Evening Star Newspaper, March 9, 1937, Page 11

THE EVENING -STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1937. s s A—11 Government must assume its share of | than the model tax system, on the one | tion is not only out of date, but im- ‘ U 8 SBHUUI. HH.P Discusses Aid to Schools SEEN NECESSAR Many States Unable to Pro- vide Proper Facilities, Lee Declares. The Federal Government is the only agency capable of equalizing educa- tionsl opportunities for children throughout the United States, Sen- ator Lee, Democrat, of Oklahoma said in an address last night. Senator Lee, widely known orator, former University of Oklahoma pro- fessor and World War veteran, spoke on the National Radio Forum 'ar- ranged by The Star and broadcast over the network of the National Broad- casting Co. Recalling the “school days” that have been glorified in American lit- | erature, Senator Lee said “all the| while that training and building was | developing the men and women of the future.” Speaking of the costs of education, | Lee said “the financial ability of the States in proportion to the population of school children is so different and varied that only the Federal Govern- ment can equalize the educational op- portunities of the several States. Tax System Cited. “A smodel tax system has been worked out for State taxation.” he declared. “‘This system was intende to raise money for all the needs of th State, such as roads, running the State | and local governments, running the achools, in fact the entire expense of the State. Six of the States are so poor that it would take all the money | raised by this tax system for schools alone, and still not be enough to give those States schools equal to the aver- age in the Nation. “Therefore, the ability of the dif- ferent States to finance educmoml' opportunities for their children is so | different that the Federal Government | should lend a helping hand to equalize | the educational opportunities through- out the Nation,” Senator Lee said. “If all the States taxed their wealth for education the same way as New York State, there would be 16 of the | States unable to provide even 50 per cent of the standard of the Nation.” The text of the address follows: By the courtesy of The Washington | Evening Star, I am privileged to ad- dress you for 22 minutes on the sub- | Ject of the Federal Government's interest in education. T doubt if any related subject could | be of more concern to the Federal Government than education, because self-government depends upon the intelligence of the governed. After receiving discharge from the Army, I started teaching at the Uni- versity of Oklahoma and remained | there until three years ago when I came to Congress: therefore, I have | more than a casual interest in this| subject. | However, T am not thinking of | higher education just now. I am thinking of the fundamentals of education. In other words, I have in mind the proverbial little red school house. I am thinking of those early school days, those childhood days, those wildwood days, those early sweetheart days, “when you were my queen in calico and I was your bash- ful, barefoot beau, and you wrote on my slate, ‘I love you, Joe'” “in the good old SBummer time.” You played hookey from school and went to the old swimming hole, and to use the ‘words of the Hoosler poet— “Oh! the old swimmin'-hole! In the long, lazy days, When the hum-drum of school made 50 many run-aways, How pleasant was the journey down the old dusty lane, Where the tracks of our bare feet was all printed 30 plain, You could tell by the dent of the heel and the sole, That they was lots o' fun on hand at the old swimmin'-hole. “There the bullrushes growed, and the cattails so tall, And the sunshine and shadder fell over it all; And it mottled the water with amber | and gold Till the glad lilies rocked in the ripples that rolled; And the snake-feeder’s four gauzy wings fluttered by, Like the ghost of a daisy dropped out of the sky, Or a wounded apple-blossom in the breeze's control, As it cut acrost some orchard to'rds the old swimmin’-hole.” —Riley, “Neighborly Poems.” Fun With Teacher. Those were the good old schoo! days, ' the golden rule days. Tom and Jo were not on very good terms with the teacher. Sometimes that happened. They went out behind the little red school house and found a yellow jack- ets’ nest. They turned a bottle upside down over that yellow jackets’ nest and got the bottle full of those hum- ming, buzzing, striped little insects. ‘Then they corked it up good and tight | and churned it up and down, much to the effect of making & milk shake, and to the disgust and resentment | of the little insects inside. Then they erawled under the lfttle red school house to the knothole that was right under teacher’s desk. They uncorked their bottle of fury and put the mouth of it up to the knoéthole, and there was & burz-buzz-buzz, and there was & “hot time” in the little red school house and the teacher had & swell vacation. Yes, I am thinking of the three R's of education in America. Those early school days, when we learned “readin’ and writin’ and ’rithmetic ht to the tune of a hickory k.” Whenever my father thrashed e he always said: Rurts me worse than it does you.” Did you ever hear that? Well, I could not see how it hurt him worse than #t did me. I could not see how it hurt him at sll now that father was thinking in terms ©of