The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-03-13
Public Schools to be Engulfed by Politics
Legislation Providing for Department of Education Denounced as
Logroline



tions, and as a rule they have been
jealously guarded as such. Even state
government control and support,
while predominant in some places,
has been, as rule secondary to local
control and support.
Today, 73.4 per cent of all the funds
spent on the public schools is raised
locally, that is, in the school districts,
towns or cities where the schools op-
crate. Only 11.6 per cent is raised
even by county taxation, and only 15
per cent is supplied from state treas
uries. Control of the schools is
equally in the hands of the local
communities.
While the rule does not held uni
formly, it is worthy of note that
there is evidently a distant relation
between local support and school eff
cheney. In most of the states whose
schools are rated as of high effici-
ency, local support predominates: in
many of those where the efficiency
rating is low, the schools are support
ed in the main by the states or by
the states and counties This may be
only coincidence but the facts in
dicate that when the financing and
the management of schools are closest
to those who patronize them greatest
educational progress is made.
The Federal government has never
exercised any control over or given
any real support to the public schools.
For many years the United States
bureau of Education has been in ex-
istence, but, regarding the schools in
the states, its duties have been only
to collect and distribute information
having to do with educational mat
ters in general.
What Bill Would Do
The only item of apparent support
ever given the common schools by the
Federal government was in setting
aside at first one and later two land
lots in each township of certain west
ern states for school purposes. This,
however, merely conserved to the
states for school support what was
already theirs. .m.
Until recent years it was held gen.
orally that Federal support would
carry with it Federal control, which
nobody would tolerate.
Now, however, Federal support or
aid for the common schools is being
demanded by very powerful groups.
For five years bill which would
provide it has pended in Congress.
This bill very probably will come up
for action in the present Congress,
perhaps during the present, session.
1t first was known as the Smith
Towner bill, then as the Sterling
Towner bill, and is now known as
the Sterling-Reed bill, the names be-
ing those of the members of the Sem
ate and House who have '.fathered"
it.
This measure aims at setting up a
Federal Department Of Education,
headed by Cabinet member, and at
throwing open the doors of the Unit
ed States Treasury for the support of
the common schools of the country.
The issue thus brought to point is
perhaps the most important one now
before the country. For it has to do
vitality with the minds of the coun-
try's future citizenry, with the shap-
ing of the country's Thought in mani
fold directions, with, possibly put
ting great and subtle power in the
hands of bureau officials in Washing
ton far removed from the schools
The proposed Department of Edu-
cation would have Cabinet member
at its head ande would be provided
with at least S100,000,000 for expen-
diture on the schools of the states.
The bill disavows Federal control of
the public schools but yet would es-
tablish conditions which the states
and local communities would have
to meet to share in Federal funds.
Arguments for Measure
The proposed department is argued
for on the ground that educatio is as
important as other things, like agri-
culture, labor and commerce, which
have been given departmental stand
ing lin the national government, and
representation in the Presidents Cab
met. 1t is objected to on the ground,
among others, that, unless it be CIV
en- authority TO supervise education
which no one seems to favor-the de-
partment could do nothing which
cannot be done as we'll or better by
the present Bureau Of EDUCATION. If
it were given power to supervise the