Evening star., 1936-06-21
S|SSON BILL TOPS
NEXT CALENDAR
Norton Statement Asserts
Red Rider Is Blight on
u. S. Schools.

The SiSson bill to repeal the red
rider" to the 1886 District appropri-
alton act will not be forgotten when
Congress reconvenes in January, ac-
cording to Chairman Norton OF the
House District Committee.
Just prior to adjournment of Con-
gress last night, Mrs. Norton issued q
statement promising that the first Dis
trict bill to be called up in the House
in the new Congress would be Repre-
sentative Sisson's measure to repeal
the ban on teaching of the facts OF
Communism in the public schools. The
statement also explained the failure to
get House action on the bill before
adjournment.
ON May IL, the first District day
after the repeal bill was duly reported
out and approved by the District
Committee" Mrs. Norton said, "the
House leadership urgently requested
that it not be brought up for action
that afternoon because consideration
of it probably would have run over
into the following day. On the next
District day, May IS, the House met,
but Immediately adjourned out of re-
spect to Representative Randolph Per-
kins of New Jersey, who had died that
morning.
Adjournment Final Barrier.
"On what would have been the sub
sequent District day. June 8, Congress
To- I,r~ e. laA
National Convention. BY June %,
the date for the next scheduled Dis
trict day, Congress will be in adjourn
ment.
This repeal bill, in which all the
school teachers of the country have
shown very great interest because
of the far-flung threat it contains to
personal liberty and religious freedom.
may seem at first glance to be
matter chiefly concerned with the Dis.
trict of Columbia and its educational
system. However, it has become a
national issue now and is regarded as
such by the National Education As
Sociation.
Hits Political Usage.
THE Capital City of the Nation
should lead in setting the standard
for education for the country. There
fore, this ridiculous rider to the 1895
appropriation act is of paramount
importance to every sane, liberal
American citizen. The aim of every
educational system in the country is
to keep our schools out of politics and
the Congress of the United States
should take the lead in this objective,
Therefore, when legislation aimed at
dictatorship in our schools in Wash.
ington is permitted, it would undoubt-
edly lead to very serious breakdown
in our much desired freedom from
political influence.
This statement is issued to give
the facts of the matter as it now
stands to the hundreds of parents and
teachers who are supporting us faith
fully in our efforts to expunge the
malodorous 'red-rider' from. the
statute books Of our Nation"
Charges Reprinted. -.
Concurrently, Representative Jenck-
eS, OemocraL, OF indiana, a member
of the House District Committee, in
serted in the Congressional Record a
statement reiterating her charges Of
several months ago that the Board
of Education is pro-communistic. She
declared these charges had not yet
been answered.
Instead" Mrs. Jenckes said, 1.-The
Board of Education of the District Of
Columbia, its friends and lobbyists,
have joined with the friends and lobby
lists who are promoting and protecting
the cause Of communism throughout
the United States, and thrown up a
smoke screen with reference to the
red rider I specifically stated at q
hearing that I would
vote for q repeal Of the red rideyS