psychology and I was thinking in terms of physical geography. Background of Matarity. Yes, I have in mind the fundamen- fals of education. Although we re- member those childhood days with pleasure, we remember the pranks we played, but all the while that training and building was developing the men end women of the future. May I quote here a bit of verse I found in a Sunday school book? *The greatest nen were little boys, Great women little maids; They had their childhood pains and joys, Their pranks and escapades. “This mighty world moves on apace, | Bringing hope and sorrow— The actors of today give place ‘To actors of tomorrow. *“When thirty years have gone around, “Now, son, this | Of course, I know | SENATOR LEE OF OKLAHOMA. Those who are youths today Will be the men and women found In life’s great battle fray.” Ours is a Government of the people. Therefore, the boys and girls of today will be the men and women who run the Government a few years in the future. Education is the twin sister to democratic government. American Traditions Taught. ‘When new them could neither read nor write. Many could not speak English, but their children were sent to our schools and there they learned the history of America. There they learned of the Declaration of Independence. They learned the story of Liberty Bell. They learned of Concord and Lexington. They learned the story of Betsy Ross and the American flag. Then, in the evening by the warm glow of the fire- side, these stories of American history passed from child to parent, and thus did the immigrants become Ameri- canized; therefore the Federal Govern- ment is deeply interested in the edu- cation of young Americans. The first responsibility for edu- cating children falls upon the parents, but most parents are ambitious for their children to have every oppor- tunity. Therefore, it is scarcely nec- essary to urge the parents of America | to make every effort to educate their | children. Then again, certain responsibility rests upon the children themselves to ;want an education, to be willing to | work for an education. At the present | time, due to the National Youth Move- ment, there are 380,365 boys and girls in the United States who are | working their way through educational institutions, » May I say to you young people of America, if you want an education you can have it if you are willing to | work for it. If you are not, it wouldn't | do you much good anyway. You can | 1ead a fool to the trough of knowledge | but you can’t make him drink. | Some of our greatest men had to fight for their education. Abe Lintoln was so poor that he did not have | pencils and paper; he did not have a | slate or a slate pencil, but he figured out his problems on the back of a | wooden shovel with charcoal and he | blazed his way over the mountaim to the White House and figured out the Nation's problems on the White House stationery. Young people of America, some | times it seems discouraging; some- | times it seems your road is rough when you are trying to get an edu- | cation, but remember, it is the rough- ness of the grindstone that sharpens | the ax. It is the storm that hardens the fiber of the oak. It is not the | holiday but the workday that makes muscle. If you don't have as good clothes to wear as the other boys and girls, don’t be discouraged. Its not what's on a man, but what'’s in him that | counts. Many a white vest has noth- | ing inside of it but an unpaid laundry { bill. Sometimes it seems that the going !is pretty rought when you have to struggle for an education, but the very | struggle itself is part of your train- | ing; therefore, the responsibility of recelving an education is partly upon the youth of America. Great is that nation whose sons and daughters dream great dreams, in- vincible is that nation when they make those dreams come true. Then ' next, the responsibility for educating the youth falls upon the | local community. Every community in America is responsible for the educa- | tion of its own boys and girls to the | full extent of its financial ability, and may I say the local communities have | dlschnryed this obligation in & most Devoe Paints Are the Recognized Stenderd. 922 New York Ave. Nat. 8610 NOSE DROPS H ooket with conveniont dropyer. immigrants came to| America to find new homes many of | There are many instances where communities have almost bankrupt themselves trying to educate their boys and girls. During the depression, when people could no longer pay ad valorem taxes upon which the schools were dependent, the communi- ties continued to issue school warrants | obligating the property of that com- munity in order to educate their chil- dren. There are many stories of the herofcal efforts of the local communi- ties to discharge their patriotic duty in this regard. But there is such a difference be- tween the financial resources of differ- ent communities that the education of the children hgs been looked upon by some of the most progressive States as not a duty for the communities alone, but as a duty to be shared by the States. ‘Therefore, the responsibility for the of the Nation.' A child in a poor community has & right to educational opportunities as well as & child in & wealthier com- munity. They both live in the same Nation and under the same flag. Some- times only a State line separates them, sometimes only a township line. B.t the public