The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-05-26
By ]. c. BASKERVILLE
The Times News itur"m
Sir Walter lIntr

RALEIGH, May 26.-Dr.: A. T
IAllen, state superintendent of
public instruction, who for some
time has been strongly advocat-
ing federal participation in the
support of the public schools, Is
not only conceding that if the
federal government helps finance
| the schools it will also help con-
troll them, but maintains that such
control will be beneficial. DR.. Al
lien is now in Washington looking
into pending legislation to pro
vide greater federal help for
schools. He is a member of the
committee which is advocating an
appropriation of $10O,00O,OOO to
be used for assisting the schools
of the country for next year. This
same committee originally was adj
vocating a federal appropriation
of S3O0,O0O,OO0 for year after
next, but has temporarily aban,,
doned that part of its propose1
program. ,
In a speech here a few days
ago before both the Lions club
and the American Legion, DR.. Al
| len said that federal participation
| in the support of the schools was
necessary because the federal
government was better able to
collect taxes than the states and
local units. He also said that fed
eral control, while inevitable,
would have many beneficial re-
suits, such as Standardization OF
curriculum, of length Of term, OF
salaries and other things. he also
maintained that a standardized
school term partially financed and
| controlled by the government IN
| Washington would tend to IN
crease and extend educational OPP
portunity throughout the country
This plan for federal aid IN the
maintenance of the public schools
lis not as popular within many CIR
cles here as it is with DR.. Allen
and the state department. OF pup,
jlic instruction. 1t is evident, OF
| course, that what DIR. Allen ano
those favoring partial federaliza'
ton of the schools want is for the
government to grant each state
several million dollars a year &c
be expended on the schools in adj
dition to what the states, coun'
ties. cities and towns have been
providing. If it could be definite
" known that the government
would tell the various states they
could have whatever money is ap-
propriated without any strings to
| 4 and to spend as they might see
fit to supplement other funds, IT
might not be so bad, it is pointed
ont here. But no one here pc
Ilieyes the government will DO TINS
since it has not done it with the
money it has appropriated to the
states for roads, public works, re-
lief or any other activity in when
the government furnishes a part
of the money. ann
Take. for instance, The $780,
oOO which the federal relief ad-
ministration has allotted the state
to help pay school teachers TINS
wear. Before a dollar of that
amount can be used, every county
superintendent must go through
the list of teachers, select those
which have no other means OF
support, get them to sign an at,
fidavit to that effect and almost
take a pauper's oath before they
can get their pay. AS result
the state has had to hold up the
nav of all the other teachers which
| it is able to pay, until those who
are to get paid from this Soul
600 get their salary checks. Thls
is only a mild example of what
might be expected in the way OF
red tape if the government shoula
participate in the financing OF the
schools, it is maintained.
But that is not all. The fedora
government is a stickler for etfl
Cheney, for consolidation and FOL
making dollar go as far as pos
sible. Also the federal govern
ment does not make any distlnc
ton between white people ant
colored people and insists upoII
the observance of the Fourteenth
Amendment. AS a result, it is mo-
unreasonable to expect that II the
government helped pay schoo
costs, it would insist that the col
ored schools and white schools b'
merged and that colored children
90 to school with white children
It might also insist that any schoo
teacher, white or colored, wh'
held the required certificate
should lie entitled to teach in an!
school. Thus it might be tina
white teachers would be com
pelled to teach colored children
or colored teachers be employee,
to teach white children, OF Dot'
; mixed in the same school.
, So while it would undoubteds!
be very nice for North Carolin'
to get several million dollars