The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1961-09-22

AAG0 49, N&SN0 NAAAJ ~ VIZ
and will reappear.
The legislators have con-
trived to avoid the contro-
versy again until 1868 af-
ter the congressional cleo
tions but it is fully ex-
pected that President Ken
nedy will return in that year
with more proposals and the
battle will be renewed.
EIGHT MONTHS of contro.
versy this year on massive
spending in behalf of schools
public and parochial-end-
ed with extension for two
years of two modest aid pro-
grams.
They are the 11-year-old
"impacted areas program
which gives money to public
school districts enrolling chill
dren of Federal employees
and the 1858 National De.
Tense Education Act.
Congress authori z G d 5000
million for the two, an
amount far removed from the
$5.7 billion in aid to public
grade and high schools and
to public and private colleges
which had been proposed by
President Kennedy.
FOR THE US. CATHOLIC
Church, the eight months
marked one of the few times
that the Church has been in
volved intensely in legisla-
ton before Congress.
The National Catholic Wei
fare Conference and individu.
al prelates, notably Francis
Cardinal Spellman, Archbish-
OPP of New York, repeatedly
appealed to Congress TO help
private schools if aid were to
be extended public schools.
Catholic spOkesmen appear
ed before both Senate
and House education commit
tees TO plead for equitable
treatment within the limits
of the constitutions provi-
sions on Church-State rela-
tlons.
TO MEET THESE requests
ecEoed by some Jewish
groups and numerous indivld-
uals - leaders of Congress
settled upon a construction
loan program. Over Catholic
objections, they embodied it
in a bill distinct from the
measure to aid public schools.
The three-year. 1915 mil
lion proposal called for 40
year, Understanding loans TO
assist parochial and other
private schools in building
rooms and facilities used for
science. mathematics and Ian
guage instruction, for physl-
cal fitness and for the sery-
ing of meals TO pupils.
THE MEASURE recei c d
from the Kennedy admins
tratlon a judgment that it
conlormed to constitutional
Church-State separation. This
opinion was given Congress in
a legal memorandum prepar-
cd by attorneys for the De-
partment of Health, Educa-
ton and Welfare. in coopera-
ton with lawyers from the
Department of Justice.
However, like all major
proposals, il died.
II was blocked in the
House Rules Committee by a
vote which held back from
the floor all major aid.to.edu-
cation bills.
Although reported favor
ably by the Senate Labor and
Public Welfare Committee, it
was never brought to the
floor by the leadership, dc.
spite public assurances that
il would be.
The assurances were given
when the Senate passed the
Presidents SIS million mea.
sure TO help build public
schools and pay the salaries
OF their teachers.
SEN. BARRY Goldwater of
Arizona attempted to include
a loan program for private
schools in the bill, but il was
defeated overwhelmingly af-
ter leaders said the Presi-
dent did not want ii attached
to the public school bill. Con.
%gressional leaders said it
would be brought up sepa.
rately at a later date.
Other religious bodies.
notably the National Council
Of Churches, we're also active
during the debate, largely in
opposition to aiding paroehi-
al and other nrlVate SchooIs