schools supported, as they are now, entirely by local and State taxes; are as different in the oppor- tunities that they afford as the com- munities themselves are unequal in financial resources. Under Local Control. Under the Federal program that I have in mind every State and com- munity would carry its fair share of the burden of education, in proportion to its financial ability, and the Federal Government would contribute only a fractional part of the cost of educa- tion in even the poorest communities. ‘Therefore, the control of education would still rest with the local com- munities, where it rightly belongs. There is before Congress at the present time a bill known as the Har- rison-Black-Fletcher bill, providing for the appropriation of $100,000,000 the first year and then graduated until it reaches & maximum of $300.- 000,000 for the purpose of equalizing educational opportunities throughout the Nation, ‘The financial ability of the States in proportion to the population of school children is so different and ‘varied that only the Federal Gevern- ment can equalize the educational op- portunities of the several States. A model tax system has been worked out for State taxation. This system was intended to raise money for all the needs of the State, such as roads, running the State and local govern- ments, running the schools, in fact the entire expense of the State. Six of the States are so limited in financial resources that if they de- pended upon this model tax system— that is, if their taxes were no steeper than the tax recommended by this model system, the yield would be sc small that if they took all of it, that is, the entire amount produced for all purposes, and used it for schools alone, there would not be enough to give those States a school system equal to the average school system of the Nation. The result is that these six States are taxing themselves much heavier | Quick on the GETAWAY education of young America falls upon | the States, and a number of States | have what is called an equalization fund, which is made up by taxation. This fund is used to equalize educa- tional opportunities throu: wout the State. It is used to iielp educate chil- | dren in the poorer communities. This is a great step forward in education, | and the States can, and are, equal- izing educational opportunities within their boundaries, but they are helpless so far as equalizing the educational opportunities as between the States is | concerned. Therefore, the Federal GET IN and Prove to your own satisfaction that PLYMOUTH'S the BEST BUY of “All Three”! OTE these reasons why people call Plymouth the best buy of “All Three” low-priced cars. Plymouth is the BIGGEST, MOST BEAUTIFUL of “All Three”—your eyes tell you this at a glance. rich interior—its ex¢ra space You'll like Plymouth’s and room. Its COMFORT is unmatched by any low-priced car! Airplane-type shock-absorbers smooth out bumps...rubber body mountings stop vibration... when you switch ta richer RICHFIELD HI-OCTANE GASOLINE Please See Page A-12 :| the obligation of educating the youth | hand, and have & school system much | possible, in that no one can trace & under average of the Nation, on the other hand. I give these facts because some people believe that the burden of education should be borne entirely by the States and local communities, and therefore, I want to show that the States and local communities are al- ready taxing themselves to the limit, and yet are unable to provide even average educational facilities for their children. There are many people who will support Federal aid for education when they are convinced that the States and local communities are un- able to provide necessary educational opportunities. Child Ratio to Wealth. Then again, the number of children per family must be considered in the relation to the wealth of the different States. In almost direct ratis, the wealthier the State, the fewer the children per family, and the poorer the State the more children per family. For instance, the per capita wealth per child of school age in the poorest State is. $3,000; whereas, in the wealthiest state it is $23,000. In other words, if you will pardon Ine for using the informal language of the day, we seldom find the kids and the cash in the same community. The more kids, the less cash, the more cash, the fewer kids. Therefore, it is necessary for the Federal Govern- ment to raise the money where ‘the money is and spend the money where the children are. Otherwise, the chil- dren will grow up and move to wealthier communities either to be- come useful citizens or gangsters, ac- cording to their training and back- ground. Modern inventions have s in- creased the mobility of population that one person in every three resides in a different State from the one in which he was born. Therefore it is important to the wealthier States that the children of the less wealthy States receive educational opportu- nitles. It is sometimes argued that the Federal Government has no right to collect taxes in one State and spend them in another, but we have been doing that in building highways, canals, harbors and many other Na- tional enterprises. To limit Federal expenditures to the source of taxa- 5% HOME District of Columbia, Nearby Maryland and Virginia 3 to 15 Years Also 20-Year Loans On owner-occupied homes, not over 5 years old, payable $6.88 per tax to its