The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-12-15

DAKoTA
In view Of the fact that the major
ity Of students are in favor Of the
Demonstrating bill, I will first pre-
sent the affirmative arguments.
At present we have No way Of de-
whether or not education is
receiving an adequate appropriation.
The only way by which we ear arrive
at q conclusion in this matter is by
the budget system. If we are going
to spend money by the, hundred mil
lions in support Of education It is me-
cessary that we have an officer in
the Presidents cabinet, whose sole du-
tsy it will be to see that the "just
claims Of education are neither over
looked nor minimized." Under the
present system, the Secretary of the
Interior cannot devote his entire time
to education because Of the numerous
other duties he has to perform.
We need a department of education
to combine the various fields of edu-
cational activity in which the govern
ment is at present engaged. Scattered
among the several departments, there
m forty bureaus all undertaking
work of an educational character. Be-
cause these bureaus are not under the
supervision Of an educational special
list they often duplicate their own eff
forts. The time and energy required
to prepare these Implications could
be guided into more profitable chan
nels by a Secretary Of Education.
In, other collective interests, we
have become a nation inseparable and
indivisible, but in education we remain
forty-eight distinct states. We need a
department Of education to integrate
and harmonic the educational forces
of this nation. Under the terms Of the
bill, the Secretary Of Education must
call an annual conference Of the chief
educational authorities Of the several
states. He must also call a conference
Of the rural educators, principals of
high schools, and the presidents of
our higher institutions of learning.
From these he would learn how the
work in education was proceeding in
each state. With these data in hand,
he could prepare budget such that
education would receive its just des-
serts. He would then go before Con-
gress with his recommendations, not
al an individual, but as a represen-
tative of the educational forces of
this nation. The force of such an ap-
peal can not be overestimated.
Recently we have entered a New
World Order. Arising from this Or
der, there will be many educational
problems of an international scope.
In the conferences that will be called
to solve these problems, the voice of
the United States must be heard. We
need a Secretary of Education to rep
resent this nation in these confer
ences. ..
Finally, we need a Department of
Education to give the teaching pro-
fession the rank and prestige that 1t
should have in a democracy. Educa-
ton is a social and public necessity,
and the teaching profession is just as
honorable as that of medicine or law
One Of the great weaknesses in our
educational system has been caused
by the failure of the government to
realize this fact.
The Towner-S Sterling bill should be
passed by Congress because of the
appropriations which education would
then receive. The Federal Government
has been assisting education, directly
and indirectly, for the last hundred
~thirty-six years. During that time 1t
has granted to the schools of this ma
ton 133,426,478.93 acres Of land, an
area nearly three times that of North
Dakota. On Jan. 1, 1887, the federal
government distributed among the
several states $28, 000, 100000 Of sur
plus revenue, the money to be used in
the support of education. Such facts
shatter the argument that federal aid
for our schools is unconstitutional.
There is a wide variation in the
taxable wealth of the different states.
Where such wealth is low in value,
school support is inadequate. The
school tax in such states is unusually
high and cannot be increased. It is q
matter Of choice between federal aid
and poor schools. If the Towner-Ster-
ling Bill is passed by Congress, the
states wherein school support is weak
can get the necessary assistance from
the federal government. In this way
educational opportunities will be
equalized.
Turning to the negative discussion
Of the question, we find that the
Demonstrating bill has serious
weaknesses. There are those who be
lieve that education would be subject
to partisan. and political influences
that the government would supervise
and control education. The principles
that underlie the organization of the
Presidents cabinet are known to ev'
erybody. The Presidents power ovel
the cabinet member is constftutionally
absolute. History and experience tel
us that cabinet members are selected
with the idea Of political gain. A Sec.
rotary Of Education would be little
less subject to partisan and politica
influences than the secretaries in 9th
er departments. When the Fedora
Board for Vocational Education wa.
created, President Wilson insisted