The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1963-04-05

Tn the all-important area of educa
ton, which affects more than one
fourth of our citizens directly, an,
all of us more or less indirectly, tn
Repubican-led House continued thei
attempts to return Montana to tn
horse-and- buggy age. The creates
single attack ON our educational sys
tenn was the vicious and totally un
founded criticism directed to State
Superintendent of Public instruction
Harriet Miller. Miss Miller has be-
come the object of a vendetta be.
cause she would not knuckle to the
demands of the opposition's ruthless
right wing.
AS member of the State Board
of Education, Miss Miller has time
and time again championed the
cause of those who have dared to
stand up and be counted in their
fight for better education of Mon
tana children. Her approach has
been one of simply putting honest
principles ahead of petty party
branch hate.
In shooting at Miss Miller, opposi-
ton members singled out her depart
ment several times on the floor of
the House, accusing members of
her department of sitting in the
House galleries and taking notes
while at the same time, and daily
throughout the session, heads and
members of other departments of
state were also either sitting in the
galleries or on the House floor. While
it is perfectly natural, and actually
to be commended, that various state
departments are vitality interested in
the outcome of legislation affecting
their obligations, the state school
superintendent was the only official
challenged for such interest.
COP INDUCED IN BUDGET
OBFUSCATION
Charges were made that the in |
struction department was big spend |
er, and figures thrown out for COM
parison with past budgets were dis
tastefully colored by including fed
eral grants-in-aid for the current
budget, to make the growth seem out
of proportion. These federal funds
have not been included in past legis-
lative bills, and are not part of the
state appropriation for the operation
of this department.. While using this
information, the opposi-
ton warriors conveniently forgot to
the many new services Of
fered the schools through improved
and new educational programs COM
ng from the State Superintendent
The majority party in the 1868
House made their perennial stand
quite clear in their repeated at |;
tempts to camouflage the states
responsibility j. in supporting pub
lie schools.
Disregarding the recommendations
# the two-year study by Governor
Jutter's Foundation Study Commit
ee, and, indeed, the recommends
ions of Governor Babcock in his
State message, the spec
legislators of the opposi-
iOih Hi<tUO ICPC0OCo 1OOCltlpIS NC
troy Senate Bill 20, by trying to re-
uce budgeting power of local school
and by reducing the founda-
on program level that would hide i
brewer the states obligations. Their " y
had they been adopted, =
ould have absolved the state of any y
lame, even if MO money at all were -
by the Legislature. -
LOW MANI ON STATE SUPPORT it
In a December news release, the in
overnor was quoted as promising
e people of Montana an increase in oil
ate school appropriation of from CT
" to SIS million dollars. Contrary pr
the Governors recommendation, gr
. Republican-controlled Appropria- as
ms Committee cut this amount to 19
- H.. x~,s11.ox, o~xoo4.-.~~ 70