In 1933 at convention, and again in 1953, the General Federation of Women's Clubs passed a resolution, “Economy in Government," but pointed out that it would be false economy to jeopardize such services as are being rendered by the agencies of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. It is now 1959 and those agencies are pointing out that most States are short of adequate classrooms and qualified teachers. Now I will quote the resolution of economy in government:

ECONOMY IN GOVERNMENT

(Convention 1933; reaffirmed 1953) Whereas the General Federation of Women's Clubs has urged a program of economy for the Government of the United States which is consistent with good government and adequate services; and

Whereas the General Federation of Women's Clubs has long advocated programs of the Government of the United States which foster and support services necessary to the education, health and welfare of the people: Therefore

Resolved, That the General Federation of Women's Clubs again commends the elimination of waste in governmental spending, but also urges that it is false economy to jeopardize such services as now are being rendered by the agencies of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

The developments in scientific fields since 1933–53 surely make it more urgent that we do not longer neglect the educational opportunities for all the children of our country. I need not spell out these requirements to you gentlemen. You know them.

În 1951 under the title of "National Economy" the General Federation of Women's Clubs set out the need for government expenditures in order of vital importance. This resolution states:

1. Defense for self and for our allies.
2. Education.
3. Normal functions of government.
4. Necessary social welfare services.

Under “National Economy,” this is what the women in 1951 saidincidentally, all resolutions remain active until legislation has accomplished it or they have been withdrawn for reasons the women desired :

NATIONAL ECONOMY

ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

(Convention, 1951) Whereas the United States must meet the costly task of financing its own defense objectives and assisting other nations in joint resistance to a common enemy, a necessary task which may continue for a period of years; and

Whereas we must make every effort to prevent change in the pattern of living resulting from defense activities from affecting disastrously the moral welfare education, health and economic welfare of our people, particularly our children: Therefore

Resolved, That the General Federation of Women's Clubs urges the Government of the United States to pursue a program of realistic economic stabilization, including reduced consumption where necessary, with a pay-as-you-go plan of taxation; sound monetary controls; an end to the vicious spiral resulting from the contest between rising wages and rising prices;, rigid scrutiny of every proposed expenditure in both nondefense and defense programs; and the utmost economy in administration; and further

Resolved, That priorities in government expenditures be given in the following order:

1. Defense for self and for our allies. 2. Education.

3. Normal functions of government. 4. Necessary social welfare services.

This it seems to the women of the General Federation of Women's Clubs to still be the necessary order of importance if the United States is to compete in this present-day world.

I'll call your attention to one more resolution which passed first in 1922 in essence, was reaffirmed in 1952, and is today a motivating policy of the General Federation of Women's Clubs.

STATEMENT ON SYSTEM OF FEDERAL DEVELOPMENT OF PROJECTS AND FEDERAL AD

AND ASSISTANCE

(Convention 1922; reaffirmed 1955) Whereas the General Federation of Women's Clubs is deeply concerned with the serious economic, educational, and social problems facing our people and is equally concerned with some problems created by the system of Federal development, aid, and assistance which has been established as part of the solution adopted for economic, educational, and social difficulties: Therefore

Resolved, That the General Federation of Women's Clubs declares its conviction that:

A. FEDERAL DEVELOPMENT OF PROJECTS

1. In general, the Federal Government should not be in business, particularly in competition with private enterprise, and should retire from those businesses already established as quickly as is possible without jeopardizing the public interest and without entailing unjustified sacrifice of public property and investments.

2. It must be recognized that conditions exist, and could continue to exist, which may necessitate Federal expenditures, and that there are desirable projects which private enterprise cannot develop effectively nor economically.

3. Federal development should include, and aid should be extended to those projects only whose beneficial results are widely distributed among the people.

B. FEDERAL AID AND ASSISTANCE

1. In making allocations of Federal aid, the formula used should take into account:

(a) Established need.'

(6) Demonstrated effort to reach a solution with private or State and local resources.