source. Taxes are collected from manufacturers in the East but at least a part of those taxes are passed on to the consumers of the ‘West. Simply because the taxes are paid into the Government by the corporations of a certaln State, it does not mean that the people of that State have paid those taxes. There- fore, to try to return taxes to their source is like trying to unscramble the eggs. It cannot be done. Quite often the Federal Government taxes wealth at the most convenient point. That is—wheat produced in the plains country, creates wealth in industrial communities. Oll pumped from the oil flelds of Texas and Cal- {fornia, creates wealth in the money markets of the East. Cotton produced in the South produces wealth for the cotton mills of the East. But the Government quite often taxes the wealth, not at the source of production, but at the point of process- ing. The oil companies that draw their wealth from Kansas, Oklahoma, ‘Texas, Louisiana and California may be operating under the charter of Del- aware and pay taxes in the State of Delaware, but the wealth comes from | these other States. - Therefore, it is fallacious to overlook this flow of wealth in considering the resources of the Nation. Wealth Concentration a Problem. The concentration of wealth in the United States presents a grave prob- lem. This problem can be met by tax- ation and expenditure. The Federal Government is the logica agency to collect money over the whole Nation and distribute it. The object of such distribution should not be controlled by an effort to return the tax to its source—but by an effort to promote the general welfare. Whenever a prob- lem affects the welfare of the Nation as a whole, as education does, no mat- ter how localized that problem is, the patriotic policy is to declare it a nae tional problem and attack it as such. We should tax the Nation's wealth wherever we find it to help educate the children of the Nation wherever we find them. ‘The Harrison-Black-Fletcher bill providing Federal aid for equalizing educational opportunities is now be« fore the Senate Committce on Educa« LoANs 5% month per $1,000, including interest and principal. onthly. euarterly or sem yments. including F B annual A. insured mortgages. NDALL H. HAGNER & COMPANY INCOBPORATED MORTOAGE LOAN CORRESFONDENT 1321 Connecticut Avenue N.W . Telephone DEcatur 3600 ion and Labor, of which I am & mem- ber. In my opinion, now is the time to pass this legislation. I feel that with the proper encouragement we can at this session of Congress pass this measure. ‘This would by no means be a new policy on the part of the Federal Government. The Federal Govern- ment has aided education by the pas- sage of a vocational training law. The Federal ‘Government helped edu- cation in the several States through the W. P. A. The Federal Govern- ment, through the R. F. C., loaned the city of Chicago money to pay its teachers and reopen its schools. ‘The Federal Government, through the National Youth Movement, is at the present time helping young people to secure an education. The Federal Government has aided education through land grants to colleges and universities. ‘Therefore, this proposed legislation would not be departing from our na- tional policy. Our Congress is being asked this year to vote over a billion dollars for national defense, but in my opinion, America’s greatest danger will not come from the outside, but from the inside. I belleve that if we could spend one-tenth of the amount of | Federal funds for education of the youth of America, it would constitute & greater national defense than the Passage of this huge appropriation for armies and navies. Dictatorships rely upon the ignor- ance of the people for their strength, Communism depends upon the ability of a few leaders to keep their people in ignorance; but democracy depends upon the intelligence of the voters. Our form of government places the final residue of power in the hands of the people. With power goes responsi- bility. With responsibility there should 80 sufficient enlightenment to know how to use that powder. Education leads to peace and de- mocracy. Ignorance leads to chaos and tyranny. Napoleon conquered Europe with bivouac and drum beat. Let us over-run America with the sound of the school bell. Our people stood tl «ain of this depression because they were enlight- ened. Therefore, it is fundamental that our Ggvernment maintain its ex- istence by maintaining s sound edu- cational system. No opportunity is more important than the opportunity for a decent edu- cation. No Federal obligation is more vital than that of self-preservation. It is not only the right, but the duty of our Government, to perpetuate its existence, and the proper education of our children is essential to that end. I thank you. The biggest seven-fifty’s worth of smart style. accurate fit and long wear that you can buy— Dobbs new “Gilt Edge”. | Sidney West, Inc. 14™:G EUGENE C. GOTT, President GREAT EXTRA ROOM NEW SAFETY INTERIOR NEW “HUSHED RIDE” HYDRAULIC BRAKES SAFETY-STEEL BODY OWNERS REPORT: 18-24 MILES PER GAL. PLYMOUTH not only stands up best. . . it gives the greatest SAFETY, COMFORT and « ROOM in the history of low-priced cars! Plymouth has the HIGHEST RESALE VALUE «+« SAVES YOU MOST MONEY by its amazing OVER-ALL ECONOMY'! sound-proof insulation blocks out road noise. 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