of local problems; we realize that quite fully. We have discussed that in great detail; we have had as wild round-table discussions in our group on some of those questions, probably, as you have, with slightly different ways of expression but in very much the same terms and we do realize and understand those things. But, in a democracy, we realize, too, that one of the prices of all of the people trying to do all of the things for all of us is waste. Mr. TUCKER. I notice that you indicated that you thought the national direction of education would be a great benefit. Miss STEWART. We do. Mr. TUCKER. Are you aiming at a standard of education? Miss STEWART. If you mean one method, no; not at all. By standards we mean a better chance for more people. Mr. TUCKER. There is a great deal of discussion in the books about the nationalization of the schools and the federalization of the schools, and some of us had trouble about that. We do not know exactly what it means. Miss STEWART. Neither do I. I have not thought about it in those terms. I dare say the people who use it know what it is. I do not know what is meant by nationalization of schools. For instance, all of the Federal bureaus, the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce, set up all sorts of splendid standards, and by their investigation make it possible for people interested in those different lines to do better things. That is what we mean by standardization. Mr. TUCKER. I see. Miss WILLIAMS. I would like to file a statement here of Miss Adelia Prichard, president of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs. This statement is: We, the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs, declare our faith in the public schools of this country, and we affirm our unqualified support of Federal aid and Federal recognition for public education without Federal interference in any way with State or local control; and we believe that national leadership in education and the efficient administration of the educational activities of the Federal Government demand the creation of a department of education with a secretary in the President's Cabinet. Here is a resolution of the same organization which we would like to file with the statement. (The resolution referred to is as follows:) RESOLUTION PASSED JULY, 1923, BY NATIONAL FEDERATION OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CLUBS Whereas a sound education of all of its people is essential to a vital and enduring democracy; and Whereas the United States has provided public schools for educating its citizens; and Whereas we have declared that a thorough elementary and high school education is both desirable and essential for a successful career in business: Therefore be it Resolved, That we, the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs, declare our faith in the public schools of this country, and that we affirm our unqualified support of Federal aid and Federal recognition for public education without Federal interference in any way with State or local control; be it further Resolved, That we believe that national leadership in education and the efficient administration of the educational activities of the Federal Government demand the creation of a department of education, with a secretary in the Cabinet of the President. Miss WILLIAMS. The next speaker represents the American Association of University Women, leaders in American life and education, who indorse the principles of this bill, Mrs. Francis Fenton Bernard. STATEMENT OF MRS. FRANCIS FENTON BERNARD, EDUCATIONAL SECRETARY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN. Mrs. BERNARD. The American Association of University Women is a body of 19,000 college women, with a very wide geographic distribution, We are organized in 270 branches, located all over the United States, the South, East and West, and therefore we have no special local prejudice. In the second place the women of this organization represent every kind of interest and profession. We are not teachers, alone, but college women, mothers and teachers, doctors, lawyers, professional women, and women engaged in every kind of public work. We have no special pedagogic interest exclusively in this. We passed at our convention in July, 1923, the resolution that we indorse a Federal department of education, with Federal aid. This is the second indorsement we have made in this connection. A year before we indorsed the principle of a Federal department of education and upon further consideration, and upon having the provisions of this bill presented to us very clearly and in detail, the association reversed its former action and indorsed the principle of a Federal department of education, with Federal aid. The CHAIRMAN. Are there any questions? Miss WILLIAMS. The next speaker will be Mrs. Ellis A. Yost, legislative representative of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union. STATEMENT OF MRS. ELLIS A. YOST, LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NATIONAL WOMAN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION Mrs. YOST. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. I thank you for this opportunity to state that the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union has indorsed the proposed legislation to create a department of education. Through our department of legislation in conference with experts with regard to the subject which we are studying, careful study is given to the measures before any recommendation is made. Recommendations from this department go to our national officers. From the national officers, there is approval of the proposed legislation. it goes to our executive board, which consists of 48 presidents of the State organization. From this board it goes to the national convention, which is made up of 1.000 delegates. Ordinarily we do not boast of our numbers or of our membership, but if there are questions I would be glad to answer them, in regard to the membership or to the extent of the organization. The CHAIRMAN. Are there any questions? Miss WILLIAMS. I should like to file at this time a statement by Miss Anna A. Gordon, president of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union. The CHAIRMAN. You may do so. (The paper referred to is as follows:) No Government is stronger than its composite citizenry. A citizenry, physically, intelligently, and morally sound is essential to the life and prosperity of the Nation. Weakness or disorder in any State subtracts from the total national health and security. To neglect the proper training of any considerable portion of our country is to endanger the Nation as a whole. Since education promotes national welfare, we believe it should have the recognition which a secretary in the Cabinet would give. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union has resolved to give its support to the Federal education bill which provides for a department of education. A department of education would adequately provide for nation-wide research and investigation. Reliable statistical and experimental evidence should be the guide for effective school administration. An attempt at such investigation by the 48 States would lead to duplication and waste. The national council, provided for in the education bill, would furnish an official clearing house for the ideals and plans developed by the various States. ANNA A. GORDON, President National Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Miss WILLIAMS. We have here a friend of education, and a friend of the education bill, who gave to me a very delightful surprise this morning. When the department of superintendence met at Chicago the latter part of February, hundreds of the members gathered together at a luncheon, the like of which was never held before, and probably never will be held again, to honor this dean of American education. This man has made 60 trips back and forth across the American continent, knows more people in education, and knows them more intimately than does any other man or woman living in America to-day. I present Dr. A. E. Winship, editor, and best loved man in the field of education in America to-day. STATEMENT OF DR. A. E. WINSHIP, EDITOR JOURNAL OF EDUCATION Doctor WINSHIP. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I did not come here to attend this hearing. I dropped in to see my Congressman, the Congressman of my district, and I have no disposition to go into the merits of the bill in any way, shape, or fashion. I have not come for that; but I do want to say to you people with all seriousness, in the first place, to protest against putting into the record the bouquet that was just thrown me; that was not part of the performance at all. It is true that I have had an opportunity to know American education as nobody else has ever had the opportunity of knowing it. I never have been a propagandist of anything in my life, but I do try to study situations, and I would like to say three or four things on this bill. In the first place, the American people are for the public schools. There is not any question about that at all. There is no one thing in America that Americans are so united on as they are on the public schools. We may differ in plans, but for the public schools we are settled, and just now everybody is watching the people who are proposing this bill. Now, this bill, primarily, is not the most important thing, but things are becoming important suddenly without anybody thinking that they will become important, like the sinking of the Maine. Every campaign is drawn on some one's suggestion that gets into the air, one slogan, and I am watching very much when President Butler, of Columbia University, says the public schools are responsible for the lawlessness in America. Everybody knows that that is a lie from foundation to top. Everybody knows that is a lie, and when he says that he realizes, like everybody else, that it is nothing but a lie, because the public schools are not responsible for lawlessness, and when it comes to fanaticism, you will never make anybody believe this Congress will kill this bill because they are afraid of 100,000 population. I will say this, that the time will come when everybody in American official life will be lined up for the public schools, and it will come in a way that nobody realizes, and when that time comes I would rather be lined up with the public schools than with all the bankers and everybody else in this world. That is where we have got to watch out against that time. We We have just had a good many demonstrations recently. talk about the hard times. There never has been a time in America when bond issues for public schools carried as they have carried to-day, never anything like it. There has not been a bond issue killed in America unless it was on account of the location of the schoolhouse. Mr. BLACK. You do not attribute that to the tax exemption feature? Doctor WINSHIP. I attribute it to the fact or the determination to stand by the public schools. Mr. BLACK. Irrespective of the buyer probably thinking that he is doing it because he gets a tax-exempt bond? Doctor WINSHIP. Location has killed many measures in the world. Different cities have voted 20 to 1 for millions of dollars bond issue for public schools, and in Chicago, when all the papers of that city, for the first and only time the News, Tribune, and Hearst's papers were advocating a museum at a cost of $4,500,000, a zoo, museum, zoo park, one little woman suggested that they put up a bond issue for schools at the same time, and the papers said, "No, No, No," and this little woman put up this slogan "Monkeys or kids," and that bond issue against the monkeys was passed 24 to 1 and the bond issue for schools was carried through 2 to 1, and you will find that all over America. That is all that I care to say, and I almost beg your pardon for saying that. Mr. BLACK. That is a fairly good argument for the State's ability to finance their own school system, the ready sale they have for their bonds. Miss WILLIAMS. The next organization is the National League of Women Voters, represented by Mrs. John J. O'Connor. STATEMENT OF MRS. JOHN J. O'CONNOR, REPRESENTING THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS Mrs. O'CONNOR. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am representing the National League of Women Voters, of which Mrs. Park is president, and I am speaking for Mrs. Walter Brookings, who is national chairman for education of the league. May I say also that she is the mother of four children, and therefore has a personal feeling in connection with this matter; she is interested generally in the problem of education. The National League of Women Voters in the past four successive annual conventions has indorsed the principles of a Federal department of education, adequate financing of public education, and Federal aid to the States for physical education under the publicschool system. A similar recommendation for the Federal legislative program next year has just been made to the State chairman of education of the league. We intend this year to lay particular stress on additional sources of income for the public schools of this country, feeling that improvement in the present schools depends on adequate financial support and equalization of educational opportunities. We consider the establishing of the department, and the adequate financing of the department, as a necessary step toward the realization of these standards. We have had ample opportunity to note what assistance the Federal Bureau of Education has been in States where educational deficiencies were acute. We consequently feel that the appropriation for research is a vital one. The 1923-24 plan of work of the education committee of the National League of Women Voters shows how greatly our members desire the principles involved in this bill. You will find a program of the committee on education following my remarks. A program is sent out early in December to all the State chairmen of education. It is returned to them showing what change, if any, they wish made. It is again sent out to State chairmen in January with these changes incorporated. From then until April it is in the hands of State and local leagues for study, discussion, and recommendation. The chairmen come to a closed committee meeting of the convention having the sentiment of the league of their State and vote a recommendation to the convention which casts the deciding vote. These several principles all included in the idea of a Federal department of education have been passed by four successive con ventions. We have had frequent contact with the Bureau of Education and know first hand how helpful it is in its present limitations and how greatly it has aided some of the sections of our country. I would be very glad to file this statement, if that is agreeable. (The statement referred to, the program of the committee on education, National League of Women Voters, is as follows:) NATIONAL LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS-PROGRAM OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION STANDARDS Standards particularly recommended for 1923: FOR STUDY 1. School budgets-State and local. 2. Modern administration, school plants, and methods. Standards recommended, all or any part of which may be made active at any time: I. FEDERAL 1. Federal department of education. 2. Adequate financing of public education. 3. Federal aid to the States for physical education under the public-school system. |