Hearings

Resolved, That the San Diego County Federation of Women's Clubs, in convention assembled, indorse the Curtis-Reed bill as presented at the last Congress and ask that it be taken out of committee and presented to the House and to the Senate for action when the Congress convenes.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE TRAVIS COUNTY COUNCIL OF WOMEN, TRAVIS

COUNTY, TEX.

Resolved, That the Travis County Council of Women support the bill for the establishment of a United States department of education and that our Congressman and Senators be written to, regarding our support of the bill.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE PORTLAND FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS, 1927, AT PORTLAND, Oreg.

The federation went on record as favoring the education bill, now in committee at Congress, to provide an educational department, with a secretary in the President's Cabinet, and a council in which State educators would be represented. RESOLUTION Adopted by thE MASONIC CLUB OF JACKSONVILLE, Fla., on May 14, 1926

Whereas Masonry and the public schools are, ever have been, and will forever be united by indissoluble ties; and

Whereas there is a certain bill known as the Curtis-Reed educational bill now before the Congress of the United States, the purpose of which is to provide for a department of education with a secretary in the President's Cabinet; and

Whereas the passage of this bill is of vital importance in the development of the public school in every State in the Union: There be it

Resolved by the Masonic Club of Jacksonville that the Curtis-Reed educational bill has the unqualified indorsement of this club; and be it further

Resolved, That the secretary be directed to transmit a copy of these resolutions to the President of the United States, to the Senators and Representatives of Florida, to the President of the National Education Association, and to the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States; and be it further

Resolved, That the members of this club be urged to use their best efforts in arousing our Senators and Representatives to an active support of this bill. RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CLUB AT MOUNT PLEASANT, UTAH, NOVEMBER 9, 1927

Whereas the United States is the only great Nation which has thus far failed to appreciate the importance of elevating education to the position of a department of the National Government with a secretary in the President's cabinet; and Whereas universal education, based upon facts and scientific investigations such as only a national department could supply, is becoming more and more vital to the welfare of our country as time advances and the complexity of civilized life increases: Therefore be it

Resolved, That we favor the enactment into law of the Curtis-Reed bill, (S. 291 and H. R. 5000), known currently as the new education bill, which provides for the establishment of a national department of education with a secretary in the President's Cabinet; and be it further

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be mailed to each of our Representatives in Congress and that they be urged to support the measure.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE LIONS CLUB OF TOOELE, UTAH, ON FEBRUARY

15, 1928

Whereas the United States is the only great Nation which has thus far failed to appreciate the importance of elevating education to the position of a department in the National Government, with a secretary in the President's Cabinet; and

Whereas universal education, based upon facts and scientific investigations such as only a national department could supply, is becoming more and more vital to the welfare of our country as time advances and the complexity of civilized life increases: Therefore be it

Resolved, That we favor the enactment into law of the Curtis-Reed bill, (S. 1584 and H. R. 7), known currently as the new education bill, which provides for the establishment of a national department of education with a secretary in the President's Cabinet; and be it further

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be mailed to each of our Representatives in Congress and that they be urged to support the measure.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE MEN'S CLUB OF HIGHLAND PARK TEACHERS AT HIGHLAND PARK, MICH., IN JANUARY, 1928

Believing that it will stimulate and promote education, and therefore be for the best interest and welfare of the United States, to create a department of education in the President's Cabinet, therefore we, the men teachers in the schools of Highland Park, Mich., request Congress to pass House bill No. 7 or Senate No. 1584 creating such a department.

Further, we request our Congressman, Hon. Grant Hudson, and our Senators, Couzens and Ferris, to do all in their power to secure passage of the bill and we move that a copy of this motion be sent to the secretary of the N. E. A., Representatives Reed and Hudson, and Senators Couzens, Ferris, and Curtis.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE TEN-COUNTY CONGRESS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION AT EVERETT, PA., ON OCTOBER 1, 1927 Whereas the National Education Association of more than 175,000 members and the National Congress of Parents and Teachers of 1,500,000 members have indorsed the bill To establish a department of education with a secretarv in the President's Cabinet," and whereas parents and teachers are engaged in the greatest work of the Nation, viz, training the young for citizenship: Therefore be it

