Evening star., 1955-02-22
Segregation Issue
Held Obstacle 10
Federal School Aid
BY the Associoted Press

pt tne tbscCiotSu FEGss
A possible civil rights fight
threatened today to set up an
obstacle to Federal school aid
legislation.
Senator Mcnamara, Democrat,
of Michigan said an amendment
to ban Federal aid to State which
segregate white and Negro chill
dren in their schools "is the in
strument which could defeat the
bill"
In separate interviews, Sena-
tors Mcnamara and Douglas,
Democrat, of Illinois threw their
support to the billion-dollar, two
year Federal grants-in-aid pro-
gram sponsored by Senator Hill,
Democrat, of Alabama, chair
man of the Labor Committee
which is considering school aid
proposals. Senators Mcnamara
and Douglas are members.
Senator Douglas said he will
support the Hill bill although it
would give more aid to poorer
States, thus cutting the pro-
portionate share of such States
as Illinois, New York and Michi-
gan.
Senator Mcnamara said the
committee would look very
carefully at Hills formula" and
that he is not fully committed
to it. The formula takes into
account both a States per capita
income and its school-age popu-
lation.
Agrees With Cost.
But Senator Mcnamara said
he is in full agreement with the
price-tag in the Hill bill and in
dicated any dispute among
Democrats over a possible change
in the formula would be peace
ably resolved.
President Eisenhower's own
school aid bill carries only 5000
million in. direct aid to the
States. over a three-year period.
The money would be available
only if needy school districts
could not qualify for Federal
loan guarantee and credit provi-
sions which constitute the bulk
of the administration program.
Senator Hill predicted a ma
jority of his committee will vote
to scuttle the administration
program. Educators have uni
versally criticized it as made
quate to ease a shortage esti-
mated at more than 5000
classrooms.
Neither the Eisenhower nor
the Hill measures now contains
any provision tying school con-
struction aid to the Supreme
Courts decision outlawing school
segregation.
Sees Segregation Gain.
Yesterday Clarence Mitchell,
representing the National Asso-
ciation. for. the Advancement of
Colored People. told the COM
mittee he sees "a very serious
possibility that the bill (the ad-
ministration measure) in its
present form would open the
door for numerous attempts to
continue racial segregation in
the public schools"
Mr.. Mitchell asked a "two-
listed fight" by the committee
to tack a non-segregation pro-
vision onto any school aid bill
1t recommends to the Senate.
Under questioning Mr.. Nit
chell said he would assume that
any such provision would likely
lead to efforts by some South
ern Senators to talk the bill to
death.
The committee completed four
days of hearings on the Eisen-
hover school aid bill late yes
terday with critical testimony
from both the CIO and AFL.
Andrew w. Biemiller of the
AFL and George T. Guernsey of
the CIO denounced the admin
istration bill as inadequate.
Mr.. Guernsey, associate direc-
tor of education for the CIO.
said the measure would provide
too little" in the way of aid.
Half-hearted and pinch-pen-
ny" was the label used by Mr..
Biemiller. legislative representa-
tive for the AFL.