the advancement of their education is best served when the responsibility for these is left to rest where it properly belongs-on State and local authorities who, by reason of their close contact with the child and with local conditions, are also best able to devise effective means for implementing such measures in order to being about desired results. In other words, we feel that shared responsibility too often tends to become nobody's responsibility, and we would wish to see adopted a policy which would provide for a return to normal local and State responsibility just as soon as conditions would at all warrant such return.

STATEMENT OF LILLIAN DETRE FOR NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN

Because we believe that adequate education of the youth of the Nation is the only sound basis of democracy, we heartily endorse S. 1313 introduced by Senator Thomas of Utah.

STATEMENT OF DR. MINNIE L. MAFFETT, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL FEDERATION OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CLUBS, INC.

The National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc., representing over 77,000 women in more than 1,650 communities throughout the United States, has for many years been in favor of Federal aid for education, provided State control of funds is guaranteed. Therefore, we urge your favorable report on Senate bill S. 1313.

As business and professional women we realize that the preservation of democracy and our American way of life depends in large measure on the improvement of educational opportunities for all. We need more and more knowledge if we are to act as intelligent citizens. Consequently, increased public-school facilities for the use of our country become a vital part of our defense of democracy.

We feel that education is rightly a national concern. The United States is a unified Nation and our strength lies in our national unity. We all know that local and State support of public education is tragically inadequate in many sections of our country. The only way to raise the educational standards in these areas is some form of Federal aid.

We

We have always insisted that "State control of funds be guaranteed." believe bill S. 1313 adequately provides for State administration and determination of local policies.

Furthermore, while we recognize the necessity of curtailing nondefense Government expenditures at the present time, we believe that better education is an essential part of that democracy we are all eager and ready to defend. We can

not secure government by the consent of the governed, especially in our complicated modern society, unless that consent is enlightened. One of our best defenses against dictatorship now and in the future is more money for our public schools, and increased educational opportunities for all.

STATEMENT OF SELMA M. BORCHARDT, LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

On behalf of the American Federation of Teachers I wish to endorse the two principles set forth in the one bill which is before us: The principle of permanent Federal aid to the States for education and the principle of immediate emergency Federal aid to be given to the areas now affected by the national-defense program. The American Federation of Teachers is the professional organization of teachers affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. We are therefore deeply concerned with the proper maintenance of our Nation's schools both as teachers and as trade unionists. You gentlemen are all well aware of the fact that the establishment and development of the free public-school system of America is to a great extent due to the sacrifices, vision, and courage of the organized labor movement of our country.

For a century and a quarter now the American workman has made the full and proper support of our public schools one of his main objectives, and every bonafide trade-union of this country since 1828 has devotedly applied itself to this cause. It was the American Federation of Labor, working with the American Federation of Teachers, which laid the groundwork for the legislation which

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gave the Nation the first program of Federal aid to the States for educationthat was for vocational education. It was the American Federation of Teachers, with the help of our parent organization the American Federation of Labor, which as some of you gentlemen remember, led the fight for some sort of emergency aid for our schools in 1933; the fight which was led successfully in the Senate by the late Bronson Cutting, in March 1935. We trade-unionists shall ever honor Senator Cutting's name for his continuous crusade for the good of our people; a crusade in which his fight for Federal aid for education was one in which he was deeply concerned.

I mention these points, gentlemen, not only to give credit where credit is so richly due, but to recall to you that the American Federation of Teachers has continuously fought for both principles set forth in this bill. And we fight for both.

The tremendous need for Federal aid to the States for education is a need not alone of the States, but far more of the Nation as a whole. Social literacy knows no State lines. The uneducated child of one State today becomes the problem of some other State tomorrow. The vast financial holdings of certain interests in certain States, which holdings can better be taxed by the Federal Government, yield a return-we believe in terms of taxes to our Federal Government it should be a large one-which should in part at least be returned to the State from which it is drawn. Actually, many of the so-called poorer States yield in corporate earnings to corporations of another State vast returns; returns which can be returned only in the form of social gains made available through an equitable distribution of Federal taxes placed on such holdings.