Resolved, That this meeting of 10 counties of P. T. A. delegates in convention assembled at Everett, Pa., go on record as favoring a department of education with a secretary in the President's Cabinet.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION AT LEWISTOWN, MONT., ON DECEMBER 13, 1927

Whereas the Parent-Teacher Association of Lewistown, Mont., has had under consideration for some time the new education bill, which provides for a national department of education with a secretary of education in the President's Cabinet, without jeopardizing the State rights in education, without interference with private and sectarian schools, and without Federal aid; and

Whereas we believe the enactment of this bill into law will be a step forward in the educational program for the children of the Nation, and that it will be in the interest of economy and efficiency: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Association of Parents and Teachers of Lewistown, Mont., unanimously approve the bill and recommend that it be passed by Congress and approved by the President at the earliest possible date; and be it

Resolved, That we send a copy of these resolutions to the members of Montana's Congressional delegation.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE NEW YORK STATE CONGRESS OF PARENTS AND

TEACHERS

Whereas education in New York State as a function of the State is intimately related to the same interests in all States of the Union;

Whereas there is no clearing house through which there may be wrought out such standardization as is essential to the best results and such unity as will give more equal educational opportunities than now prevail; and

Whereas it is possible to establish a department of education by means of which the States may unite toward a common purpose and yet retain full control over their separate systems: Therefore be it

Resolved, That the New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers in convention assembled favor such a national department of education whose head shall be of Cabinet rank.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY SOUTH DAKOTA BRANCH OF THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS AT PIERRE, S. Dak., 1927

* * *

Be it resolved, That in pursuance of the policy of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers we reaffirm our indorsement of the Children's Bureau and the maternity and infancy act and we ardently support and work for the pasaage of a bill creating a department of education of the National Government and we further recommend to all parent-teacher associations of our State that they devote at least one program of the year to the consideration of these humanwelfare measures.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE CONVENTION OF TEXAS CONGRESS OF MOTHERS AND PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS AT HOUSTON, TEX., IN NOVEMBER, 1927

Indorsement was given the following:

"F. Public schools. The education bill calling for a separate department of education with a secretary in the Cabinet. This bill calls for a small appropriation but does not call for any Federal aid to the States."

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, FEBRUARY 4, 1926

Whereas there is now pending in the Congress of the United States a bill providing for the establishment of a department of education in the Government with a secretary of education in the President's Cabinet; and

Whereas the passage of this measure would give the same recognition to education as has been given to agriculture, labor, and commerce which its importance so richly deserves: Therefore,

Resolved, That the board of education of the Methodist Episcopal Church urges the passage of this bill providing for a department of education with a secretary of education in the President's Cabinet.

RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE WOMAN'S MISSIONARY COUNCIL, METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH, March, 1928, at NashvillE, TENN.

We recommend the indorsement of the Curtis-Reed education bill, which provides for the establishment of a Federal department of education and for a more adequate support of scientific research in education under the direction of a secretary of education.

RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE PACIFIC CONFERENCE OF THE WOMAN'S MISSIONARY COUNCIL OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH, APRIL 20, 1928

(Thereupon, at 5 o'clock p. m., the committee adjourned until to-morrow, Friday, April 27, 1928, at 10.30 o'clock a. m.)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION,
Friday, April 27, 1928.

The committee was called to order by the chairman at 10.30 o'clock a. m.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Douglass, I am forced to be absent for a while. I will ask you to take the chair in my absence, if you will, please.

(Thereupon Mr. Douglass took the chair.)

The ACTING CHAIRMAN. I understand the opponents of the bill are to be heard this morning. Is there anyone here who has charge of the program?

The CLERK. Yes; Mr. Peckham has charge of the program for the opponents.

Mr. PECKHAM. Mr. Chairman, I want to call first Mr. Bentley W. Warren, of Boston, Mass.

STATEMENT OF BENTLEY W. WARREN, FORMER PRESIDENT, SENTINELS OF THE REPUBLIC, BOSTON, MASS.

Mr. WARREN. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I appear with some diffidence before a committee which for the last 10 or 12 years, I believe, has been listening to proponents and opponents of this general measure. At the same time, my interest in the question is so great-and when I say "my interest" I mean the interest of the people of my State, Massachusetts is, I believe, so great that being in Washington I felt it was only fair that as one citizen I should come before your committee and try to say something in behalf of the great silent mass of our people in the United States who rarely, I think, have an opportunity to be heard before congressional committees, except perhaps through selfappointed organizations who say that they represent from one to twenty-five or fifty million, or the whole hundred and ten million. I make no such claim as that. I believe, however, that I do represent the opinion of a great majority of the people, probably, of the country.

As your committee knows better than I do, the proposition involved here is no new one. Even President Jefferson suggested the desirability of the Federal Government doing something for education; but there are two rather significant features of his recommendation which was embodied in a message to Congress. One was that it applied only to conducting such phases of higher education as could not, in his judgment, be successfully conducted by the States with their resources at that time, and still less by privately endowed institutions. What he had in mind was the highest and most difficult and intricate scientific research and examinations and investigations. The other significant phase of his recommendation was that, as, of course, it was unconstitutional for the Federal Government to engage in any such activity, he was calling it thus promptly to the attention of the Congress in order that if the recommendation met with their approval they might submit such an amendment to the Constitution as would make possible the execution of his recommendation. Nothing, of course, came of that, as we all know.

Following the Civil War, General (afterwards President) Garfield was interested in the same movement, as, of course, has appeared to you. The interesting thing about his activity for it was through his efforts that the office of the Commissioner of Education was established-was that he became apprehensive that he had started something that was going too far; and, without going into the history of his relation to the measure, I was interested- -all of which can be found in the recent Life of Garfield, by Professor Smith, the professor of history at Williams College-I was interested in one or two expressions from his speeches and letters.

105682-28-17

In 1871, only three or four years after the office was established, he said:

We have at last conquered in the first stage of the fight in favor of national recognition of education. Only a small vote can now be mustered for abolishing the bureau and we shall be able to increase the appropriation a little each year, I think, but a new question confronts us and for its solution all the wisdom of our best educators is needed. The bureau receives the enthusiastic support of nearly all the southern Members, but I suspect that their support is largely based their expectations of heavy appropriations to the South for the support of schools in some form.

My memory is not very accurate on dates, but I think that was during the carpet-bag administration in the South.

Mr. SEARS. Was that before or after he was President?

Mr. WARREN. That was before.

Mr. SEARS. Not afterwards of course I do not mean that. Mr. WARREN. No, it was while he was in the House; it was in 1871. Shortly afterwards an effort was made to get a very elaborate extension of the project of the Government in education, and he decided to oppose that bill. He said, in announcing his decision:

The genius of our Government, of the spirit of our people, requires that the spirit of voluntary effort shall not be repressed, and especially that centralism shall not be applied to our educational processes.

The next year he did support a bill to distribute among the States the proceeds from the sale of certain public lands. Of his speech on that bill, he said-and this is the last statement I remember from him to Dr. Parke Godwin-he said the following:

I have felt a deep anxiety in view of the manifest tendency, on the part of many of our public men, in the direction of centralized authority, and nothing, it seems to me, could be more dangerous than the assumption of power on the part of Congress of the control of education in the States. There is no midway ground between an abstract assertion of that right and the assumption of power to dictate textbooks, schoolhouses, teachers, and every minutia of the work of education. The opinions I cited in the speech were of the highest importance. My part of the speech is of little consequence compared with the authorities referred to.

I call your particular attention and hope you will pay special attention to this sentence, for what it may be worth as being his view:

There is no midway ground between an abstract assertion of that right and the assumption of power to dictate textbooks, school houses, teachers, and every minutia of the work of education.

Mr. LEATHERWOOD. Is that criticism directed at this bill?

Mr. WARREN. No, sir; that was directed at a bill, as I stated before you came in, in 1872. It was a criticism by Garfield, who was the person who created this office of Commissioner of Education and had it established.

Mr. SEARS. No one who has appeared for the bill seems to have gone as far as the views expressed there.

Mr. WARREN. No one who has appeared for the bill?

Mr. SEARS. Yes.

Mr. WARREN. I should not expect they would.

Mr. SEARS. No.

Mr. WARREN. But it seems to me anybody who has studied our history and our tendencies must be apprehensive of the result. The whole history of our Federal activities-and I am not appearing here only as a critic or opponent of the Federal Government, because

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