(c) Ability of area in question to pay (per capita wealth), (d) The number of people affected.

2. After a project has been approved, allocation made, and funds provided, administration and control of projects using Federal aid and having local and State application should be by local and State officials; and Federal controls should be confined to financial accounting and compliance with the terms of the contract;

3. In order to increase local and State self-sufficiency and decrease need for supplementary Federal aid, taxing power in certain suitable fields should be left to, or returned to, the several States.

We believe that part B2 of the resolution spells out in plain language what is needed so far as aid to school construction is concerned. Everyone admits we need more and better schools. The question appears to be how to get them. All seem to agree that the United States must train the youth of today to the extent of his capacity so he can best serve his country, if democracy is to survive. We believe this means to have enough classrooms properly equipped for every child in the country. We believe it also means a sufficient number of truly qualified teachers.

We believe that local and State governments should carry the burden of education, if and when they can. But when it is impossible

for local and/or States to provide what is necessary for top standard in education it becomes the duty and, indeed, the responsibility of the Federal Government to supply what is needed.

We have read the proposal as suggested by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and we think it is in line with the thinking and wishes of the membership of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. They require that States do all they can do and when and where needed the Federal Government will help.

We think this proposed legislation sets out proper safeguards to keep control of education in the State, but also safeguards the States against any catastrophic disaster when unable to pay in the manner prescribed by forgiving them at the end of a 10-year period, if such States had in good faith carried out their agreements with regard to matching Federal funds for school construction. We believe it will not place into the hands of the Federal Government the control of schools, as some have suggested.

We urge you to favorably recommend this legislation to Congress and to work for the enactment of a law carrying out the full intent of this proposal, and that word “this” does not mean any specific bill, but legislation which will give us school construction and qualified teachers,

Senator MURRAY. Thank you very much for your statement.
The next witness will be Mrs. Charles Hymes.

STATEMENT OF MRS. CHARLES HYMES, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF

JEWISH WOMEN, INC., NEW YORK, N.Y. Mrs. HYMEs. Mr. Chairman, I am Mrs. Charles Hymes, the president of the National Council of Jewish Women. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you in support of legislation to improve the educational facilities available to the young people of America.

The National Council of Jewish Women, which has just celebrated its 65th birthday, has over 100,000 members in 240 communities throughout the country. Our organization helps to meet human needs, and stimulates the individual and community to advance the democratic way of life through a program of service, of education, and social action.

Through community service projects and social action programs, the National Council of Jewish Women has helped to support and strengthen public education in the United States for more than 50 years. Our recent national convention held in Los Angeles only last month reiterated our position in support of education by adopting the following resolution:

The National Council of Jewish Women believes that the future of American democracy depends in large measure upon a system of public education that provides the highest possible standard of education for all: It therefore

Resolves, To support measures that will insure expanded and improved educational opportunities for all, through the construction of sufficient schools, the provision of better equipment, the adequate increase in teachers' salaries, and modern techniques of teacher training and recruitment.

It is my intention here today to speak briefly about the reasons why the National Council of Jewish Women supports legislation which will provide for Federal financial assistance to the States for school construction and for teachers' salaries. Before doing that, however, I

should like to tell you something of the way in which our interest in education as an organization and my own interest as an individual has led us to the conclusion that Federal aid is essential.

In appearing before you here today I represent, Mr. Chairman, an organization of women, of women who are citizens, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, or maybe just friends of children. We have no vested interest except perhaps that vested interest of survival, of survival physically and spiritually, recognizing that that survival'depends literally as well as figuratively upon education.

I have been a teacher and I know what it feels like to be underpaid. I have been a mother of school-age children, and I know firsthand what public education means to them. Fortunately, my children went to school before buildings were overcrowded, and while there was still adequate supply of qualified teachers.

I have been an aunt to two nieces who went to school in a suburb on a double shift. Half-time education it was literally. I saw first hand not only the havoc it raised with their education but what it did to the orderly routine in a home, the kind of routine that is so necessary for stability of children.

