Evening star., 1924-04-28

favors adding to the power of the
bureau OF education, instead or estao-
fishing a. new department. Eetter
ment OF Labor to the Department OF
Education, Industry and Puolic We'll
fare" says DIR. Eliot.
DIR. Lowell, president of Harvard.
opposes a state subsidy, which would
tend to extravaganza in educational
methods, and raise the cost of educa-
ton" He adds: 'The place (of sec
retary) would almost inevitably be
given to a politician not large enough
in caliber for one of the greater Of
fees No good would result in federal
supervision of education unless it has
at it's head 4 permanent non-political
bureau chief of best quality. l un-
derstand you have a bill which 1t is
rumored is somewhat in these lines,
but have not seen it,"
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler of Co
lumbia College writes in answer to
letter from an opponent of the bill.
He contents himself by quoting and
indorsing DR.. William Torrey Har-
ris, former head Of the bureau of
education. In that quotation DR.. Har-
ris takes the position that neither
agriculture, commerce, labor nor the
post office should be represented in
the Presidents cabinet, or in any
wise be related to the changing po-
litical control of the national gov
ernment."
other letters opposing political
control of education" are on file,
signed by DR.. Harry Pratt Judson,
president emeritus of the Chicago
University; Dean L. 3. r. Briggs of
Harvard College; DR.. Rurris, profess
sor of education, University of Gin
cinnati; DR.. Henry S. Pritchett, head
of the Carnegie Foundation, and 9TH
ers-none of whom indicates that he
has seen the bill.
The Sterling-Reed bill calls for an
annual appropriation of s100,000,000
to be distributed to the various states
in certain amounts-conditional upon
each state showing that it is spend
ing at least an equal amount in
education OF all its children between
seven and fourteen years of age. The
;ictual expenditure of these funds
will be in the hands of state authori-
ties. along with the state appro-
priations.
The head Of the department will be
Secretary of Education, with a place
in the cabinet. There will be coun-
Gil of education composed of the
chiefs OF education of each of the
forty-eight states, and also twenty
five members representing the diff
ferent special interests of education.
and twenty-five other citizens repre-
senting the public business. These
nifty Will be appointed by the Secre-
tary. All will serve without pay, be-
yond expenses in attending the an
nual council.
!. Y X y
The Department of Education will
conduct studies and investigation in
the field of education. Research will
be undertaken in illiteracy, immigrant
education. public school education
and especially rura. adl. alton; ply
steal education. including health edu-
cation, recreation and sanitation;
preparation of competent teachers in
the public schools, higher education
and in such other fields as in the
judgment of the Secretary may re-
Guire study.
4 x !: :.
Chairman Dallinger OF the commit
tee on education of the House op-
poses the Sterling Reed bill, but has
a bill of his own. This makes no
subsidy to state educational authori-
ties, but combines under Depart
ment of Education (whose Secretary
would be in the cabinet) the Smith
sonian Institution, Howard Univer-
sity for negroes. the soldiers homes.
the pension bureau, the Veterans
Bureau and some other bureaus al
ready existing.
Representative Dallinger also has
another bill for a similar purpose Of
combining under q Secretary of Edu-
cation and Welfare, which will in
clude the Veterans Bureau, the
health service and various other bu-
reaus. This will be authorized to CO.
operate with state educational Of
f1cials who may want to do so voiun-
tarily, but there will be no appropria-
tion of funds for state aid.
| Copyright. 1924. by Paul V. Collins)