A letter to the writer of this report from the general director of the National Council of the Churches of Christ contains the following tatement concerning the matter of Federal aid to school construction: At present writing the National Council of Churches is on record with regard o only a portion of this problem. That portion has to do with the possibility of ederal aid to private or parochial schools. The National Council of Churches 3 opposed to subsidies or grants of any kind by public authorities whether they e Federal, State, or otherwise for private or parochial schools.

It should be added, however, that some of the bodies constituent to the National Council of Churches are not opposed to Federal loans for private educational stitutions, even though they are opposed to any form of outright grants or ifts. Some of our constituent denominations would, however, be opposed even o the matter of loans from Federal funds.

With regard to the broader problem as to whether or not Federal funds should e made available for the construction of public schools in underprivileged comunities, or as a supplement to State funds, or as Federal gifts to the various tates for use at their own discretion we have not as yet adopted any definite olicy within the National Council of Churches.

Discussion of this general problem to date would indicate some division of pinion. If such grants were restricted to communities where Federal defense industrial installations place an undue burden on the normal facilities of the mmunity there would probably be quite general support, although it is doubtful hether it would be unanimous. If on the other hand the legislation were intended be much broader and more general, there would probably be serious questions the mind of some of our constituents.

3. SYNAGOGUE COUNCIL OF AMERICA (JEWISH)

According to the American Jewish Yearbook of 1953 the Synagogue ouncil of America provides overall Jewish religious representation the United States, acting in the interest of Orthodox Conservative id Reform Judaism.

Without taking a stand on the specific question of Federal aid to hool construction, the Synagogue Council of America, on March 1, 150, adopted the following statement of position concerning Federal d to public education:

The Synagogue Council of America has already gone on record on numerous casions as believing that the American public-school system is one of the bulrks of our democracy. We reiterate this conviction now that the question of deral aid to public education is under such extensive discussion.

While allowing for the establishment and maintenance of private schools, as is oper in a democracy, we believe that any action which may jeopardize the ›wth of our public schools where children of all origins and traditions meet on common level of American education is certain to prove detrimental to our tinuance as a democratic Nation.

The Synagogue Council of America approves the extension of Federal aid to public schools but believes that such Federal funds should not be used to ist private schools, whatever their character. The Synagogue Council believes it the sponsors of these private institutions should provide all the funds necesy for their maintenance.

G. SCHOOL BUSINESS AND CONSTRUCTION ORGANIZATIONS

1. ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS

The Association of School Business Officials is an organization of out 1,300 business officials, superintendents, architects, and engiers employed by public and private educational institutions. The jects of the association are: (a) The promulgation of higher standIs of ethics and efficiency in business methods and practices; (b) the dy, analysis, and dissemination of most efficient practices in all

matters pertaining to school business administration; (c) comprehensive and progressive study of business requirements and the establishment of efficient standards; (d) the standardization and unification of school accounting practices; (e) the adoption of orderly and efficient purchasing, storage, distributing, and accounting for school supplies and equipment.

The following information concerning the position of the Associa tion of School Business Officials relative to the question of Federal aid to school construction in needy areas has been supplied by the secretary of the association for inclusion in this report:

The question has been before our asembly meetings at our conventions in 1951, 1952, and again in 1953. The question has called for a great deal of discussion, but no action by our assembled membership has been taken regarding it.

2. NATIONAL COUNCIL ON SCHOOLHOUSE CONSTRUCTION

The National Council on Schoolhouse Construction is a professional, nonprofit, nonpolitical organization of prominent school-plant specialists in the United States. The membership of about 225 includes directors of schoolhouse planning at Federal, State, and local levels, governmental and private school architects and engineers, survey specialists, and a small number of teachers of school-plant planning One requirement for membership eligibility is that the specialist shall be employed in school-plant service in a noncommercial capacity.

The purposes of the organization are: (1) To promote the establishment of reasonable standards for buildings and equipment with due regard for economy of expenditure, dignity of design, utility of space healthful conditions and safety of human life; (2) to combat wastefulness, poor planning, questionable equipment, and other undesirable features, whereby the best interests of the children are not served; and (3) to disseminate such information with regard to school buildings as may be of value to the public and to school officials.

The following statement was received from the secretary-treasurer of the National Council on Schoolhouse Construction for inclusion in this report:

In Jackson, Miss., in 1946, the first postwar year, the council said, "We reaffirm our stand on the necessity for Federal aid for schoolhouse construction." Meeting in Columbus, Ohio, in 1947, the council stated, "Because of the increasingly recognized necessity of reasonable school facilities in all parts of the Nation, Federal aid for planning and the extension of Federal aid to school plant construc tion on a basis of need is imperative. Such aid to be properly effective must be routed through the United States Office of Education and the respective State departments of education." Meeting in San Francisco in 1948, the council stated, "The council reaffirms its position that Federal support for financing needed educational plants is needed and should be supplied without delay. Such Federal support is needed to guarantee for all American communities the school plants necessary to serve their children,'

The council has committed itself to give concerted support to legislation that proposes realistic amounts of Federal assistance administered in accordance with these criteria:

1. Assistance should be channeled through the United States Office of Education and official State agencies of education.

2. Aid should reach State and local areas in direct proportion to need and in inverse proportion to resources.

3. Need for aid should be measured directly by the school-age population and inversely by the level of income payments to people.

4. Qualification by the States for grants-in-aid should be on an objective basis without involving the exercise of discretion, judgment, or choice.

5. The redistribution of aid at the State level should allocate funds only to projects that conform to the State policy of school organization and location.

The planning and supervision of construction projects should be adminis1 by local school agencies with guidance and approval of projects by the State ational agency. Consultive services at the Federal-level should be available ate school agencies.

H. INDUSTRIAL AND TRADE ORGANIZATIONS

1. ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA, INC.

he Associated General Contractors of America, Inc., is a trade ciation representing general contractors throughout the United es. The association has approximately 6,500 members organized 22 chapters in the States.

he following statement was received from the managing director e association for inclusion in this report:

The Associated General Contractors of America is not opposed to Federal or school construction in needy areas. The association does not have on d any formal resolution, declaration of policy, or expression on this question.

2. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES

e Chamber of Commerce of the United States is a voluntary ation of 3,100 local and State chambers of commerce and trade iations. The constituent organizations have a total membership out 1,500,000 persons.

e following statement was received from the department of ation of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States for sion in this report:

have no specific policy on Federal aid to school construction. However, olicy which opposes general Federal aid to education presumably includes eneral aid for school construction.

as been not only our experience but the experience of the Congress in aping the Federal aid to education issue that no bill attempting to define and aid to needy areas could even get out of committee. The only exception en the Public Laws 815 and 874, which not only attempted to define needy etually bypassed the States and went directly to the school districts that urther defined. Even in this instance there was considerable objection to easure and we anticipate much greater restriction in any subsequent legislattempting to continue the temporary provisions of Public Law 874, as led. Presumably, Public Law 815, as amended, will not be renewed.

3. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS

e National Association of Manufacturers is a national organizaf over 20,300 member companies, representing all industries and d throughout the United States and in Alaska and Hawaii. ding to information obtained from its national headquarters, sociation fosters "greater unity among America's manufacturers rking out their common problems, economic and industrial." gh it, manufacturers "seek to crystallize their views into policies rograms on current problems." The association provides inforn services for managers of industry and "serves as their national sman."

following statement relative to Federal aid for school construcas obtained from the director of the Education Department of ational Association of Manufacturers for inclusion in this report: association does not have an official policy in this area but the latest on passed by our board of directors on October 31, 1951, does indicate ings in matters pertaining to education in the States and local communities.

The resolution reads as follows:

Business enterprises must find a way to support the whole educational program— effectively, regularly, and now.

I. FEDERATED LABOR ORGANIZATIONS

1. AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR

The American Federation of Labor is an organization consisting of over 42,000 local labor unions with a membership of about 8,450,000 persons.

Following is an extract from a section of the 1943 report of the committee on education of the A. F. of L. This section of the committee's report was adopted by the federation in convention assembled on September 23, 1953:

While progress has been made in securing a program of Federal aid to general education, the committee calls attention to the vital need for legislation to provide Federal funds for the support of the Nation's schools. The 1952 convention of the A. F. of L. went on record in favor of Federal aid in five special areas: Teachers' salaries; school buildings; special services-health, welfare, recreation, etc.; elimination of illiteracy; and assistance for students who need help to remain in school. The committee desires to reiterate the need for Federal aid in these five special fields.

The attention of the committee was called to the fact that certain powerful industrial organizations are conducting an active and well organized campaign against Federal aid for the public schools. In some States this program has even been sponsored in parent-teacher organizations and movements have been estab lished within these organizations to oppose Federal aid to education. Such powerful opposition, stemming generally from the traditional enemies of organ ized labor, should be an added incentive to the labor movement to strengthen its campaign in favor of Federal support for the schools. It is by no means a new situation in the history of American education to find organized labor battling for the schools and powerful industrial organizations fighting against them.

On page 155 and 296 the executive council calls attention to increasing support in Congress for the use of undersea oil revenues for defense and education. The legislative and public relations forces of the A. F. of L. are to be commended for excellent progress made in this direction. Frank Edwards' radio program was very effective in alerting the people of the Nation to the great opportunity to secure Federal support for education through undersea oil revenues. Whether or not funds become available from this source, the American Federation of Labor takes the position that Federal support for public education is essential to the maintenance of an adequate system of education for the Nation's children.

2. CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION

The Congress of Industrial Organizations represents about 6% million workers through 35 national and international unions. It has approximately 300 State and city councils.

The following statement was prepared in the National headquarters of the CIO for inclusion in this report:

For many years, the Congress of Industrial Organizations has supported the proposal for a Federal grant-in-aid program to the States for school construction. The tremendous overcrowding of our school system has seriously impaired the quality of education made available to millions of young people in the United States. A recent Office of Education study indicates that 1 out of 5 schools in the United States does not meet safety requirements against fire hazards. In the last 3 years, we have built scarcely enough classrooms to take care of the fast-growing elementary school population. We have done virtually nothing to reduce the backlog of school building needs resulting from the 15-year period when almost no new schools were built.

The Congress of Industrial Organizations feels that the Nation will not begin make adequate headway in building the classrooms now needed by our school tem or those which will be needed by 1960 unless Congress passes a Federal-aidschool-construction bill.

The Congress of Industrial Organizations supports in principle the idea that se States with lower economic resources to support education should be given proportionately higher share of Federal aid than the more well-to-do States, e of which are doing an adequate job in the field of school construction. The 15th convention of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, held in Cleved, Ohio, November 16-20, 1953, passed a resolution which read in part: We still need a tremendous school-building program to house the increase in ool population and to replace obsolete and unsafe classrooms. * * * At sent we are building less than 50,000 classrooms each year; this must be inused to give us an additional 600,000 classrooms by 1960, if each child is to housed in an adequate classroom. At that time, enrollment for secondary elementary schools will have increased from today's 34,230,000 pupils to an mated 40 million ***: Now, Therefore, be it

Resolved, That the CIO urges the 83d Congress to enact: * * *

2. A school construction bill to provide Federal aid for a comprehensive, onwide school construction program ***."

J. FARMERS' ORGANIZATIONS

1. AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

The American Farm Bureau Federation is a general farm organizaof over 1,400,000 farm families in 45 States and in Puerto Rico. e stated objective of the federation is to "correlate and strengthen State farm bureaus *** to promote, protect, and represent the iness, economic, social, and educational interests of the farmers he Nation, and to develop agriculture."

t the time of this writing the Federation has no expressed posirespecting the specific issue of Federal aid to school construction. vever, the elected voting delegates of the member State farm buis attending the annual convention of the American Farm Bureau eration on December 17, 1953, adopted a resolution concerning cation. The first part of the resolution is relevant to the subject is study. It reads as follows:

è urge that rural people concern themselves with these major issues in the of public education:

ualizing educational opportunities with special emphasis or measures to e that rural children have the same chance as those in the city to obtain a education.

2. NATIONAL FARMERS' UNION

le Farmers Educational and Cooperation Union of America, nonly referred to as the National Farmers' Union, is an organin comprising about 450,000 members. Membership is scattered Ighout 30 States with most of it concentrated in the Dakotas, sas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, Colorado, Oklahoma, and

nsas.

e organization has for its goal the preservation of the family-type which will give to the farmer a comfortable living with adequate ne and welfare service such as education and health.

e following statement was received from the National Farmers 1 for inclusion in this report:

the position of the National Farmers Union that the Federal Government assist all States and areas which do not have sufficient local resources to e needed school construction. We wish to emphasize that school construc