INSTEAD OF A BONUS

For nearly a year active agitation in favor of some sort of Federal law for the advancement of education has been in progress; on April 11, 1921. Mr. Towner introduced a bill in the House of Representatives which would create a department of education in the charge of a Secretary. At the meeting held Saturday morning in Lawrence Hall many prominent educators spoke of the need of the States for assistance in educational work. The proposed bill is designed for the purpose of granting moneys to the states for their aid; it is not planned to have it control schools in any way. Its function would be handling sums appropriated to advance educational progress as much as possible.

A referendum taken by the American Council of Education in May 1921, showed that its members were in favor of the bill. There are other factors which point out the beneficial results a national Department of Education could give Experiences during the war show that Americanization is a slow process; the Towner-Sterling Bill would help that situation by appropriating $7,500,000 for such work. A similar sum to be used for the training of native-born illiterates, and 50 millions for the equalization of opportunities in public, elementary, and secondary schools, would surely do good. This, and the industrial regeneration hoped for as the result of the Muscle Shoals scheme, are probably the two things which just now may prevent the future conception of a bill such as was recently introduced in the Kentucky Legislature, prohibiting teaching the Darwinian theory in state-supported schools. In view of this possible hope for the South, it may be expected that the Nathan-Mencken school of professional South-haters will oppose this legislation.

Additional consideration in the interest of physical education, and, perhaps most important of all, for the training of teachers, recommend the bill highly. The ramifications of its provisions are designed to insure adequate and proper administration of the funds. This is important, politics would rapidly annul the value of a Department of Education With the saving to the country resulting from the naval holiday, and under capable leadership with a man of the calibre of General Dawes in the Secretary's chair. It is difficult to see how the money expended could do other than be an investment of permanent value.