The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-10-09

PROGRESS MADE ON.
| SMITH ! l -TQWNE T R. BILL B |
| The clipping below is taken from,
1.-The IN. e. A. Bulletin for Septem.
Der, the official organ Of the Natipn-
lal Education Association Of the Unit
| ed States. AZ careful reading of this
excerpt will disclose that there is
hope of it's passage in. the near fnr
ture; also, that the objections which
| have been made against this bill are
undoubtedly based on a. misunder-
standing. Of it's provisions.
y, The Smith Towner Bill creating 9
| Department, Of Education, with a Sec
rotary in the Presidents Cabinet and
authorizing the appropriation!of $780,
600, GOO to- encourage the states an the
promotion Of education, has made
marked progress during. the summer
months, notwithstanding the many
other rational questions, occupying
the attention Of Congress.
7 The committees on education of the
Senate and House held joint hearings
ron the bill on J ulY: 10 and II and again
on July %. About, twenty persons
from all parts of the country and rep
resenting various interests spoke in
favor of The bill, and no one in oppo-
sition. The last hearing was held par
ticularly to give opponents an oppor-
tanity to present their arguments,
but no ore appeared. .s s.,@ !,
The following national organiza-
tions We're represented at the hearing
and placed themselves; on record as
endorsing the: bill: National Educa
ton Association, American Federation
of Labor, American, Federation of
Teachers, National Congress Of Moth
ers and Parent Teachers, Associations,
General Federation of Women's Clubs,
American Library Association, and
the National Civic Betterment League
In addition to the above, scores of 9TH
,er associations have sentin: resolutions
of endorsement. s.
Opposition to the bill so far has
come mainly from two sources, those.
who oppose the use: of. federal money
for the, promotion Of education, and
those who fear that the creation lof
a Department of Elucationi may in
terfere in some way with, private and
parochial schools. 1t is conceded that
proper education is, Of very vital. inn
portance to the nation, and the sur.
est safeguard against revolution and
anarchy. It is granted that the ex-
tent Of illiteracy in this country is a
national disgrace and national men
ace It is also granted that our immi-
grant population must be American
lied. But it is claimed by those op-
posing federal aid that the states un-
aided should perform this important
service. -.E.y.. 4 r.
Those who are supporting the bill
in Congress call attention to the fact
that the states have been working on
these problems for more than "a hum
dred and thirty years, and that the
situation is growing more serious. The
precedent for federal aid to education
was established at the. very beginning
of the Government, and has been rec
ognized ever since. Millions of acres
of land and millions of dollars have
been contributed by the Government
for the promotion of both elementary
and college education. But the efforts
of the Government in the past have
been directed very largely to educa-
ton along special lines, such as agri
cultural and, vocational This bill
would give the sanction of the Govern
mentt to general education as well as
to special All that is asked is that
the Federal Government shall give
the same recognition to education as
it gives to agriculture; that the edu-'
cation Of the children of the nation
shall be considered as important from
the national standpoint as the raising
of crops and the breeding Of live stock.
We have Secretary of Agriculture
in the Presidents cabinet. Why not a
Secretary of Education?
Then there is the opposition which
comes from the representatives of GER
tain private and parochiM schools.
The bill is in no way antagunistie to
parochial schools. But some of the
over-zealous guardians Of these schools
have imagined things which do not ex-
ist. On July % Senator Hoke Smith
addressed the, Senate In answer DO
these charges. After setting forth the
purpose and provisions Of the bill,
Senator Smith classified the charges
against the bill as follows:
First. That the whole educational
machinery Of the country is to be plac-
ed under the control Of one autocratic
overseer in Washington.
I, Second. That the bill takes away
the duty and right Of parents to ed
ucate their own children and the right
Of the children to be so educated.
Third. That the bill would Danish
God from every schoolroom and is a
direct assault upon religion.
In answer to these charges Senator
Smith declared: II
$50 far from giving the department
control over the work in the respec-
tive states, it is specially provided in
section IA:
That this act shall not be construed
to require Uniformity Of plans, means
or methods in the several States in
order to secure the benefits herein pro.
vided, and the use Of the funds and
all the educational facilities encour.
aged by the provisions of this act ard
L Z n M! "A W. 4