There has been presented to this committee by the best authorities of our Government a picture of the desperate need in many of the States, for funds with which to maintain schools and care for our children. I say "desperate need" advisedly for to us who believe in a functional democracy living by the guidance of an enlightened and alert citizenry the failure to provide the people of all the States with an education to enable all the people to perform their civic duties properly is a most alarming challenge; a challenge, we believe, gentlemen, which must be met now, if our America as we wish it to be is to survive.

Those who have spoken to you have told you both of the need and of the utter inability of the several States to meet that need. It is not necessary for others to repeat to you those figures. It is necessary that we and that every other group of American citizens devoted to the ideals of our Nation call these facts and figures to your attention again and again and urge you all as our chosen representatives to serve America by voting to give such aid.

Mr. McNutt gave you all a vivid picture of the additional need to which the emergency defense program has given rise. Something must be done and done right away to help communities which have overnight been developed to many times their original size. School buildings, school teachers, recreational facilities, health facilities-factors necessary for the very life and safety of the communitymust be provided immediately lest we create another emergency as bad as the one which causes this situation. For the emergency we ask that money be made available immediately, with such safeguards as will assure its distribution on a basis of actual emergency need and with absolute recognition that the Government of the United States is concerned with the welfare of each citizen, as well as of all citizens, and that none shall be discriminated against.

With this much of a declaration of our policy and of the principles to which we subscribe I would present to you the action of my organization on the wording of the bill itself. The action to which I refer is the action of the executive council of the American Federation of Teachers which acts for us between conventions. Actually I know of no organization which has met in formal session since this bill was introduced and which has therefore had time to consider the bill itself, except through one of its committees, just as we have done.

First of all we favor both principles-permanent and emergency aid-but we favor them in separate bills. The whole principle of distribution of a permanent and of an emergency program would, because of the very nature of the facts and conditions, be entirely different.

Second, we believe that the plan or policy of distribution should be an objective one and that it should be set forth in the act itself and not left to the judgment of five persons appointed without stipulation qualifications, for an indefinite period by the President of the United States.

Third, we believe that the language of the bill must be clarified on every point. We recognize the fact that by placing a program of permanent aid in an emergency bill that there is bound to be confusion. And for this reason as well as for those

already stated we favor separating the two principles into separate bills. But in addition to the confusion which comes into the bill because it does try to merge two different bills into one, there is also a need for clarification on a number in the distribution of Federal funds. There is much language in the bill about having the Board "take into consideration" this and that; there is also a statement that the distribution is to be made "with due regard" for certain principles in this question. Later there is the reference to Federal court decisions which are to be guides in effecting distribution. However, there is no date given regarding these decisions, nor is any case specifically cited. The "s" on the word "decisions," the failure to use dates and definite case citations made this extremely important principle in the bill a very vague and confusing one, especially if we are to regard the bill in light of permanent legislation and a not permanent Supreme Court. On numerous points, the language of the bill is equally as confusing. May I say, gentlemen, that we in the labor movement have learned by said experience, that we must concern ourselves with the language of a bill just as much as with the avowed purpose of the bill.

We therefore urge you gentlemen to act favorably on both principles: Permanent Federal aid and emergency Federal aid but to act on them separately. We repeat our request for an objective standard of distribution in any plan for permanent aid, that plan to be written into the bill itself. We believe that the emergency aid should also be administered in keeping with a well-thought-out standard, but that the very nature of emergency demands greater flexibility in administration; but that on one point there can be no objective standard, no flexibility of administration: That all citizens share equally in the benefits of funds for public education, and that no discrimination against any group because of race, creed, or social status is to be tolerated.

We plead for both emergency and permanent Federal aid for education, quickly and fully given, because we plead for America itself.

STATEMENT BY LOUIS WIN RAPEER, PRESIDENT OF THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, WASHINGTON, D. C.

