Congressman DANIEL A. REED, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. HORTON CITY SCHOOLS, Horton, Kans., May 3, 1930. DEAR MR. REED: In regard to the vocational bill supplementing the SmithHughes vocational law, a hearing concerning which will come before the House Committee on Education May 7, I will say that I am heartily in favor of the bill and what it stands for. My experience as a local director of vocational work for adults and highschool students the past four years has led me to believe in vocational work for both of these groups. I heartily indorse the bill. Yours very truly, RIDER STOCKDALE, Superintendent. NIAGARA FALLS, N. Y., May 6, 1930. Hon. DANIEL A. REED, Chairman Committee on Education, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.: We heartily indorse the provisions of the Capper-Reed vocational educational bill (H. R. 10821). Please render any assistance you can to secure its passage. passage. Mr. F. M. TREAT, JAMES F. TAYLOR, Superintendent of Schools. ROCK SPRINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, State Supervisor Trade and Industrial Education, Cheyenne, Wyo. DEAR Mr. TREAT: I have read with interest the copy of bill H. R. 10821, which provides for further development of vocational education. I am very much in favor of any measures that will help in the promotion and in the training of vocational education. I am especially interested in this bill because it offers encouragement for commercial training. For a number of years we have been offering vocational training in our day school and in our night school and have been able to help a number of highschool graduates. Practically all of the office and commercial positions held in this town are filled by high-school graduates who have had their training in our commercial department. Many of the positions of mechanical nature in this town have been filled by high-school boys. And since the minority of our highschool graduates go on to college, the high schools then must train their graduates to take their place as useful citizens in the communities. Very truly yours. E. M. THOMPSON, Superintendent. SUPERVISORS Hon. DANIEL A. REED, Chairman Committee on Education, BERKELEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Berkeley, Calif., April 28, 1930. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: I should like to express the great interest of the continuation education department of the Berkeley Public Schools in the Capper-Reed vocational education bill and to urge its passage in the strongest possible terms. We people in the continuation education field, working every day with employed minors, recognize the tremendous importance of further education for these boys and girls. The importance of the proper training in making them Vocationally effective and consequently self-supporting is also a factor of great significance. The provision of funds for commercial education is another matter of great Theoretically, comimportance which I believe is provided for in the bill. mercial education is now furnished by the high schools, but practically commercial education which really trains for employment, particularly upon the lower levels, is not now furnished by the high schools, and this type of training needs the stimulus which would come from a Federal act of this kind. MY DEAR REPRESENTATIVE REED: Concerning the Capper-Reed vocational education bill set for hearing May 7. The situation in North Dakota in trade and industrial education is quite different from that of any other agricultural State and for that reason I have made a brief statement of the progress made in trade and industrial education in this State under the Smith-Hughes law. I believe this statement shows the possibilities of trade and industrial education in a purely agricultural State. Training of competent tradesmen and thus building additional small industries within the State is a great benefit to agriculture. The inclosed statement shows clearly the possibilities along this line even in a comparatively few years of operation. One of the great difficulties in an agricultural State is the continual flow of money to industrial sections outside the State. This builds up the industrial centers and increases the taxing power and tax income of the industrial center at the expense of the agricultural State. A well built-up trade and industrial education program in an agricultural State builds up the small industries in the local communities and holds in these communities some of the repair and rebuilding and construction work. I feel that this phase of trade and industrial education alone more than repays the State for the money it spends. You may use the information I am sending you in any way you desire and I shall be glad to supply you with further detailed information, if you wish. Yours very truly, Am very glad to hear of the good work which you are doing in connection with the Capper-Reed vocational act. I am very much in favor of the bill and sincerely hope it will pass. ROGER W. BABSON. Hon. DANIEL A. REED, KANSAS STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE, Chairman House Committee on Education, Washington, D. C. DEAR REPRESENTATIVE REED: I am very much interested in House bill 10821, a supplemental bill to the Smith-Hughes law in trade, industry, and commercial education. As a member of the State board of vocational education in Kansas for the past seven or eight years, I have been in close touch with the development of vocational education in Kansas. To say I am enthusiastic about the progress of vocational education in Kansas is putting it mildly. There are literally thousands of employed people in our State-boys and girls, men and women in trade, industrial, and commercial pursuits, who are not being reached by the Smith-Hughes law, and who would be reached by this bill which is somewhat more flexible, as it seems to us, than the SmithHughes law. Our position is that these thousands of employed people are as much entitled to vocational education as those that are being reached by the Smith-Hughes law, and those who are fortunate enough to be able to attend our high schools and colleges. If this sort of education is to have the proper stimulus, it must be brought about through Federal appropriation and participation in their education. Knowing your broad views in education, I am sure you will do all in your power to secure the passage of this bill. With best wishes, I am sincerely yours, Hon. DAVID A. REED, W. A. BRANDENBURG. LITTLE ROCK, ARK., May 6, 1930. House Education Committee, Washington, D. C. For years as Governor of Arkansas and 25 years in educational work convince me that trade and industrial education is of paramount importance. Unemployment in our commonwealth increased 11 per cent. Ability of employment agencies to fill vacancies decreased 26 per cent. H. R. 10821 emphasizes the needed training. Trust House Education Committee will report this bill favorably. Hon. DANIEL A. REED, CHAS. H. BROUGH. BERKELEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Chairman House Committee on Education, Washington, D. C. In my work as supervisor of attendance of the Berkeley public schools, I have had the opportunity to see the very fine work done by the part time and vocational education department for those pupils who have not had the opportunities for education that some of the other pupils have had. These departments are working on limited funds, and because the State and Federal funds are subject to increasing demands from new schools