hostilities as speedily as possible, but in peacetimes we cannot understand why the War Department will lease a plant to private industry to be operated for profit without the payment of money in lieu of taxes and appropriations to provide the capital structures necessary to house the children of those who work in a Government-owned plant.

It is for these reasons that we urge the members of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare to report favorably Senate bill 287, as amended. Without the passage of this bill, future American citizens will be denied the educational opportunities which are vital to the development of democratic citizenship. Respectfully submitted.

THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE
COUNTY OF MONONGALIA,

By FLOYD B. Cox, Secretary.

Senator MORSE. We stand in recess until 2 o'clock.

(Whereupon, at 12 noon, the hearing was recessed to reconvene at 2 p. m. this same day.)

AFTERNOON SESSION

Senator MORSE. The hearing will come to order.

The next witness will be Miss Sue Powers, superintendent of schools, Memphis, Tenn. Miss Powers.

STATEMENT OF MISS SUE POWERS, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, MEMPHIS, TENN.

Miss POWERS. Mr. Chairman, I was asked to make this statement brief, and I shall do so, inasmuch as Mr. Rose covered the whole subject for all of the schools, and we concur in his report.

The purpose of my appearing here today is to present the needs for Federal aid for the school at Millington, in Shelby County, Tenn., because the establishment of the Navy installations at Millington have created certain problems as set forth below. And I wanted to add that this is a permanent base.

The housing projects already completed have increased the school population of the area by some 550 children. Of this number, 200 are from the 434 housing units constructed on the base, and 350 from the 443 units completed off the base.

I would like to explain that we maintain a school on the base, operate a school, using one of the barracks which, of course, is not adequate. In addition, there are 782 more housing units under construction or contemplated in the immediate future, which will bring about a further increase of from 300 to 500 school children.

The above increases are a direct result of the defense activity at the base.

Since the property occupied by the Navy installations is not only nontaxable, but is property which was taken off tax rolls upon its acquisition by the Government, we think that the Federal Government should assume full responsibility for providing school facilities for the children who live on the base.

Recognizing the fact that the Navy pay roll and the housing units built off the base are definite assets to business and are sources of increased tax revenue which would take care of operation of schools but would not provide additional building space in which to house the children, we feel that the Federal Government should bear one-half the cost of new school buildings. And the reason we made that state

ment is because more than half of the children will come from these new housing projects.

Millington school operates under the county unit. A special taxing district for a bond issue is out of the question since this particular housing area would not have enough valuation in proportion to number of children to make a special taxing district practicable. Large numbers of children live in small areas, thus giving a small increase in valuation in proportion to the number of students.

Shelby County has issued $4,700,000 in bonds in the past 2 years. This will not solve all our problems but is as far as we can go at this

time.

Therefore, I wish to state, first, that we think the children on the naval base at Millington should be the responsibility of the Federal Government as to buildings and operating costs. In the second place, the Federal Government should bear one-half of all building costs for children who live off the base because these people have been brought to Millington by Government activity, with small proportionate increase in property valuation.

Any private industry employing this many people would increase the county valuation as much by the value of its plant as it would be increased by the value of new homes. Here the Navy has decreased the value by the amount of its plant property, pays no tax on its plant, and has 200 students living on this nontaxable property.

The population of Millington in 1945 was 620. In 1949 it was 3,500, due to the development of the base, and that development will, Mr. Chairman, continue because there are other certain projects provided. There are 12,000 officers and men on the base; and, of course, these other people work for the Navy and live off the base.

That is our picture.

Senator MORSE. It is a very clear statement, Miss Powers, and we are glad to have it.

I notice that you were present this morning when various witnesses testified, among them Mr. Stebbins, Mr. Goodwill, Senator Kerr, and others, and I observed that you listened to the discussion very carefully.

Do you, as a superintendent of schools, agree with the conclusions expressed by the other witnesses this morning that you have no fear of Government interference with administration policies or educational policies of your school district through the grant of Federal aid to education?