I urge the passage of this bill, and object only to the small amount of money requested for so gigantic a task. When we speak of our democratic school system for all children and youth, we usually refer to the schools and the child-welfare work provided in a few wealthy spots of the United States. Actually, a very large proportion of children and youth are without adequate, and even defensible, schocling, health provisions, and food; they are denied equal opportunity from the day they are born; and the 2 out of 5 of our young men being rejected for physical defects are only symptoms of long national neglect of the Nation's childhood. Our district and State method of paying for the upbringing of the young simply does not work; and the injustice falls on those defenseless ones whom a wise and a far-seeing democracy would bring up to the highest possible level of personal and social efficiency.

We face decades, not a few years, of stern preparedness for defense and offense. Since the downfall of France, American schools have had imposed upon them an entirely new aim and duty-to provide effective upbringing of soldiers and mothers of soldiers. Hitler started his youth-developing agencies a generation ago; and the kind of world situation we face demands total preparedness from the foundations up. Meeting this new aim of all agencies for rearing sturdy and educated children and at least the 31 millions of school age is a vast and expensive task. A billion dollars a year would be insufficient; and it must come from the Federal Government. The bill asks for only the cost of three or four battleships to meet emergencies, not enough to implement effectively this new aim of democratic schools.

If we don't get this Federal aid started well now we shall probably never get it started, for the stern prospect is war and a kind of war that robs all nonmilitary expenditures. The same hand that gives away billions, hundreds of ships, and then stuffs vessels full of costly war products probably to be sunk can use a cleaver on small expenditures for the next generation. To offset this tendency, the Nation needs legislators who will not only support the President but press forward on the youth front and thus invest in our own flesh and blood, whereas now we are gambling on too many unpredictables where the utmost caution should be the rule. While Congress is almost in the habit of voting billions, a half billion is none too high for this bill.

Educators are gentle folk who make poor lobbyists, politicians, and fighters for the Nation's children. They have failed in the task proposed in this bill for decades because they couldn't rouse Congress to the terrible inequalities curable only with Federal help. Give them your support in this emergency.

STATEMENT OF CATHRINE CURTIS, WASHINGTON, D. C., NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, THE MOTHERS NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

We seriously doubt there is a member of this committee-or of the Congresswho may read this statement without paying at least a silent tribute to his mother, who taught him not only how to talk, but also the primary fundamentals of reading and writing.

It is

The mothers of this country are the primary teachers of our children. from the mother that the child learns how to make known its wants-first by sounds and later by words. The mother, with loving and diligent care, teaches the small fingers how to hold a crayon-then how to move that crayon across the paper, making letters and then forming them into words, thereby laying the foundation for all education we may later acquire.

In view of this, it is not surprising that any proposal bearing upon our educational system should be of vital interest to the mothers of this country. They have aided in establishing that system-first in the home and later in expanding it to its present position of world leadership.

They have watched, with considerable anxiety, the innumerable attempts made particularly during the past decade to destroy the influence of the home in the child's education, by placing all educational direction under centralized Federal control. All such attempts in the past have been defeated, due largely to the rightful opposition of the mothers.

Today, when the mothers of our country are heartsick over this drive toward foreign war involvement, carried forward under the guise of "national defense," they now are compelled to face a new attack upon our educational system by the forces of bureaucratic centralization and educational regimentation under the false front of "to strengthen the national defense."

We oppose this proposed legislation on several grounds. First: It is a series of contradictions. In section 1 of S. 1313, it sets forth under the caption "Finding of Fact," that the Congress finds there is a serious situation existent in the educational field due to the national-defense program, whereby the States are unable to provide the necessary educational facilities required by large increases in population in some communities as a result of national-defense projects.

Yet, in section 4 of the same bill, the special board which S. 1313 would create in the Federal Security Administration, is authorized to conduct studies and surveys to determine the needs for funds to meet this situation. This, to us, seems a definite admission that such needs, if any, are not at present known to the Congress, despite the statements set forth in section 1.

In addition to the foregoing specific instructions for surveys to determine such, if any, additional educational needs, section 11 provides further appropriations for apparently similar studies and surveys under the direction of the Commissioner of Education.

Considering the provisions of these two sections as against the alleged "Finding of Fact" in section 1, we contend they establish there is no such finding of fact now available that establishes the need for such legislation.

Despite the apparent discrepancies of the above-cited sections, this bill would appropriate from the Federal Treasury the sum of $300,000,000, for the present fiscal year, and for each fiscal year thereafter.

