Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-17
GRANGE PROTESTS
FEDERAL CONTROL
OF EDUCATION
Fears Result May be Confusion
and Destruction Of Good
Existing Agencies.
ASKS SUPPORT OF
BOTH STATE COLLEGES

Special Correspondence to Every Evening
Dover, Dec. I7.-Because of the in
terest in education and school laws II
the State of Delaware at this particular
time. especially the general comment on
the School Code the report of the COM
rnittee on education of Delaware State
Grange has been looked for with consd-
erable interest. This report, presen ted
at the meeting yesterday afternoon and
adopted, in part Is as follows:
Your committee have carefully con-
sidered the various phases of the subject
of Education and feel that any radical
suggestions would be out of place at the
present time.
Special districts are gaming IN popu-
iarity and doing excellent work. Nothing
ehouId be done tending to lower the stand
ard aimed at by these schools but every
encoura cement should be gwen them
I'VE should oppose the centrallnng OF
control, believing as much power as Is
consistent with good government should
Be left with the people. At present one
OF the most serious problems Is that OF
transportation of pupils but with better
road this will become less onerous. Some
less costly method of laying and collect
ing school taxes should be devised.
For the past year or SO there has been
publicity campaign and lot of propa-
lganda put on for the passage Of what Is
known as the Smth-Towner bull the OBJ
iect of which is 70 form Department OF
EDUCATION under the Federal government,
wit cabinet officer. As the bill is now
constituted such a move might result
in the divorcing Of the Experiment Sta
tion, all extension work and q greater
portion of the activities of the United
Estates Department of Agriculture TO the
Now Department Of Education. The
AGRICULTURAL Investigators and educators
outside Of the Smith Hughes people look
upon this movement with n great deal OF
alarm. as thev feel that If such move
should be made which would result IN the
splitting UP Of tho forces OF agriculture,
the work would be seriously crippled.
There has been marked tendency
during the past two years tor the leaders
Of education in the United States to at
tempt to grab everything IN sight and
place It under Federal control, II their
plans went through it would mean chaos
IN agricultural educeuon as conducted
IN our colleges and research work rs car
red on bv our Experiment Stations,
partial wrecking Of the United states
Department of agriculture and IN general
a Federal situation over the entire nlted
States that would be very comparable
TO the situation here in Delaware In re-
.spect to the working OF the schocf code.
In other words. the plan of action IS TO
attempt to control federation OF all
educational forces in the country and direct
everything from the top downward. Such
movements are to be discovered as they
take away local control, locsl initiative
and result In Prussian type OF govern
ment.
I'VE believe the Grange should do
everything in it's power to further the de-
velopment of agriculture at Delaware
college. that SIS a Grange should give as
sistance in persusding farmer boys OF the
proper qualifications 70 enter the agrl-
cultural course at Delaware snd that the
Grange should give full support 70 the
Activities Of the Experiment Station and
to the agricultural extension work.
1--WE should show our appreciation OF
work of the Women's College, under
Dean Robinson and her able assistants,
and recommend every assistance possible,
both financial snd otherwise.
! 1ne Grange should recognize the
splendid educational and civic activities
sof the Service Citizens and should show
its appreciation of the moral and financial
assistance being given both by that body
tend the Delaware School Auxiliary.
I 4 supplemental report on legislation
was offered IN urging that recommend
ation be made to the Legislature OF
liberal appropriation be made 70 the
! tNnman's College Of Delaware II order
70 complete within the next two years
khuildlngs 10 be known as Kent and ''Sus-
EEK" one TO contain modern kitchen
end diningroon, with a capacity for at
least 500, the upper floors to be used as
I class rooms and dornitories as the need
! OF the college requires.
The new officers were installed by Past
W orthy Master Frank c. Bancroft
F., The placs Of next years meeting was left
with the executive committee.