The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-12-24
FEDERAL AID FOR SCHOOLS.

The idea OF extending National aid
10 public schools seems TO be thorough
" cucraiued in the minds of some OF
the statesmen of New England. 1t will
be remembered that n generation ago
senator Blair OF New Hampshire
fsthered au appeal for pro rata aid
TO the public schools OF the various
states from the Federal treasury.
Vehement objections were made IN
many quarters against that bill, on
several grounds, first. that it was no
part of the functions of tho Federal
Government 90 aid the local school svs
tens Of the various States; second, that
such aid would be too great a burden
on tho Federal treasury: and third,
most important Of all in the view of
the States rights people, that 1t would
create a commanding position over the
control Of the school systems of the
various States by the Federal Govern
ment, il being argued that where the
Federal treasury supplies the funds
the right Of inspection auJ supervision,
if not absolute control. necessarily fol-
lowed And 50 tho Blair proposition
failed
But now Senator Page of Vermont
has introduced bill. going not TO the
length that the Blair proposition dii,
10 he sure; but still traversiug the
same course. Senator Pages bill pro.
poses TO extend Federal aid 10 state
4 agricultural colleges and normal
schools, and coutemplates to increase
this aid TO agricultural colleges to about
ST., 900 900 year. This would he as
complete an innovation on the states
school systems as was proposed i'll the
Blair bill. 1t Is true that the State
Il agricultural colleges now Get approprla-
tious from the Federal treasury; but
only indirectly. since the appropria'
tion is directly made TO the United
States agricultural experiment stations,
which are factor of the State agri
cultural colleges, an ! not to these col
lcges direct To appropriate TO the
colleges themselves would he an inno
vation, of very doubtful acceptance in
law. as it is entirely out of joint with
respectively TO the Federal and the
State Governments. There is no doubt,
however, that the appropriation OF
such an amount OF money as that would
be powerful stimulant to the inn
Drovement of the agriculture of the
country and the increase of yield per
acre of the various crops. 1t would be
money we'll expended. but If expended
at all in this direction it should be cx-
pended through the Department of Ag |
and not turned over to the
private or local management Of any
State institution. IL would be Federal
work throughout, and the good results
would naturally be credited TO the Fed.
cral government, where they would be-
long il the idea were put into prac.
ticc. and the Federal government pro-
vidcd the money. II would, indeed, if |
wc had an efficient. unified Department |
of Agriculture, he a splendid anil profit
able expenditure to the people OF the |
United States. It would allow of the |
of model farms in vari- |
ous parts of the country, and the carry
ing on of lectures and demonstrations
by the experts of the Department of
Agriculture, practical instruction to all |
the different parts of the country, Such
instruction would he of the highest |
value, aud the money for it would be
expended But 1t is extremely
if. in general, the eXpendi-
ture, if handed over the States. would
be pro6tably made. 1t would he Fed |
eral money that would be spent, and
under Federal auspices and expert ad-
m ubnuIJ h.