There has been considerable reference of late years to the horse-and-buggy days and practices of those days, all of which have been held up to ridicule by proponents of so-called modernized, streamlined present-day proposals. Yet, study of this proposed legislation cannot help but compel the realization that it falls into a classification which can only be aptly described by a horse-and-buggy days quotation:

"It puts the cart before the horse."

Congress is asked by this proposed legislation to appropriate a large sum of taxpayers' money, $300,000,000 for alleged needs, with the provision that the needs, if any, are to be determined after the money is appropriated:

There is another interesting thought necessarily developed by the wording of this proposed legislation. The mothers of this country have been led to believe

nature.

the present national-defense program is an emergency one, not of a permanent Yet, this bill declares it is to meet a national-defense need-but provides for permanent, continuing appropriations. Does this signify that soon we are to be told the so-called national-defense program is not of an emergency, but of a permanent nature?

Second: While the bill declares in section 2 that the proposed Federal aid to education is to be given without Federal control over the educational policies of States and localities. * * * Section 13 quite apparently contradicts this

language.

We are convinced that any liberal interpretation of section 13 will enable definite and absolute Federal control over the educational policies of States and localities.

Further, we are convinced that such liberal interpretation of this section will enable those who are seeking to destroy our form of government through introducing the teaching of un-American doctrines into our schools, to circumvent all State legislative restrictions against such teachings. We can see no other reason for incorporating subsection (b) of section 13 in this bill than for such purpose.

In addition, subsection (a) of section 13 grants the all too customary bureaucratic power to write rules and regulations for the administration of the proposed legislation. The mothers of this country are only too familiar with the results achieved under such previous grants of regulatory power to certain types of bureaucrats, and cannot but view the grant of any such powers over our educational system with great alarm and trepidation.

* *

Subsection (c) of section 13 also apparently refutes the claim of proponents of this legislation that it will not be used to establish centralized bureaucratic control over our educational system. If the Federal Government is to retain title to school buildings and equipment constructed or bought with funds appropriated pursuant to this act *then we are fearful such title control will be used by Federal bureaucrats to dictate just how such buildings and equipment will be used. There is too much evidence available to establish that such title control has been so used in the past in relation to establishing Federal control over purely localized activities.

Third: Section 1 declares this legislation necessary to provide needed funds because of the burdens already imposed upon property taxes from which public schools are largely supported. It is readily recognized that the present tax burdens on property already are enormous. But can proponents of this legislation give any assurance it will not increase this now too heavy burden on property? What does $300,000,000 represent in relation to present taxes on propertyboth as to producing general revenues as well as school revenues?

This amount is equal to 7.3 percent of the gross revenues of all the States for the year 1937, according to United States Department of Commerce figures. It further represents 20 percent of the total Federal revenues produced from general property taxes in the year 1936 and is equal to 127 percent of the total levies of general and selective property taxes by all 48 States in 1937.

As to school revenues, it is equal to 15 percent of the total amount spent by all 48 States in 1936 for all public and elementary education and represents an increase of 17 percent in the per capita educational costs of the States for the same year.

We are convinced this proposed legislation comes to the Congress in direct contravention of constitutional provisions for such legislation. This bill provides for an appropriation and the recognized constitutional procedure for appropriation bills is to have them originate in the House of Representatives. Yet, as of this date, no record of such a bill can be found as having been proposed in the House. There is a bill that already has passsed the House, which unquestionably provides for increased financial needs of educational districts that may be traced to the national-defense program. This is H. R. 4545, passed by the House of Representatives May 9 of this year, which appropriates the sum of $150,000,000 for the use of the Work Projects Administration, to care for housing, sewerage, educational, and other needs caused by localized expansion due to nationaldefense projects.

Please note, the House has determined that $150,000,000 is sufficient to meet not only national defense increased educational needs, but also housing, sewerage, and other such needs while this bill asks for an outright, continuing grant of twice that amount only for alleged educational needs.

On behalf of the many mothers' groups throughout the country whose activities are coordinated by the Mothers National Executive Committee, we recommend as follows in relation to S. 1313: