Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
FEDERAL AID FOR
STATE EDUCATION
Impetus Given to New Law by
Conference In Capital.
THIRTY STATES ACCEPT IT.

Labor, Farming, Commerce Are Each
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Share For
Vocational Education the First Year
10 $1,700, ,0oo-First Direct Aid For
Schools.
Industrial education in the United
States received a distinct impetus as
the result Of the meeting in Washing
ton of the Federal Board For Vocational
Education. Officials from many states
attended. Nearly thirty states have
accepted the provisions Of the voca-
tional act, which became operative
July 1.
The board consists of seven mem
bers-the secretary of agriculture,
chairman; Commissioner Of Education
Claxton, temporary secretary; the sec
retary of commerce, the secretary OF
labor and three citizen members-Ar
thur c. Holder of Iowa. representing
labor; Charles a. Greathouse, Indiana,
representing agriculture; James P
Munroe, Massachusetts. representing
commerce.
The Citizen Members.
Mr.. Holder has for some time been
the legislative representative at Wash
ington of the American Federation OF
Labor Mr. Greathouse is a former
state superintendent of public instruc.
ton of Indiana. Mr.. Munroe is Bos.
ton manufactures. long identified with
the Industrial education movement.
Staff appointments under the board
are: Charles A. Prosser, G. II. Wins.
low of the Indiana state department
Of education, Lewis H. Carris, assist.
ant commissioner of education Of New
Jersey; L. S. Hawkins. New York state
department of education; Miss Joseph
Inc T. Berry of the University of Min
nesota.
The board has found it necessary to
consult with officials of the various
states as to the proper means of
procedure to carry out the spirit of
the law and 1naugurate the work in
the schools of the country. The ap
portionment of the various states has
also been fixed, so that they may know
what amount will be available for the
first years work.
Each state must submit list Of the
schools for which it derives federal
aid, and this will be approved by the
federal authorities before any money
is expended.
The total amount appropriated by
the government for the first years
work is $1,7oo,0O0. The money is de-
signed for salaries Of agricultural
teachers, salaries Of trade, Industrial
and home economics teachers. training
Of teachers for vocational work and
various investigations.
States Must Get In Soon.
The basis of determining the share
Of each state in the federal appropri
alton will be in the proportion which
it's rural population, bears to the total
rural population of the United States
according to the last federal census.
After June 80, 1920. under the terms
of the law, no state shall receive aid
for the salaries of vocational teach
ers until it shall have taken advantage
of at least the minimum amount ap-
propriated fer the training of vocation
al teachers, and it is being urged that
the training of teachers in the states
begin as soon as possible.
For each dollar of the federal grant
the state must expend at least an
equal amount, and the state authori.
ties who have attended the confer
ences in Washington are getting the in.
depreciation of the federal board on
various phases of the law.
The system marks the first direct
federal aid to educational work In the
states. 1t is the biggest venture yet
taken in the federal legislation of edu.
cation