Evening star., 1936-02-26
TAUSS|G DEFENDS
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Education Session Told Fed.
eraI Domination CHARGE
Is Ridiculous.
BY the Associated Press.

ST. LOUIS, February 26.-Charles
w. Taussig. Advisory Committee chair
man Of the National Youth Admins
tration. today termed ridiculous" an
assertion of President Lotus D. Coff.
man of the University Of Minnesota
that through the organization the
Federal Government plans to DOM
mate the Nations schools.
Taussig, here to address the Ma
tional Education Associations Depart
ment Of Superintendent, answered
an attack Cof7man made on the N Y.
A. Monday night before the educators.
"The charge that N. Y. A. is ad-
ministered by persons who qualify
primarily because they belong to q
particular political party is unfound-
ed," Taussig said.
"No Politics Involved"
II can say positively that no po-
litical consideration is involved in any
appointment in this agency. The staff
must be chosen with view OF its
fitness for this particular work, and
the fact that the administration of
the $4,000, 900 allotted to the N. Y. A.
has been conducted at a cost of 8
per cent shows the small part the
administration plays in the work.
"All money allotted for educational
activities is spent through the school
officials Of the various States to which
it Is allotted and the presidents of the
,jvorrifio~ and r01lnoao
Organization of teachers to aid
themselves and their profession was
recommended yesterday in a commit
tee repore to the superintendents.
The proposed organizations were
referred to as teacher guilds" Such
guilds would include "all those en-
gagged In teaching from nursery school
through university" and those em-
ployed in school administration or
supervision.
Outlining what 1t termed the merits
Of such organization the committee,
headed by Paul c. Stetson superin.
tendent Of schools in indianapolis,
said:
"As q professional organization they
(the teachers) would use every eff
fective means for informing the people
on the value and needs of public edu-
cation and the reasonable demands
Of the profession for adequate COM
pensation. recognition, security and
freedom in teaching"
Would Supplant Other Groups.
The guilds. said the committee,
eventually would supplant all subsid-
iary organizations of the N. E. A.,
including the department of superin-
tendence, the department of second
ary school principals and the depart
ment Of elementary school principals.
Local chapters would elect representa-
tives to State associations, which
would be federated into a national Or
ganiZation.
Other committee recommendations
The changing of the name of the
department of superintendent to that
Of the American Association of School
Administrators.
Election of the department presi-
dent by an annual preferential bal
lot instead Of on the floor Of the con-
vention.
Elimination Of the Year Book Com
mission, whose reports it termed
"skeletonized versions of the speeches
delivered, largely valuable for archival
purposes" in favor of a summarize =
ton Of the various points of view on
current problems discussed at the con-
vention.
For Academic Freedom.
The department Of superintendent
pledged itself to q new war for aca-
demic freedom in overwhelmingly con-
demning the recent removal of DR..
Payson Smith as Commissioner of Ed
ucation in Massachusetts,.
Citing the dismissal Of DR.. Smith
as an instance Of the political re-
moval from office Of educational ad-
ministrators," the convention adopted
q resolution opposing the extension of
political influence into educational
matters.
Two educators from the Midwest
| and one from the Rocky Mountains
were nominated for president of the
department of superintendence. The
nominees, one Of whom will be elect
ed before the annual convention ad-
journs tomorrow, were:
William J. Began. Chicago: Car
roll r. Reed. Minneapolis, and A. l..
Threlkeld, Denver. All are super
intendents of schools in their cities.
A Socialist, q Republican and q
Democrat engaged In an old-fash-
ioned political debate last night. They
were Norman Thomas, Socialist can
didate for President in 1882; Henry J.
Allen, Republican, former Senator
from Kansas, and Democratic Senator
Alben w. Barkley of Kentucky.