The Lexington advertiser., 1936-07-16
Harrison Introduces
Bill To Aid Schools

There was introduced in both houses
OF Congress. bills to appropriate FEEDER
al funds to assist states and territories
in support of education, prior to ad-
journment of the two national bodies
Senator Pat Harrison. chairman of the
Finance Committee, introduced the bill
in the Senate and Congressman Brooks
Fletcher of Ohio, member of the House
Committee on Education, introduced it
in the House.
The bill seeks to appropriate for the
first year S100,000,000 out of the Federal
treasury to the various states and ter
ritories. to be appropriated according
to number of children between the ages
OF tive and twenty, inclusive, in the
various states and territories 1t gives
to the several states the full authority
to use the allotted funds for the improve
ment of their public school system in
such manner as the respective legis-
latures see fit. The bill in no way seeks
to influence or control the type of edu-
cation to be prescribed by the several
states, but gives them a free hand. SEN
ator Harrison, in speaking of the bill
said:
daSSlioI ODDOf-
'uhities should be given by the Govern
inent to all the children of the country.
because OF adverse conditions in certain
sections OF our country and especially
IN many of the states, the lengths of the
pubic school terms have been shorten
ed and the youths in those states have
Deen denied, without any fault upon
thelr part, the opportunity for an edu-
'"'io"' education is so vital that il
cannot be restricted to local problem
oul must be looked at from n Nation.l
STANDPOINT. This country is too rich
ana resourceful for it to be otherwise
From Jefferson on down statesmen of
every age have taken the position that
2"olc education was of such Importance
TO the welfare and progress of the Ma
'lon that every educational opportunity
Shouid be given to American youth. The
FEDERAL Government is now cooperating
with the states and furnishing funds for
vocational education, for agricultural ed
ucatlon, and for general education thru
the Land Grant Colleges; but few if
any expenditures could be made bv the
+ Federal Government that would bring
a greater reward and be of greater as
Slstance to the people in many of the
states of the Union that reasonable al
iotments to the states for public edu-
cation
1T is not necessary for me to saw that
II the Federal Government can assist
IN the construction of public roads. it
should certainly assist the states in the
matter of public education There is
nothing new in the proposal From al
most the beginning of the Government
1T has been recognized that the Federal
Government should assist education.
Large grants of the public domain have
been made for this specific purpose. 1t
may be some time before the legislation
that have proposed will be passed, but
the sentiment of the country is for it,
and the legislation is backed by the edu-
cational authorities of practically every
state in the union, and many other Nat
lonal organizations. | shall press for
ward for its enactment, with the as
surance that every educational agency
is behind the proposal, and we will carry
on the fight until the principle is en-
acted into law"