Miss POWERS. Mr. Chairman, I have worked with schools as superintendent perhaps longer than any other person who has appeared here. I have been superintendent for 30 years. I have worked with a great many Federal agencies, war agencies as well as the grants for Vocational education, agriculture and home economics, industry, and now the Veterans' Administration. The farm program I speak of because I was in a more or less rural school, and I have not had any criticism or any difficulty. It is my Government, too, and I do not anticipate any difficulty.

Senator MORSE. You have never felt that this is an attempt on the part of the Federal Government, through any of these other Federal grants, to dictate to you as a school administrator what your educational policies should be?

Miss POWERS. They have not done it so far, and I have no reason to think that they would, and we operate a rather large-well, an aircraft department during the war, and we worked with the aircraft people, Government people, and our relationships were always agreeable and pleasant. I have no experience to cause me to say that there is any reason for fear.

Senator MORSE. Thank you very much, Miss Powers.
Miss POWERS. Thank you for letting me come early.

Senator MORSE. The next witness is Mr. J. W. Eater, superintendent of schools, Rantoul, Ill. Mr. Eater.

STATEMENT OF J. W. EATER, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, RANTOUL, ILL.

Mr. EATER. Mr. Chairman, I have a prepared statement I shall read.

These statements are submitted to show the urgent need for Federal assistance in the construction of school facilities in the Rantoul Elementary School, District 137, Champaign County, Rantoul, Ill.:

The increase in enrollment of the Rantoul Elementary School is the direct result of the expansion program of the Chanute Air Force Base, which is wholly within the boundaries of the school district. Chanute Air Base has been established on a permanent basis and employs a majority of the workers of Rantoul, since there are no industrial plants located here.

In 1947 the authorities of Chanute Air Force Base were granted control of the Federal housing project comprising a 300-family unit. This project, known as Chapman Courts, thus became a part of the military reservation. The quarters since that time have been assigned to persons directly employed by or assigned to the base either as civilservice workers or as military personnel.

In 1936 the records show a normal enrollment of 150 students, but at the close of the school year 1948-49 the enrollment has grown to 639 and the estimated enrollment for the year 1949-50, according to projects under construction on Chanute Air Force Base and in the village of Rantoul and the result of the annual school census, will be 1,025. The following is quoted from the Educator's Washington Dispatch, March 3, 1949:

Influx of first-graders will continue to make itself felt sharply in most communities during the next 12 months. But draw a circle around 1953. A still more striking increase in first-graders is expected in that year. First-grade enrollment should be 34 percent higher in 1953 than it was in 1947. First-grade enrollments will continue to increase until 1955, when they will reach their peak. The sharp increase in first-grade enrollments in 1949 and 1955 will ultimately result in a heavy eighth-grade enrollment in 1956 and again in a heavy eighth-grade enrollment in 1960. * * * for every three eighth-grade seats needed now, five will be needed in 1960. (NOTE. Nationally, all elementary-school enrollments will reach their peak in 1957. At that time, there will be 26.5 million elementary pupils, or 46 percent more than there were in 1947.)

The continual growth of the enrollment in district 137 is the result of the conversion of surplus barracks into 102 family units for military personnel and the assignment of these quarters on a dependent basis which made these persons permanent residents of the school district. All families residing on Chanute Air Base, including Chapman Courts, are 100-percent service-connected, and the families re

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siding on Mitchell Court, a 100-family unit constructed under the Champaign County Housing Authority, are approximately 100-percent service-connected.

I have submitted a statement showing the enrollment in 1947 and 1948 on the reservation, the Chapman Courts, Chanute Field, and the civilian barracks, which is part of the field, 112 students, and in the district in the Army personnel, civil-service employees, the Mitchell Court is 135, which makes a total of 247. The Huling Home is an orphanage, and the other occupations in Rantoul is 192, which makes 204 as compared to 247, which made a total then of 551.

Then the year 1948-49 you find that the comparable figures, 263 from the military reservation, made a total of 430 from the Army of the 639 students, and the estimated enrollments for the next years, as I have explained earlier, show increases. There are two or three places which I would like to point out: Chanute Field, increasing from 88 to 315 due to the permanent housing which they are constructing on the base at the present time, along with the conversion of more surplus barracks and housing for the lower-grade officers, and the figure which I submit there, 315, is on the basis of what the authorities at Chanute Air Base give me as to the number of housing units they will have and approximately the students that would come from those housing areas.

We find that in the year 1947-48 55 percent of the total enrollment came from those areas, and in 1948-49 67 percent, and if the figures which I have submitted over in the right-hand column hold true to form as to the best estimates I can get, 76 percent will come from those areas.

(The table referred to was submitted as follows:)

TABLE B.-Residence and occupation survey of children's parents of district 137 [During the month of May a survey was made to determine the residence of each student and the occupation of the parents or guardians of each. These facts were revealed]

Students from Service-connected families

Year 1947-48, 247 or 55 percent of total enrollment.
Year 1948-49, 430 or 67 percent of total enrollment.
Year 1949-50, 789 or 76 percent of total enrollment.

Other additional constructions within the district for homes have been provided through private funds or by Federal Housing Authority loans either sold or rented at current price levels. These constructions have been the only source of increase in the assessed valuation on which a tax rate is extended. Although the population has increased by the chamber of commerce census, the assessed valuation or taxing base has only increased from $4,300,000 in 1940 to $5,500,000 in 1948. All of these conversions and constructions made it possible for a large number of Chanute Air Base employees to reside in Rantoul rather than commute from the neighboring towns. From the above facts it is readily seen that while the population has increased 200 percent in the 8-year period, the assessed valuation has only increased 25 percent during the same period. Furthermore, approximately 25 percent of the district is incorporated into Chanute Air Force Base, thus reducing the taxing power by that percent while at the same time housing has been constructed on the military base, which is also tax-free.

The following is quoted from the June 9 issue of the Rantoul Press, a local newspaper:

Six barracks at Chanute Air Force Base are now being converted into 54 new apartments for enlisted men. Work was begun on this project May 15, and is

expected to be completed soon. According to information from the base, each of the six units will house nine apartments. Included in each is bedroom, living room, kitchen and bath. * * * The project was started through the efforts of Brig. Gen. Aubry L. Moore, base commander. All usable materials from the "Cardboard City" are being salvaged for use in the conversion work. * * * Contract for six new buildings to be erected in the old "Cardboard City" area on the base has been officially awarded to the Raymond Development Co., of Champaign, it was announced today.

* * *

Upon notification of the award, a company spokesman stated that they "expect to have our men on the job within 10 days.' * * * The six buildings, with brick veneer finishing and underground electrical wiring, will be two-story colonial type houses with eight apartments each, housing 48 service families in all. *

May I stop to explain there that that is only a part of the plan which they have on the permanent brick housing. That is the first of the contracts that they have let. Money has been appropriated to take care of those constructions.

During the current year 150 students were housed in hospital wards which were converted for school use on a 24-hour evacuation basis in case the Air Force had an urgent demand for additional hospital facilities. At the present time conferences between Chanute authorities and school officers are being scheduled to make plans for an additional 200 students for the year 1949-50 and renewal of the contract for the buildings now in use. The facilities on Chanute Air Force Base were designed for hospital use and are wholly inadequate for public school use and must be considered only as an emergency measure and cannot be justified on any other basis.

The temporary building arrangement in which 33% percent of the students are required to attend class, places a tremendous responsibility on the administrator and the board of education, who are required by law to provide educational facilities for all students residing in the district.

To alleviate this condition in Rantoul by June 30, 1950, 18 classrooms will be needed at a cost of $400,000. Other normal facilities such as offices, clinics, auditoriums, playrooms, and cafeterias will be