I have lived in a suburb where the new high school was overcrowded the day it was opened. I speak to you then as a representative of those women whose children are losing educational opportunities day by day, the kind of loss that can never be made up, for when that time in a child's life has passed it is gone forever.

The National Council of Jewish Women, with its 100,000 members, is made up of women of the type I have just described to you. We have in our various activities carried out a twofold program. One has been in relation to giving support to those measures on a local, on a State, and on a national basis that would further the education of our children. The other has been to center those services, those voluntary services in a way that might directly help to alleviate the situations.

We have worked long and vigorously for increased local and State support of schools. We know that greater financial efforts can and must be made by States and localities

in support of the public schools. But it is just because of our work on the State and local level that we know that the Federal Government must also assume its responsibiliites for building a system of public education in this country capable of meeting the demands of the space age.

I come, Mr. Chairman, from a State the State of Minnesota—that has made greater than average effort in the support of its schools. I come from a community, Mr. Chairman, the community of Minneapolis, where the taxes in that community, the property taxes that support the schools, are among the very highest in the country. Our State this year is faced with an additional need for $80 million to be added to its revenues. This $80 million will provide not new services but will simply help to maintain and improve the existing services.

If a State like Minnesota and a community like Minneapolis is in need of some kind of Federal aid to meet its educational problems, then how much more must those States who are not as prosperous or not in the kind of favorable condition and position that Minnesota is in to meet these problems—how much more must they need them.

My own experience over the vears is, in a sense, an illusration of the way in which recognition of the necessity for Federal aid becomes apparent to all who are working to improve educational facilities. In my own city of Minneapolis I have headed a number of drives for charter revision which would enable the city to give greater support to the schools. Also it was my privilege a few years ago to serve as statewide chairman for the Minnesota Citizens Committee for Constitutional Amendment which permitted the revenue from iron ore taxes to the amount of some $10 million to be used by the State for current school support. It was indeed a great source of gratification when this amendment was passed by the largest plurality of any referendum ever held in the State of Viinnesota.

When I attended the White House Conference on Education as a delegate from Minnesota, I learned at firsthand how closely related were the education problems of all the States.

There are many hundreds of thousands of Americans throughout the country who are working hard to improve their schools through State and local action. They cannot succeed alone. The responsibility of the Federal Government is clear and urgent. It is only the Federal Government that can provide the measure of support and equalization of educational opportunities which are essential, if all the children of the country are to receive a sound and forwardlooking education.

The Council of Jewish Women is fortunate in that it can make a direct contribution to the strengthening of the schools by providing voluntary services. One illustration of the kind of activity in which our sections are engaged is the recent 18-month survey made in Passaic, N.J., sponsored jointly by our section and the local chapter of the leagie of women voters. Immediate results of the study included the appointment by the board of education of a curriculum study committee of outstanding civic leaders and the formation of a Citizens Committee for Better Schools.

Other on-going activities by council sections aimed at improved American schooling include volunteer work as teachers' aids to relieve teachers of routine tasks and also to help enrich school programs with library service, storytelling, music art, and drama." Council sections continue also their longtime interest in the education of blind, deaf, and mentally retarded children. In a number of communities council sections help to set up special classes and pay special teachers, assist with transportation, clerical work, and record or transcribe textbooks in braille or in large type for partially sighted children. In many places these services have helped provide the only available schooling for handicapped children in the community.

Our sections have also supported legislation and referenda to provide greater State and local funds for schools. It is because of our widespread, grassroots work in education that we came to the realization at least 15 years ago that the only way to make substantial progress toward improving and equalizing educational facilities for the young people of America was through Federal aid.

Our support of Federal aid to education has been reinforced by the numerous studies made over the years by a variety of governmental and nongovernmental bodies. They lead to the conclusion that the Federal Government must share the responsibility for education.