The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1961-08-18


have paralyzed us so far as matters
closer 10 home are concerned.
Despite the Presidents strong words
at recent press conference, the Adj
ministration is not yet moving de-
ciSively on the question of federal
aid to public schools. Many educators
and leaders of parent-teacher organi-
cations still feel uneasy. Some ask:
Will the Administration ever get go
ing?
"A Politicians have long felt that
there were not many votes in provid-
ing funds for education and not much
money, either. School operations,
whether they involve construction or
teachers salaries, are usually watched
much more closely than bodybuilding,
which is often lucrative source of
political capital, occasionally spelled
GRAFT.
The politicians, of course, could be
wrong. If they do nothing about pro-
viding better schools for American
children, while quite properly sup
porting our foreign aid spending pro-
gram, they may discover that the
question of aid for public schools is
a torrid domestic issue. 1t is one
that is not likely to go away.
The question of federal aid to the
public schools has many facets. The
most explosive, of course, is whether
to broaden it to include aid to paro-
chial schools.
So far as the facts about the
schools needs are concerned, they |
have been told many times. There
has been overcrowding, decline in
the quality of school personnel, de-
terioration of buildings and equip
ment, inadequate training for teach
ers and lack of incentives for enter
ing the teaching profession. On the
whole, there has been relatively little
about these basic facts.
IMPLICATIONS
FOR KENNEDY
But for the President there is an
3ther aspect to the public school bill.
1t is one that has implications for the
next u years of his Administration
rs we'll his chances of being more
han a one-term President.
The question is this: Has he the
to fight the school
ssue out with those conservatives
Who do not want any federal aid for /
schools and those members of his
Church hierarchy who feel that it is ,
row. or maybe never, on getting fed I
raj funds for parochial schools?
1t is easy to put this problem down c
N paper, it is less easily solved. l
There are some presidential adj $
Users who feel that a fight with +
,atholic Church officials and also n
Conservative politicians would jeop-
rdize the Democrats chances of re- 7
aiming control of Congress next {
ear. When analysed in terms of f
otes lin athe big cities it could cut i.
9th ways. e
In some areas reapportionment it. d
elf will cut down the size of Demo- r
ratio delegations. There are White 8
louise "realists" who fear that furth- R
r alienation Of big city voters of
he Catholic faith would prove poll =
cally disastrous.
! That is one side of the argument.
The other side and one which some "
the advisers do not seem fully to II
opreeiate is that the school issue u
as become test of the Presidents c.
pod faith with millions of other a
oters- Protestant, liberal, Jewish, a
These are voters VINO q
ere persuaded by the President o.
.marks to the Houston ministers
,out. his attitude on separation of y
hurch and State. They were i'm Il
'essed by his pledge even to resign d
e Presidency if there ever were an Ie
reconcilable conflict. az
Many people voted for Kennedy, OF
,lieving in him, but still retaining y
,ubts about his ability to keep his III
edge. They resolved the doubt in
S favor on Election Day. Events W
nee. then have rekindled it. Y
He CRUCIAL TEST ne
For them the federal public school a
4 bill is THE crucial test for the TIL
On the whole these are broad sa
ndad citizens not biqOts They I'M W.