The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-03-13

reach thOSe cOmmunlt whose
schools may need help will not be
enough to bring about great improve
ment, or anything like equal school
ing opportunities for all the children
of the country, which is the ventures
ostensible aim.
And what price will be paid for
this ''help" from the Federal Treas
ury? Advocates of the measure say
none. They claim that it will be a
subsidy without strings
The bill itself provides: "That all
the educational facilities encouraged
by the provisions of this act and ac-
copied by the state shall be organ
lied supervised and administered ex-
clusively by the legally constituted
state and local educational authori-
ties of said state, and the Secretary
of Education shall exercise no author
ity in relation thereto; and. this act
shall not be construed to imply Fed
eral control of education within the
states, nor impair the freedom of the
states in the conduct and manage
ment of their respective school sys-
tens"
Yet, as stated before, the bill itself
makes stipulations which would
amount to requirements that the
states accepting the aid surrender at
least some power over the schools
thus benefiting. These requirements
may be benefcent but they establish
basis of at least partial supervision
from Washington. The conditions
are that school terms of at least
twenty-four weeks year be provided,
that compulsory educ alton laws be in
effect, and that annual reports be
made to Washington on the expendi-
ture of all funds coming within the
Federal Aid Act.
If these strings ca1 be tied to the
appropriations thus made to the
states, there is no reason why any
others which any subsequent Congress
may desire to attach cannot be put
on them, even to the bringing of the
public schools completely under the
jurisdiction of Washington bureau
cracy.
Ultimately, no doubt, other condi-
tions would be applied. For if the
aid is needed it is just as essential
that the aid be economic ally and in
telligently- administered And the
country as whole is not likely to be
willing to supply funds to be wasted
by Indifferent school administrators
anywhere. And efficient administra-
tion throughout the country can be
assured only through placing the
power in the hands of Federal officials
in Washington. The power to see to
efficient administration will carry
with it the power to direct the activ-
tiles of virtually every school using
Federal funds, even to saying what
books shall be used, what kind Of
economics or history Shall be taught
even to making 1T possible for the
schools to be used on a national scale
for serving the purpose of political
party or Of any group of invidi0us In
terests which might happen to get
control Of the Federal government.
"a centralized bureau having su-
pervision of the education Of the
country would always be subject to
political interests and ultimately to
political CONTROL" says President Hib-
ben, of Princeton University.
While the organized teachers of
the country, as expressed in the Ma
tional Education Association, are
strong for the measure, many of the
most outstanding educators of the
country are, Like President Hibben,
much opposed to it. These include
men like G. Stanley Hall, Presiden.
of Clark University; Nicholas Murray
Butler, of Columbia; President Had
ley, of Yale; Alexander Inglis, Pro-
fessor of Education at Harvard.
These and many others of similar
standing have denounced the proposal
as one of the most dangerous that
can be made.
''The strength of American educa-
tion," says DIR. Samuel P. Capen,
Chancellor of Buffalo University,
'lies chiefly in its diversity, its fiex-
ibility and its freedom. The diver
sity and flexibility that have charac-
terized American education are de-
pendent upon local initiative and To-
cal responsibility. A national system,
centralized from Washington, would
destroy both"
Says President Butler, of Columbia
University: There is not enough
money in the United States, even if
eueru dollar of Ii were. exnendad On