The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-10-15

cretary in the Presidents Cabinet I?
In the first place, it does not mean
that the Federal Government pro-
poses to assume the control and ad-
ministration of education. Such an
attempt would be clearly unconstitu-
tional, nor would it be for the best
interests of our public schools. The
schools must be kept in close touch
with the people whom they serve and
be subject to their immediate super
vision and control. The Federal Gov
eminent can set up standards and
show why such standards should be
accepted, but the authority of final
decision in all educational matters
must remain in the states where it
is placed by the Tenth Amendment
to the Constitution.
Education Deserves a Full Recognition
The establishment of Department
of Education with Secretary in the
Presidents Cabinet will give to edu-
cation the recognition which it justly
deserves because of it's vital impor-
lance from the standpoint of national
welfare. Thru such a department the
Federal Government could promote
education, as it has promoted other
great interests over which it does
not have control. Examples of pro-
motion without control are found in
the Department of Agriculture and
the Department of Labor.
When our Government was estab-
lished it was decided, after very care
full deliberation, to place the admins
tration of the different departments
then created under officials appointed
by the President and confirmed by
the Senate. At first there were but
three such departments, the Depart
ment of State, the Department of the
Treasury, and the Department of
War. The heads of these depart
ments together with the Attorney
General, appointed by Washington,
were his immediate advisors and
came to be known as the Presidents
Cabinet.
Realized Need Brought More De-
partments
In 1898 Congress establish the De-
partment of the Navy, and fifth
Cabinet office was created. In 1929
the Postmaster General was elevated
in rank and made a member of
President Jackson's Cabinet. In 1S49
the Department of the Interior was
created to take charge of Indian af-
fairs, which had been under the con-
troll of the War Department and of
the public Lands, which had been
under the Treasury Department. To
this new department were assigned
also the Pension Office from the War
Department, the Patent Office from
the State Department, and several
other bureaus.
These seven Cabinet members were
each in charge of department which
administered affairs over which the
Federal Government had absolute
control under the provisions of the
Constitution. It was thought then
that there would be no further ad-
ditions to the Presidents Cabinet. In
1862 the Bureau of Agriculture was
created, and few years later the
Bureau of Education. It soon be-
came apparent that agriculture could
not obtain the recognition which it's
Importance in relation to national
welfare justified without being rep
resented in the Presidents Cabinet,
and thereby being enabled to obtain
directly the attention of Congress.
Accordingly, the agricultural inter-
ests of the country started a move
ment for the establishment of a De-
partment of Agriculture, with Sc
cretary in the Presidents Cabinet at
it's head.
Opponents Argued Then as Now
The opponents of this movement
argued that in as much as the Fed
eral Government had not been grant
ed authority by the Constitution to
control agriculture it was illogical, if
not unconstitutional, to create such
department. Those who favored
the creation of such a department
conceded that the Federal Govern
ment could not control agriculture,
and frankly stated that they did not
wish such control But they claimed
that it was within the province of
the National Government to promote
agriculture and that because of the
Importance of the subject from a ma
tional standpoint agriculture should
receive such recognition and promo
ton. The Department of Agriculture
was created in 1889, the Federal Gov
eminent thereby establishing the
principle of national recognition and
promotion without national control.
Why Does Education Remain in a
Subordinate Bureau?
While the controversy over the es-
tablishment of Department of
Agriculture was going on, the edu-
Gators of the country urged the estab-
lishment of a Department of Educa-
ton, insisting that education was of
no less Importance to national well
fare than agriculture. Altho their
claims were not successfully refuted,