Evening star., 1955-02-10
The Political Min
Eisenhower Grubs Boil
In Educution-Aid Drive
Democrats Determined
To Pass Much Bigger Bill
By Gould Lincoln

To Pass Much Bigger Bill
By Gould Lincoln
The Eisenhower administration has
grabbed the ball in the drive for Federal
aid in school construction, SEEM
ingly in the nick of time. For the DEM
ocrats in the Senate and House are bent
on putting through school building pro-
grams of their own-with the Federal
Government reaching much further
into its pocket to finance the operations.
Senator Hill of Alabama Democratic
chairman of the Senate Committee on
Labor and Public Welfare, and Repre-
sentative Bailey of West Virginia, chair
man of a comparable House committee,
both have bills before their committees
and Senator Hill has already been
conducting hearings on his bill
President Eisenhower has come for
ward with special message dealing
with the school emergency. And bill
strictly an emergency meaSure-whlch
has been introduced in the Senate by
Senator Smith of New Jersey, ranking
Republican on the Labor and Public
Welfare Committee. and in the House
by Representative FrelinghuySen, also
of New Jersey, toecarry out the Presl-
dents program is now before the two
committees Senator Smith will ask
for hearing on the Eisenhower bill,
and expects to get it. 1t is not likely
that the recommendations of the Presi-
dent will be ignored-even though the
LII k11o d. kills
out of the Senate and House COM
mittees.
Two Approaches.
Two schools of opinion on how best
to meet the school-shortage emergency
are presented. The President obviously
wants to keep the Federal Government
out of schools as far as possible. leaving
the Job to the localities and the States.
So his emergency bill provides for the
purchase by the Federal Government
of bonds issued by local educational
agencies to finance school construction
where such obligation cannot be mar
keted at reasonable rates Of interest. It
also provides for Government aid to the
States in issuing State obligations to
finance school construction for rental
and eventual ownership by local agen-
cies. And third. it provides for Federal
grants to States in areas where the sit
uation is acute. and the conditions OF
the first two parts of this program
cannot be met. The bill proposes that
Congress authorize the appropriation Of
a sum not to exceed an aggregate Of
G750 million for the next three fiscal
years, beginning July l, 1855, to carry
out the program. Also there are pro-
visions for funds for administrative
purposes. The Hill bill. on the other
hand, proposes to appropriate without
further delay $500 million to be used
for grants-in-aid to the States.
The Bailey bill in the House. which
also is sponsored by Representative
Kearns of Pennsylvania. ranking Re-
publican member of the committee,
goes much further. 1t would authorize
the use Of Federal funds up to Sc billion
over six-year period. to be matched
dollar for dollar by the States. This is
Federal grant program, pure and simple.
People Will Pay.
The American people and their Con-
greSs will have to make UP their COL
lective minds whether the money needed
for SchoolS-and a great deal is needed
to meet shortage of 10000 school,
rooms-is to be paid for out of taxes
taken by the Federal Government or out
OF taxes levied by the States and local
tiles. Either way, the people have to
pay for the schools. The President be-
h4N et1 H.
eral Government should keep it's hands
off public education and leave it to tine
States-as contemplated when the Con-
Stitution was drawn.
When Democratic leaders in the Sem
ate call his attention to the size of the
State debts, the President asks if they
have given attention to the Federal debt
which is now at all-time high. approx
imately $275 billion. Quite an argu-
ment on the Presidents side.
The whole question of what to do.
about the school shortage, which in
cludes shortage of teachers, is now in
the process Of study by committees in
every State. as provided for by Congress
during its last session. These studies
are. preliminary to Awhile House con-
ference on education next fall, whenI it
is hoped that a comprehensive and long
range program may be worked out. I'm
til the President has the benefit OF these
recommendations. he proposes to stand
on the emergency program he has now
proposed to Congress. There are sub
stantial Democrats in both House and
Senate who feel as the President does
that the Federal Government should
keep its hands off the public school sys-
tenn as far as possible and leave the
responsibility to the States and local
governments. In other words, the
Presidents program may still prevail.