The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-02-06
Congress and Education
BY FREDERICK J. HASKIN

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.-The house
committee on education has not met
once during this session of congress,
we were told yesterday. Congress is
IN the midst of an unusually active
game of save the pennies" and the
chances OF any money being allowed
Tor national advancement are so slim
Jnat the committee sees no use in
setung together to discuss even bills
mat were favorably reported out az
the last session. Several bills for
important educational projects have
been re-introduced, but it is not prob
able that any of them could get the
approval of the committee, and if they
/ did they would never get by congress
IN its present state of mind.
Whether this is wise economy or
not is matter of opinion The ma
! Jority in congress thinks so.
| There are three interesting projects
which patiently await congressional
| approval and funds. One of these
provides for a department of educs-
| ton TO replace the bureau of educa-
! ton. Another is designed to bring
domestic science within the reach OF
/ more women and girls, especially
! those who work during the day.
! The third bill does not reach 50
many people as the other two. but it
, would mean good deal to the cour-
| try. This is a measure to create a
national university.
! A national university was planned
! by George Washington. BENJAMIN
| Franklin wanted it provided for in th4
constitution, but he and several others
! were oVerruled by statesmen who said
: that the university would be es.
/ tabhshed anyway, and that there was
( no need to cucumber the constitution
! Washington is known to have willed
/ S25 GOO in stock to the government, as
a fund to start this university lis
| sum would now amount to $4,000, cot
! st compound interest. 1t cannot, how.
! ever be located. A few years ago
! treasury department officials invest
gated the bequest, hoping to find -ou.
what became of the money. The only
conclusion that could be reached was
that the money was never turned ovet
to the government, and that it lapseG
back into the estate.
Cost of the Project.
This means that to establish a ma
tional university now there must bf
an appropriation from congress, prob
ably amounting to several hundred
thousand dollars d year. Therefore
the national university project con
tinues to hang fire.
Washingtons idea was that the uni
versity would serve an important pur
pose in that it would cement the sec
tons of the country together. StuG
ents would hear congress debate
They would meet the representative
from different states and grow t
understand the viewpoints of the dti
ferent parts of the country.
The further advantage of a nationa
institution of learning in Washington
is that it could make use of the val
iOus branches of the government SCI
vice. There is the congressional Il
brary with its 100000 books, and TIL
Smithsonian institution, the Nationa
museum. Naval observatory, bureau o
standards, and the department of az
riculture. In fact, every government
bureau and commission could co-oI
crate to advantage with a nation2
university.
; Such an institution. of course, is no
for the college student freSh from
e preparatory school. 1t was planned :
laboratory for scholars who shout
; have at least a master of arts degree
, and with the idea that the nationa
capital would offer students resource
not valuable in any other city.
That a national university would b'
come a powerful factor in educatio
is apparent. Yet such an Institute
: is not a necessity to the existence {
=, the nation. and congress of late year
, is chary of donations for worthy lu,
uries. So Washingtons dream, thu
! seemed so near realization in his iif
+, time, is still an air castle.
The other two bills are more util
- tartan. They concern the mass of ii
: people more directly. The bill for
- department of education, is wild
= reaching in its plans for more ed
L Gated and healthy population b