let millions of boys and girls grow up in ignorance and neglect, or get what little schooling is available to them in old, dirty, dangerous, and outmoded school buildings.

Let me say in connection with that, the day of the old red schoolhouse is just as outmoded as the horse and buggy in transportation. It is all well and good to brag about going to the old red schoolhouse, but boys and girls come out of these finer, well-built, well-equipped schools with better education, I think, if they have the stamina that the other fellow did, than they would out of a red schoolhouse.

I have heard some arguments to the effect that it was good enough for us in the old days, it ought to be good enough for them now. I don't agree with that.

I heard a fellow say the other day at one of the hearings that he used to walk 2 miles to school every day. I do not think that is anything to brag about. I would let my children go to school 2 miles if it was not for the traffic. I would not trust my children 2 miles away from home alone without someone older in attendance, because they will get run over one of these days.

I think it is silly to argue against bus transportation or something of that sort on the basis that he walked to school 2 miles as a boy. The real intent of the economy argument, as used against this and other proposed legislation in which organized labor is vitally interested, is apparent when we see that the same groups which are today arguing that we cannot afford progress were last year arguing against all Federal assistance on the ground that it would be inflationary. These opponents of social legislation of all kinds are saying, by these arguments, that there will never come a time when the Government should give the help its citizens not only have the right to demand, but are demanding in no uncertain voice right now. It is a shameful thing that today, in the United States, millions of children are not in school, and other millions are in schools unfit for human use. The American Federation of Labor urges the immediate adoption of legislation which will correct this situation.

We have no patience with those who come before your committee and before other groups and complain about the Federal Government getting into State control, taking over State control, and all of those sort of things, or who cry, "Socialism." We have no patience with that sort of people. We feel that this is in line with the progress that a Nation such as ours should enjoy.

In keeping with the custom of the American Federation of Labor, in which we cooperate with the national and international organizations having an especial interest in a field, we are asking representative of the American Federation of Teachers, who will follow me, to discuss the purely educational features of the bill.

Miss Borchardt is here for this purpose, and let me say, Mr. Chairman, I thank you most sincerely, on behalf of President Green of the American Federation of Labor.

Senator HUMPHREY. We are very happy to have you here, Mr. Hines, to represent the American Federation of Labor, and appreciate your testimony and your statement.

Miss Borchardt, I think it would be appropriate now if you would follow.

STATEMENT OF MISS SELMA M. BORCHARDT, VICE PRESIDENT AND WASHINGTON REPRESENTATIVE, OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

Miss BORCHARDT. May I file the formal statement, the statistical data, and simply comment briefly?

Senator HUMPHREY. That would be very much appreciated if you would do that. 1 might say that anyone else who is going to testify who wishes to do that, may do so; it helps for practical purposes. With the filing of your formal statement, it goes into the record, and those of us considering the legislation will review the record.

You just go ahead and comment extemporaneously from the general prepared statement that you have, or any other thing you want to say.

Miss BORCHARDT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, we are very, very grateful to you for introducing a bill in keeping with, and here I boast, the principles of your organization, Mr. Chairman. We in the trade-union movement are always very proud and happy to point to the constructive work of a fellow trade-unionist with social vision. So we are very grateful to have a member of the American Federation of Teachers lead the fight for the school children of our country.

Senator HUMPHREY. Thank you.

Miss BORCHARDT. We know that you are aware of the principles for which we fought in 1945 in the Aiken bill, and that you have had the vision and courage to incorporate those principles in a bill which is now before the Congress.

As Mr. Hines pointed out, this is part of our over-all program for Federal aid to education, and as you have so often said, the over-all program is essential for the statesmanlike approach.

We want to particularly point out that in this country where a large number of the States exclude a child from compulsory school attendance laws of the State if the child lives too far away from a school, we have a very sad situation in which the State says, "You don't have to go," and the Federal Government condones the evil. We hope the building program, based as yours is, on a recognition of social need, will take this into consideration.

Of the safeguards which you have included in your bill, and for which we stand, first of all we are very glad to note the safeguard for minority races. We think that is essential in any Federal-aid

program.

We particularly wish to commend you also for the special recognition for the needs of rural areas, for there the taxable wealth resources are very, very seriously limited.

Your recognition of the need of a State-wide survey is of tremendous importance, but on that we would ask an amendment, Mr. Chairman. In connection with the State-wide survey, we should like to have the legislation provide that the plan should be published before they are actually put into effect. We think letting people know the truth is the best safeguard for the public interest.

Senator HUMPHREY. Do you mean that they should be made available for general public study through the regular media of communication such as the press, that there does not have to be any special bulletin or extra expense?

Miss BORCHARDT. Yes. We know that is in keeping with your general philosophy and practice, to let the people know what is happening and what is planned for.

We are very happy to note the standards of construction that are required in this bill. As you know, some of the public-housing program has not had provision for standards of construction, as Brother Hines probably knows far more about than I, and the result has been devastating, in the nature of the material that has gone into it, and in many cases the nature of the workmanship.

Senator HUMPHREY. We had a little talk about that the other day, Miss Borchardt. There were two conflicting philosophies with reference to supervision of the use of any Federal grants. One is to leave it directly with the States, in the sense that the States will put up the lion's share of the money in most instances, and then, of course to have the general plans approved by the Office of Education.

S. 1670 provides that the Federal Works Agency_would provide the inspection and the supervision of construction. I cannot speak for the other members of the subcommittee, nor do I wish to make a definite judgment myself on this right now, but there have been these examples in the past under public construction where Federal money was allocated and the standards of construction were not up to what we might call high standards for durability, for long-range usefulness. Therefore, it is my feeling in S. 1670, that there ought to be some protection to see to it that the taxpayer's dollar is used for the kind of construction materials and the sort of construction methods which would be durable and which would have a long life of utility.

And that is why that was put in there. I think that all of us who have talked about this recognize that some kind of protection for the standards of construction and for the type of materials to be used will be incorporated in the bill. Just who does it and how it is done is still a matter of argument, or, let us say, of consideration, but I think it will be done one way or the other.

Miss BORCHARDT. We are very grateful to you. We recognize the need, and are very happy that you recognize the need.

Reference has already been made to the adjustment of the formula, so that it be more truly an equalization program.

Senator HUMPHREY. That is the official position of the American Federation of Teachers, to equalize the educational opportunities, both in Federal aid to education as well as in school construction? Miss BORCHARDT. Yes.

Senator HUMPHREY. As I pointed out, that is a weakness in 1670, and definitely any bill that comes up will probably come up pretty much in the formula of S. 287 from the people I have talked to.

Miss BORCHARDT. We like the ideas of the emergency provisions in your bill. There are emergency needs and especially for the immediate future that should be recognized.

We are also very grateful for the recognition given to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. We have not been doing our duty adequately by our insular possessions, and we do urge that recognition be given to the Canal Zone. The reports we have from the teachers there, especially outside of the big cities, shows a very desperate need for housing for the natives. I don't mean outside the zone, but the natives living in the Canal Zone itself, and we certainly urge recognition of that need, and I think you will so recognize yourself.

Senator HUMPHREY. I am going to ask the clerk of the committee, in cooperation with the representatives of the Office of Education, to get a report from the Department of the Interior-I think the Interior Department controls the Canal Zone-as well as from the Office of Education, as to the needs and facilities that are available there, and we will include that in the record.

(Subsequently, Mr. Ray L. Hamon, chief, school housing section, Office of Education, addressed the clerk as follows:)

Mr. EARL WIXCEY,

FEDERAL SECURITY AGENCY,

OFFICE OF EDUCATION, Washington 25, D. C., June 17, 1949.

Clerk, Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare,

Capitol Building, Washington, D. C.

DEAR MR. WIXCEY: During the hearing on school building aid bills Wednesday morning, June 15, Senator Humphrey asked if the Office of Education had any information relative to two specific questions. As per your verbal request, I will try to answer those questions.

1. Panama Canal Zone: The question was raised as to why the Panama Canal Zone was not included in the bills proposing to authorize Federal assistance for the construction of school facilities. The cost of school facilities, as well as the cost of the maintenance and operation of schools, in the Panama Canal Zone is financed by direct Federal appropriations. Since State and local taxes are not involved in the financing of school facilities in the Zone, a grant-in-aid program for the benefit of the Zone would have no meaning.

2. Tax-exempt property: The question was raised whether or not there is any information as to the extent of tax-exempt property in the various States. With the exception of a few isolated local cases, there is no valid information as to all types of tax-exempt property and the reasons for exemption. There are data available as to Federal holdings which are exempt from State and local taxation. For reference I cite the following documents: House Document 216, Seventyeighth Congress, first session; Senate Report 270, Eightieth Congress, first session. Sincerely yours,

RAY L. HAMON, Chief, School Housing Section.

Miss BORCHARDT. In closing, Mr. Chairman, we want to say that as these plans are published, and we do feel that is essential, that they recognize the need of the various parts of the system as well as the various areas of the State. We think that publication would prevent the use of Federal funds for political rivalry. In other words, you and I have no State administrator to review the Federal funds for purposes of building up their relative strength in one area or another, and we feel that the safeguard of the survey is to grant recognition, and the publication is to make the public aware of it.

We come to offer you our hearty support in every way in bringing about the enactment of this bill, and we certainly wish you Godspeed in serving our children in so doing.

Senator HUMPHREY. Thank you, very much. May I say as you leave the witness stand, that the American Federation of Teachers Bulletin, I am sure, will try to convey the message to the teaching profession and bring some community support in support of this legislation.

I think that any bill that has been presented here has merit, and what we are going to do is to try to get the best bill out of all of the bills that have been presented.

That will be a job that will not be too difficult in view of the general concurrence of the people who have testified. But as I said to some of the members of the Office of Education, and some of the others who are so vitally interested in this, we need the kind of understanding

back at the community level of what is being projected here. Every community recognizes its own needs, but they are not all familiar with the total picture in America.

Miss BORCHARDT. Senator, we say when those who raise the question, Can America afford this? we say, "Can America afford not to do it?" and we think America cannot afford to fail to do it. We think the need is both a financial and a social investment of the greatest importance to the welfare of the Nation.

Senator HUMPHREY. I like your term "investment." It appeals to me. It seems much more sound than "expenditure."

Miss BORCHARDT. Having you here, Mr. Chairman, is a social investment.

Senator HUMPHREY. Thank you, very much. I should keep you on the stand longer.

All right, the next witness is Mr. Henderson.

STATEMENT OF ELMER W. HENDERSON, DIRECTOR, AMERICAN COUNCIL ON HUMAN RIGHTS, WASHINGTON

Mr. HENDERSON. Mr. Chairman, I am Elmer W. Henderson, director of the American Council on Human Rights.

I have the honor to represent the American Council on Human Rights, a cooperative program of seven national fraternities and sororities dedicated to seek the extension of fundamental human and civil rights to all citizens of our country and to secure equality of justice and opportunity to all without discrimination because of race or religion.

The American Council on Human Rights wishes to express its support of the principle of Federal assistance to the States for the construction of elementary and secondary schools and strongly urges this committee to report favorably a bill which will adequately accomplish this worthy objective.

We have examined S. 287 introduced by Senator Neely, S. 1670 introduced by Senator Humphrey, and S. 1699 introduced by Senator Bricker. All of these bills have great merit, although they vary considerably in approach.

First of all we would recommend the large figure of $500,000,000 to be appropriated. I believe Senator Neely's figure is $490,000,000, so there is very little difference there. Senator Bricker's, I believe, is $250,000,000.

There seems to be no disagreement about the great and dire need for this program. Particularly in the rural areas and small towns, and I would like to underscore that, Mr. Chairman, because I believe that is where the problem is most acute. Certainly from my standpoint it is.

I believe that the surveys to be made by the States will show this figure to be the minimum necessary.

May I interject that I would also like to support the recommendation of the previous speaker that those surveys be published in some form or another so the people will know just what is involved.

We believe the basis of allotment as contained in Senator Neely's bill to be by far the more prefereable. The funds are more likely to go to the States where most needed under the theory of inverse relation to respective per capita income payments.