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country is entitled to the same opportunity to develop according to their opportunities. What do you suggest is the way to bring that about?

Mr. RANKIN. Senator, I will tell you what I would rather do. I would rather risk the people of my State who have this proposition to deal with, who know the Negro's weaknesses expressed by Abe Lincoln here, who know his shortcomings.

You send a Negro to the penitentiary for a crime that we would probably give him a fine of $10 for. We know his weaknesses and we know you have got to allow for them. We have taken care of him in the very best way that we know how and no State in this Union would do better than Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia, and the other Southern States.

We have as one of our citizens a former Republican Governor of Nebraska. We elected him to the legislature on a Democratic ticket. Of course, we would probably elect you to the legislature on a Democratic ticket.

Senator IVES. Do you think I could get elected there?

Mr. RANKIN. On the Democratic ticket; yes, if you would keep quiet. You couldn't do it agitating a thing like this.

But we have had men to come there from all over the country and we don't get this complaint from people who know. We get it from the agitators who don't give a tinker's dam about the Negro, and I am not saying that with reference to any of you Senators, sir.

We get this criticism as a rule from people who are down there to stir up trouble.

Let me show you what happened the other day. There was a drunken Negro got on a bus in South Carolina-I will use the other fellow's State first-and raised so much sand the bus driver couldn't do anything with him and the passengers were all afraid of him. The bus driver stopped at a little town and asked for the police. The chief of police came and couldn't quiet him, so he arrested him and started to jail with him. The Negro tried to take his club away from him, and the policeman hit him over the head with it and it happened to blind him.

PM and the other Communst newspapers wrote all kinds of lies about what happened. Orson Welles took him to California and put on a radio show and got the administration so excited that they indicted this policeman in the Federal court, which they had no right to do, and the jury was out less than 1 minute and turned him loose. Yet they smeared the State of South Carolina from one end of the country to the other.

The quietest place in Mississippi I know of is a place called Magee where our tuberculosis sanitorium is located, where the patients are given the rest cure or treatment. A Negro who lived there got to shooting at people passing along the highway. The officers went to see about it and he shot them. Then the officers surrounded the place. This Negro ran out the back door and down through the swamp and it was published all over the country that they were trying to lynch a Negro down in Mississippi. Not a word of truth in it. They found this Negro and the others who were in the house with him had several Army guns, and so far the Department of Justice has not told my Governor, who just testified, where those guns came from.

The same thing or almost the same thing happened at Athens, Ala., and Columbia, Tenn. That is the Communist technique.

One reason I keep harping on the Communist activities is because I am on the Committee on Un-American Activities and I know one of the main programs of the Communists is to stir up race trouble in the Southern States. They have a map showing that they propose to make the Southern States into a Negro Soviet. We have their map on file.

This agitation to stir up race trouble is simply doing infinitely more harm than good.

The businessmen of New York, the businessmen of Missouri, the businessmen of Louisiana, and the businessmen of Mississippi give employment as best they can to the people who live among them and for us to come here and set up a gestapo of this kind with the unlimited powers which the Senator from Missouri has pointed out, would be, in my opinion, one of the most dangerous steps we could possibly take. I say that with all deference to the Senator from New York.

I think you are going in the wrong direction and I hope the bill will be rejected, and I am sure it will be when it reaches the floor of the House.

Now, I shall be glad to answer any questions.

Senator DONNELL. Are there any other questions, gentlemen? (No response.)

Senator DONNELL. Congressman Rankin, we are thankful for your views and thank you for coming here.

Is Mr. Dossett here?

Senator ELLENDER. Mr. Chairman, yesterday afternoon Mr. Dossett called on me and stated that he had to return to Tennessee and that he had left a statement with the next witness, Dr. Hutcheson, and Dr. Hutcheson would present it to the committee for incorporation in the record.

Senator DONNELL. Dr. Hutcheson, will you step forward, please? STATEMENT OF DR. R. H. HUTCHESON, STATE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH, NASHVILLE, TENN.

Senator DONNELL. Doctor, before you start your testimony I am going to tell you this: Under the law this committee has no power to sit while the Senate is in session. Consequently, promptly at 12 o'clock noon when the Senate goes in session this committee will be in recess for a short time. I should have said it has no power to sit unless permission is given. I do not want you to be frightened when you suddenly find that the committee is in recess. Doctor, will you please state your name?

Dr. HUTCHESON. R. H. Hutcheson.

Senator DONNELL. Doctor, where do you live?
Dr. HUTCHESON. I live in Franklin, Tenn.

Senator DONNELL. What is your profession?

Dr. HUTCHESON. I am a doctor of medicine and at present am engaged in the public-health field as commissioner of the State Department of Public Health of Tennessee. As such, I am a member of the Governor's cabinet.

Senator DONNELL. Doctor, I will ask you some questions about yourself a little later. I understand that you are presenting the statement filed by Mr. Burgin E. Dossett, commissioner of education of the State of Tennessee.

Dr. HUTCHESON. I have handed the statement to the reporter and would like to have it made, if it is permissible, a part of the record. Senator DONNELL. Before it is filed I will ask you to state briefly what you know of the background of Mr. Dossett himself and what his qualifications are.

Dr. HUTCHESON. Mr. Dossett is in the field of education. Prior to coming to Nashville-he is living in Nashville now-he lived in Tennesssee not far from Knoxville. I can't recall the name of the county right now. He is commissioner of education of the Department of Education of the State of Tennessee.

Senator DONNELL. Appointed by the Governor?

Dr. HUTCHESON. Appointed by the Governor and a member of the Governor's cabinet. He is chairman of the board of education and, as such, of course, has charge of all the educational facilities in the State.

Senator DONNELL. Very well. The statement will be received. I observe attached to the copy of his statement what appears to be a table and possibly some other exhibits. I assume you are filing the table also to go into the record?

Dr. HUTCHESON. That is correct, sir.

Senator DONNELL. Very well. The statement and table are received for the record.

(Mr. Dossett's brief is as follows:)

BRIEF ON EDUCATIONAL PROVISIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN TENNESSEE BY BURGIN E. DOSSETT, COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, STATE OF TENNESSEE

As a result of the statesmanship of Gov. Jim McCord and the Seventy-fifth General Assembly, Tennessee is greatly increasing its effort to provide expanded opportunities for all phases of the educational program and for all citizens of the State. The State appropriation for the regular elementary and high school program was increased from $13,567,270 in 1946-47 to $25,627,932 in 1947-48 and the appropriation for vocational education was increased from $476,000 to $1,000,000. A similar increase was made in the appropriation for higher education. In 1946-47 the amount of $2,871,003 was appropriated and the amount of $4,773,021 has been provided for the year 1947-48.

The State program of public education in Tennessee makes no distinction between whites and Negroes in providing educational opportunities.

A. GENERAL SCHOOL PROGRAM

1. According to the 1940 census 82.5 percent of the population in Tennessee was white and 17.4 percent Negro. The educational census report for 1946 revealed that of the population 6 to 18 years of age 84.6 percent was white and 15.4 percent Negro. In 1944-45, 84.6 percent of the total elementary and high school teaching positions was white and 15.4 was Negro.

2. In every county, city, and special school district in the entire State white teachers and Negro teachers in grades 1 to 12 are on the same uniform State salary schedule. (See attached State salary schedule.) Whether the teacher is Negro or white his salary under the single uniform State salary schedule is determined entirely upon the number of years of high school and college training he has had and the number of years of educational experience. In 1945-46 the average monthly salary for women teachers in the county schools was: White women, $114.95; Negro women, $120.53.

These facts indicate that more is spent per Negro child for teachers' salaries than is spent per white child. This may be explained by the fact that the Negro teachers as a group have more training. (See item 3 below.)

(NOTE. The reason that women teachers in county schools were selected as a basis for comparison is that many cities have not operated under the State salary schedule while practically all counties have been under this schedule. It is also true that relatively few men have been employed in the elementary schools and the statistics reported by local units do not give one salary for Negro teachers and for white teachers. Prior to 1947 the high schools have not operated under a uniform State salary schedule.)

3. Uniform and concerted effort is being exerted in the training of both white and Negro teachers. The facts relative to the training of the teachers employed speak for themselves.

Training of women teachers employed during 1945-46 in the county elementary schools of Tennessee:

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4. Under the State law all schools, both white and Negro, have been required to be in session for at least 8 months. For 1945-46 the average length of school term in the county school systems was:

Type of school:

White

Negro

Average length in days of school term

159 159

Beginning with the 1947-48 school year all schools, white and Negro, county and city, must be in session at least 9 months.

5. Under the State program, supervision of instruction for the Negro schools has been provided in the various county school systems, either through the employment of a Jeanes teacher where the Negro population justified such a position or through a white elementary supervisor.

6. There can be no distinction in the teacher-pupil ratio between white and Negro schools in the counties and cities which participate in State equalizing funds. The ratio must be applied to the individual school for State funds to be received.

7. Under the program in 1947, funds for the operation and maintenance of school buildings apply equally to all schools in a county or city school system which participates in State equalizing funds. Under the provisions of the law each school must meet the minimum requirements for an approved school if the county or city is to receive State funds for such school.

8. Under the recently enacted legislation each county and city which participates in State equalizing funds must submit a plan for the purchase and use of instructional materials and for health education. These plans are to be analyzed by State officials to determine whether equitable programs are being developed.

9. All teachers regardless of race are eligible to participate in the State teachers' retirement plan. According to the executive secretary of the State teachers' retirement board, a slightly higher percentage of the Negro teachers than white teachers are members of the retirement system.

10. If a county or city board of education elects to participate in the State plan for sick leave all teachers in such county or city system must be included. 11. The State of Tennessee has taken a number of forward steps in the development of its program of higher education. The General Assembly of

Tennessee in 1941 enacted a law which authorized and directed "the State board of education and the commissioner of education * to provide educational training and instruction for Negro citizens of Tennessee equivalent to that provided at the University of Tennessee by the State of Tennessee for white citizens of Tennessee." Pursuant to this act the State board of education and the commissioner of education have reorganized the Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State College in order to realize the intent of the legislature. The appropriation for this institution was increased 66.5 percent by the general assembly in 1947.

B. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Opportunities for training in the preparation and advancement in occupational employment are offered without reference to race.

1. There is but one set of standards for teacher qualification.

2. The contract between the State board of vocational education and local boards of education is the same for all teachers and reimbursement made by the State to local boards for aid on the salaries of teachers is made without reference to race.

3. The yearly term of service of teachers in each part of vocational education is uniform, e. g., all teachers of vocational agriculture are employed for 12 months. 4. The amount of funds required of local boards for maintenance and instructional equipment is uniform, e. g., in vocational agriculture $100 is required for maintenance and $250 for laboratory and shop equipment and in home economics $2 per pupil is required for maintenance and $25 for reference materials.

5. The training time required is the same regardless of white or Negro classes, e. g., in vocational agriculture a minimum of 7 hours per week is required of all students.

6. The number of vocational education programs for both white and Negro approximates the percentage ratio that each race bears to the total population. (a) Nineteen and three-tenths percent of the vocational agriculture departments are for Negroes with a like percentage of Negro teachers of the total number.

(b) In home economics there were 201 white departments and 40 Negro departments in the high schools, the latter figure being 16.6 percent of the total. (c) In industrial education, of the 200 teachers 50 are Negroes, which number represents 25 percent of the total.

7. In the amount of donable training equipment received from Cincinnati ordnance district about 25 percent was distributed to Negro training programs. 8. In extension class training provided for adult employed persons, provision is made on the same basis for all groups. For example:

(a) In the year 1946-47, 203 evening classes were held in vocational agriculture with 53, or 26 percent conducted for Negros. Total enrollment in these classes was 5,935 of which 1,418 or 24 percent were Negroes.

(b) In home economics 24 percent of the total enrollment of 6,745 were Negroes who received training.

(c) In distributive education 12 percent of the total enrollees receiving training were Negroes, which percentage is greater than the ratio of the total number of Negro business employees to the total business employment.

(d) Enrollment of Negroes in all-day classes in trade and industrial educations was 22.8 percent of the total.

C. VETERANS EDUCATION IN TRADE SCHOOLS AND TRAINING ON THE JOB IN
ESTABLISHMENTS

In setting up institutional and trade schools and on-the-job training establishments, apprenticeship or otherwise, the State of Tennessee applies the same policies to white and Negro veterans. Of the new schools being established in Tennessee for institutional trade school training the Negroes will at the present time outnumber the white veterans. In the programs set up for on-the-job training in the various establishments the Negroes will average the same in proportion as were taken into the armed forces.

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