Milford chronicle., 1960-02-12
Sen. J. A. Frear's
Weekly Letter

In its major legislative action of
the week, the Senate passed a bill
authorizing Federal assistance for
school construction. Preceding the
final vote the Senate spent many
hours in both day and night ses-
sions on various amendments to the
pending measure. The debate was
extensive and in great detail both
as to the extent and scope of the
bill itself as well as the broad prin-
ciples involved in legislation of
this character.
Over the years have held strong
reservations as to the wisdom of
Federal aim to education because
of the feeling that participation by
the Government in educational af-
fairs would bring about a measure
of influence and perhaps control.
1t has been my conviction that pub
lie education is and should remain
a responsibility of the states and
| local communities. However, if we
are to have Federal aid either for
construction of school facilities,
teacher salaries or any other form
of assistance, am strongly con-
vinced that control of the funds
involved should be vested in the
states and not supervised by the
Federal Government. This at least
will reserve to the states the final
right as to the utilization of Fed
eral monies which after all are sim
l. III ~ he 10
from whom they were secured
through Federal taxes in the first
place.
Another point on this general
question is well worth noting. Del
aware, by virtue of the formula de-
veloped for the apportionment of
the Federal assistance bill would
pay substantially more into the
program than it would receive, per-
haps as much six dollars for each
dollar received. This, believe, is
something every taxpayer in our
state will want to think about pref
ty carefully in these days of ex-
panding costs and at time when
the financial condition of Delaware
is surely not the best.
Late last week the Department
of Defense advised me that it would
seek a substantial sum of money
for new military construction al
the former Army Base of Fort
Miles in Sussex County. The new
user of Fort Miles is going to be
the Navy. At the moment / am not
in a position to spell out in detail
what the Navy's program will be
but l am reliably informed thai
plans call for the movement OF
Oceanographic facilities now al
Cape May to the Delaware installa
tion. am highly pleased that For
Miles is to be usefully occupied
again and hope that the primary
mission of the Navy program viii
not only be beneficial to our sys
tenn of national defense but will
have a beneficial economic effec
on that portion of Sussex Count!
where it is located. When further
details become available, they viii
be made known for the information
and guidance of all interested per
sons in Delaware.
| And speaking of national defense
matters, 1 wish to insure the EN-
ployees of the tank plant in New.
ark as we'll as the community il
general that we are doing every
thing possible to encourage con
tinued utilization of the facilitie!
at the plant and have every hope
that they will be carried on with
out interruption both in the i'm
mediate future and long range al
we'll Additional industrial activit!
at the Newark plant is shaping III
in the wake of the information fur
nished me by the Chrysler Corpor
alton that it will begin the produc
ton of it's new compact car, tht
Valiant, in mid-April. This devel
opment will, I hope, contribute t6
an expansion of the working force
in the Newark area.