and an increasing population, the funds are constantly becoming more limited. I want to heartily indorse the Capper-Reed vocational bill, because I believe that the passage of this legislation will enable the schools to more efficiently fulfill a very definite need for a service in the training and education of young workers a need which is by no means now adequately met. Yours very truly, A. R. CALHOUN, Director of Attendance. Hon. DANIEL A. REED, TOLEDO, OHIO, May 6, 1930. Chairman House Committee on Education, Washington, D. C.: Intimate contact with successful Smith-Hughes in the South and in Ohio reason for my enthusiastic indorsement of pending Capper-Reed vocational education bill. UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO, HENRY J. DOERMANN, President. Hon. DANIEL A. REED, KNOXVILLE, TENN., May 5, 1930. Chairman House Committee on Education, Washington, D. C.: The Capper-Reed vocational education bill meets with our heartiest approval. Modern industrial conditions make necessary an increasing amount of techni cal training of less than college grade for the benefit of the noncommissioned officers in industry. Available Federal funds are now being used in their entirety. There is crying need for more. Capper-Reed bill. Hon. DANIEL A. REED, We urge the speedy passage of the CHAS. E. FERRIS, Dean of College of Engineering, KANSAS STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, Chairman Committee on Education, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. REED: As a member of the Kansas State Board of Vocational Education I keep in rather close touch with vocational educational activities in this State, and I am deeply interested in these activities. I have just had an opportunity to read your House bill 10821, which provides for increased Federal support for vocational education in trades and industries. The increasing intensity of econombic competition between this country and other countries makes it imperative, it seems to me, that we use every practicable effort to increase our own economic efficiency. One of the most effective factors in this connection is widespread practical vocational training, including that of the kind provided for in your bill. For this reason I hope that your bill may be acted upon favorably. Very truly yours, F. D. FARRELL, President. Hon. DANIEL A. REED, Chairman House Committee on Education, WATKINS INSTITUTE, Nashville, Tenn., May 1, 1930. Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: Will you allow us to express the very earnest hope that the Capper-Reed vocational education bill will pass at this session of Congress? We have requested our governor to write our Senators and Representatives in Congress to give the bill their very active support, and we, ourselves, have written them very urgent letters to the same end. This institute was established some 40 years ago by a benevolent old working man in order that the laboring boys and girls who, because of their employment during the day, can not attend the public day schools, might be given the opportunity at night to acquire a sound, practical education, which would enable them to perform very much more efficiently the duties of their respective callings. Appealing especially to this class, it has grown from a small beginning to an attendance this year of 3,500. The entire revenues of the institute, which were afterwards increased by a hard-working woman, who bequeathed her estate, are devoted entirely to the support of this school, but only by the aid extended by the Smith-Hughes bill has the institute been able to employ vocational teachers, the effect of whose work in giving special instruction has been amazing and recognized by all in the community. We need more of such teachers; lack of means has prevented their employment. The need being so great for these additional teachers causes us to hope very earnestly that the Capper-Reed bill will pass, and enable us to do so. We are receiving daily applications from prospective employers for those who have been qualified by the instruction given, which convinces us that the work of instruction now given is yielding rich fruit, and ought by all means to be increased. You therefore have our prayerful hope for the success of your measure. With very great respect, WATKINS INSTITUTE, Secretary and Treasurer, Congressman DANIEL A. REED, Chairman House Committee on Education, IOWA STATE COLLEGE, Ames, Iowa, April 24, 1930. Washington, D. C. HONORABLE MR. REED: I wish to express to you my interest in the CapperReed vocational educational bill (H. R. 10821). I want to assure you of my hearty cooperation to bring about the passage of this bill. At the present time we are in the midst of a great adult educational movement. No greater movement has ever confronted us and it is now up to us to make the most of this very important movement. I have always been interested in the movement of adult education and have had a part in the movement for a considerable time. I have always had a decided feeling that education of our citizens should be continuous. As you well know, there are persons at the present time who are fairly well taken care of through the agencies which have been set up to care for them. On the othed hand, you are fully aware, as the joint author of this bill, that we still have a large number of adults who have no way of increasing their education. This is especially true of those who are employed in certain trades, industrial, or other commercial pursuits. Certainly these people are entitled to consideration. They are citizens and are contributing daily to the industrial welfare of our country. Very truly yours, J. E. EVANS. Hon. DANIEL A. REED, Chairman House Committee on Education, STATE OF IOWA, Washington, D. C. HONORED SIR: This department is taking a great deal of interest in H. R. 10821, designed to stimulate trade and industrial education. In Iowa we are just emerging from the gricultural class to the industrial and as our factories are equipping themselves with the latest and more ingenious designed machinery this automatically displaces many workers who find it necessary to acquaint themselves with the newer type of occupation, and unless the State can do something to fit these men for new places in the economic situation there is certain to be widespread want, dissatisfaction, and a generally spreading spirit of mutiny. Any service that can be performed by this office in a way to make this bill more useful or make its passage more likely will be very cheerfully done, for we regard measures of this kind as a very desirable accompaniment to the changing order. Very respectfully, H. V. HOYER, Labor Commissioner. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., May 1, 1930. Hon. DANIEL A. REED, Chairman Committee on Education, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR COLLEAGUE: Ill health prevents my being in Washington and appearing at the hearing on H. R. 10821, a bill introduced by yourself to provide further Vocational education facilities. A number of my constituents have written me as favoring the measure, and I hand you their names and addresses, as follows: N. A. Ferguson, El Paso Smelting Works, El Paso, Tex.; Capt. E. H. Simons, general manager Chamber of Commerce, El Paso, Tex.; Ben S. Peak, superintendent of schools, Colorado, Tex.; H. C. Hinton, superintendent county schools, El Paso, Tex.; H. E. Nichols, Two Republics Building, El Paso, Tex.; and, in addition, the school board of Runge, Tex., which is not in my congressional district. |