OF money 20 the South.
And don't believe it will in this case. True
they will talk about being willing to do a great
dtal for the negro; am curious to see what it
Will do with the proposition which would send
forty or fifty millions OF money into the South
to be distributed there, even for his sake.
don't believe it will be done. 1t the money
proposed by the bill was to be distributed ac-
cording to population, then it would go through
quickly enough, for on that basis it would give
most OF the money to the North. We sit quiet
~ by and see hundred millions Of money
voted every year 10 pen ion, which goes al
most entirely TO the North. but whtn we ask
the passage Of q Mexicsn pt nsion bill which
would give as much TO the South as it does to
the North. We get no encouragement, Though
the obi ct is equally worthy"
Aud as to the bill appropristing ten mill
lions year, or s,mething like that, and for
educational purposes?"
Il do MT tnIuk it will be likely to get
through 10 that form. would favor q bill
which would reimburse every State certain
perceI tage OF the money ir may expend in gen.
.ral education. This would stimulate the
States to ac,ion, and would be better IN many
ways"
'.Do you think such a bill might pass?'
Possibly, though l cannot say as to that.
of whivh l am chairman, in saying what /
nave already said. The committee has not
expressed itself on the subject or even consid-
erso u IN any detail. What 1t may determine
70 recon mend IN regard to this very important
matter do not know. only speak my own
views thus FAR"
Nevertheless. with chairman holding the
views that MIR. Aiken does it is not probable
that the bill will bs vigorously pressed.
European Crops.
Prof Dodge, Of the Department of Agricul-
ture, has gathered some very interesting fig.
ures, comparing the European crops of 1883
with the average crop of the last decade. To
gather the statistics for the past ten years has
been great labor, and the work 10 thus far
very valuable. as it establishes a standard tha.
will enable those interested to judge at a
glance what the present crop of Eorops Is to
be. The crop Of Europe has fallen consider
ably below the average. being over two hun.
dred million bushels short OF last years pro-
duction, and about a hundred millions below
the average. Here is table from the report,
giving the average crop of each country for
the past decade, and the estimated crop of this
year: