Evening star., 1940-02-04
Government Gradually Expands
Its Work in Field of Education
Federal Participation Multiplies Through Act
of Congress and Rulings Promulgated
by Officials and Courts
By DR.. David Spence Hill,

of Federal participation within the
States:
Decisions of Circuit, District and Su-
preme Courts of the United States in
cases involving education in the States.
Recent Federal grants and loans for
school construction emergency and adult
education.
National Youth Administration, with
special respect to part-time employment
of pupils.
Publications by United States ONCE of
Education.
Civilian Conservation Corps.
Encouragement of forums by the Of
flee of Education.
Uses of radio by that office.
Administration of Federal funds for
land-grant colleges by that office.
Administration of vocational educa-
ton funds in States by that Office.
Collection Of statistical reports from
school systems and institutions Of higher
education by that Office, and wide dis
semination of same.
George-Deen Act, 1867, supporting
vocational education and certain teacher
training in the States.
George-Ellzey Act, 1884 For voca-
tional education and teacher training.
George Reed Act, 1929 Education in
agriculture and home economies
Rehabilitation Acts, 1920, 1924. 1890
etc.
And innumerable other acts and serv-
iroc in, "a Eoll of
What May Be Done.
An added cause of perturbation with
respect to Federal activities in education
has been the fact that under the Acts
of Congress score of State universities
not having agricultural colleges do not
receive penny under the terms of the
Morrill,, Purnell and similar Acts of
Congress. Thus the Federal Govern
ment has been charged with discrimina-
ton against certain unsupported insti-
tutions as well as the indirect interfer-
ences with educational administration
in the States.
That education-the greatest altru-
istic enterprise for the common welfare
in America-is in financial difficulty,
while billions of dollars of Federally
collected money is being expended other.
wise, is known to practically everybody.
Let all taxpayers and parents watch
vigilantly the professed purposes and
management of any newly proposed Fed
eral expenditures; let them scrutinize
the records and the present sources Of
income Of leaders in these matters; let
them watch willy candidates prone to
make promises.
The public might also pay attention
profitably to the facts and recommended
tions respectively of the two different
National Advisory Committees on Edu-
cation, which two committees should not
be confused. The first one, supported
by philanthropy, was appointed by Presi-
dent Hoover and reported in 1881. Its
director of studies was the late Henry
Suzzallo. The second, called the Ad-
visory Committee on Education, was
appointed in 1886 by President Roose.
velt, was supported by Federal funds.
and its director of studies was Floyd
H. Reeves, formerly of the University
of Chicago, then of the Tennessee VAL
ley Authority, now of the American
Youth Commission. The Congress and
the President might well weigh the facts
and the recommendations of both of
these committees when and if proposals
for enlarged Federal participation in
education come before them.
In the event OF a sudden flood of
Federally collected funds provided at
Washington for education in the States
it will be interesting to observe in 1941
how many of the present promoters,
what types of men and women, will
secure the lucrative and powerful posts
managing these funds.
The rank and file of schoolmen will
watch this outcome. 1t seems clear
that the professional attitudes, motives
and scholarship of the majority of edu-
Gators working in behalf of youth and
the schools are beyond reproach, not
withstanding their differences of opin-
ion, and the presence of an occasional
racketeer in their midst.