Senator CLARK. Thank you very much. Mr. HAWORTH. I just wanted to get this in the record. The subcommittee will stand adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. (Whereupon, at 12:04 p.m., the hearing was recessed, to reconvene at 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 11, 1963.) 98-466-63-vol. 4 EDUCATION LEGISLATION-1963 TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1963 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON EDUCATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to recess, at 10:25 a.m., in room 4232, New Senate Office Building, Senator Ralph Yarborough presiding pro tempore. Present: Senators Yarborough, Javits, and Prouty. Committee staff members present: Stewart McClure, chief clerk; Charles Lee, professional staff member of the subcommittee; Michael J. Bernstein, minority counsel; and Ray D. Hurley, associate minority counsel. Senator YARBOROUGH. The Subcommittee on Education will come to order. The first witness will be Mr. William Truitt, assistant director of legislative services of the National Farmers Union. Come around, Mr. Truitt. STATEMENT OF WILLIAM TRUITT, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES, NATIONAL FARMERS UNION Mr. TRUITT. Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, the Farmers Union is gratified indeed to have the opportunity of appearing before this distinguished subcommittee and presenting its views on Vocational education. If you will recall we have done so numerous times in the past. Rather than speak to the entire education bill, S. 580, we would rather address ourselves to title V of that bill, S. 580, since that is the area of deepest concern to farmers. Today I speak not only for the 250,000 farm families we represent but also for our president, Mr. James G. Patton, who was a member of the President's Panel of Consultants on Vocational Education. At the outset we wish to commend the administration for such a comprehensive piece of legislation as S. 580 and further commend this subcommittee for its splendid work in finding the answer to some of America's thorny education problems. CONCERN FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION At our recent convention in New York City, two price factors motivated the great interest there in vocational education. The first factor was the need to properly train, at the vocational level, those young people who wished to stay on the farm and to offer proper Vocational training to those who would leave the farm and enter a sophisticated urban labor market. The second factor that evoked much consideration was the possibility that existing vocational education laws might be disturbed. As Farmers Union members see it, existing vocational acts are just as sound today as they were when enacted into law. They should not be disturbed. They have charted the way for more equitable educational opportunity and created a framework and foundation for today's and tomorrow's labor needs. It is, in fact, under the existing legislation that States have built a system of teamwork and cooperation that stands on its own merit. It is for these reasons that the Farmers Union feels it must therefore oppose the basic tenets of title V of the bill now before you. Recognized that it never befits one to just criticize, we would offer an alternative measure to title V of this bill. In this particular case our work has been done for us by the distinguished Representative from the Seventh District of Kentucky, Mr. Carl D. Perkins. To review for you briefly, Mr. Perkins introduced his own bill, H.R. 4955, which was amended in hearings of the general Subcommittee on Education and then passed unanimously by six Democratic and four Republican Representatives. This is indeed a measure of the adequate bipartisan support indicated for Mr. Perkins' bill. Mr. Chairman, I ask that H.R. 4955, as adopted by the general Subcommittee on Education, be entered into the record at the conclusion of my remarks. Senator YARBOROUGH. It is so ordered. It will be printed at the conclusion of the remarks. Mr. TRUITT. In addition to the fact that Mr. Perkins' bill would let the Smith-Hughes and George-Barden Acts remain intact, there are many other reasons why the Farmers Union has endorsed it in almost every facet. REASONS FOR SUPPORT OF H.R. 4955 Of primary consideration is the fact that it gives the State board of education the authority to continue developing vocational programs on an area basis. This is both educationally and financially sound, since area programs offer the best possibilities for filling needs of rural youth. This bill, if enacted into law, would make possible a great development of vocational guidance programs in the different States, and also makes possible feasibility of planning by State boards of education. Another major consideration is the fact that this bill makes possible the construction of vocational facilities. One of the greatest needs in today's entire vocational-educational program is the need for new up-to-date equipment and facilities to teach skills for a labor market that is also very much up to date. Another outstanding provision of this bill is that it makes substantial loans possible in a very realistic way. The establishment of a student's loan fund is important for worthy individuals who are work of this bill makes possible research for experimentation which in itself is designed to improve the quality of vocational education. The value of research has long been proved. The need for research in vocational education is great. Two final features make this bill desirable from a Farmers Union viewpoint. One is that it makes it possible for vocational leadership to do long-range planning and the other is that it allows a vocational program to be built on an already existing and solid foundation. Mr. Chairman and members of this committee, I am sure that your own wisdom will recognize that we come before you today not to recklessly criticize the administration's noble efforts in the field of education nor to hold over the heads of this distinguished committee what we regard as the positive accomplishments of a counterpart group in the House of Representatives. Rather, we come before you to offer what we feel is in the best interests of agriculture and rural America. We have on the one hand, Mr. Chairman, a great need in rural America and particularly in those farming areas we represent, a need for adequate vocational training in the agricultural field. Of increasing importance is the impelling need to retrain young people from rural areas for jobs in sophisticated urban markets. On the other hand, we currently have legislation which provides $57 million annually for vocational educational programs. Mr. Chairman, current moneys are not enough to do the job. The bill we refer to above can lessen this imbalance. REALLOCATION OF FUNDS In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I should like to cover one final point. There has been talk of allocating certain parts of State funds from one field in vocational education to another. The most often mentioned would be to switch funds for home economic courses to courses which would result in wage earning. There is a critical need for full employment in this country, and therefore for wage earners, but the home is the basic unit of human society. It would, therefore, be reckless indeed to allocate funds for making better homes to some other use. We can afford to do both. Mr. Chairman, let me thank you again for the privilege of presenting the views of Farmers Union before this distinguished subcommittee. (H.R. 4955, bill and committee print, are as follows:) [H.R. 4955, 88th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To strengthen and improve the quality of vocational education and to expand the Vocational education opportunities in the Nation Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Vocational Education Act of 1963". TITLE I-VOCATIONAL EDUCATION DELCARATION OF PURPOSE SEC. 101. It is the purpose of this title to authorize Federal grants to States to assist them to maintain, extend, and improve their programs of vocational education so that persons of all ages-those in high school, those who have completed or discontinued their formal education and are preparing to begin their work careers, those who have already begun their work careers, but need to |