Senator HILL. You would reduce his subsistence allowance in proportion to the number of hours that he actually attended to the 36hour minimum? Mr. STIRLING. That is correct, sir. Senator HILL. What about this other recommendation? (reading): To assure the veteran of receiving a good training toward a reasonable vocational objective, it is recommended that the Congress enact legislation prescribing minimum standards-or giving the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs the authority to prescribe minimum standards-for application by the States to any school operated for profit during any period when such school has fewer than 25 students or one-fourth of the students enrolled (whichever is larger) paying their own tuition, and directing the Administrator to refuse the award of benefits under title II of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act where he finds that the standards are not being met. Mr. STIRLING. Recommendations 7 and 8, Mr. Chairman, go together. That is, recommendation 8 says if Congress should enact minimum standards of the type suggested, it is recommended that, as in the case of on-the-job training, Congress authorize Federal grants to States for necessary expenses to assure sound and effective administration of the law. The purpose of recommendation 7 was to set up a minimum uniform standard for all State approving agencies to follow in approving these schools and to give to the States sufficient money to inspect, approve, and supervise these institutions similar to the authority which Congress gave to the Veterans' Administration under Public Law 679 to give to the States money to inspect, approve, and supervise training on-the-job establishments. That has been a success. We believe that by applying it to schools that have fewer than 25 students paying their own tuition, the States would have a good opportunity of assuring them that the school was properly qualified to give these courses of training. At the present time some of the States are having a difficult time in inspecting the schools. They can only approve the schools on the basis of paper applications, rather than going out and checking the schools to make sure that they are giving a bona fide course. Senator HILL. S. 2596 authorized an appropriation for the States to supervise this, to carry it out, did it not? Mr. STIRLING. But S. 2596, Mr. Chairman, did not set up any standards. Senator HILL. I see. What you are suggesting is that the Federal Government set up standards? Mr. STIRLING. That is correct. That was done under Public Law 679 for training on the job and under Public Law 377 for institutions. Senator HILL. As I understand it you do not propose, by regulation of the Veterans' Administration, to attempt to carry out these recommendations, but you have cited them for action by the Congress? Mr. STIRLING. Yes, sir. Senator HILL. In other words, these are only and solely recommendations to the Congress? Mr. STIRLING. That is correct, for legislative action. Senator HILL. Thank you very much, gentlemen. I have a letter from Senator Magnuson, enclosing a copy of a letter addressed to him by President Wilson Compton of the State College of Washington. Senator Kilgore has forwarded to me a letter from President John W. Davis of West Virginia State College. These communications may be included in the record at this point. (The letters referred to by Senator Hill follow:) UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, Hon. ELBERT D. THOMAS, United States Senate. DEAR SENATOR: Attached is a letter I received recently from Dr. Wilson Compton, president of the State College of Washington. You will note his favorable attitude toward S. 2909. I would like Dr. Compton's letter made a part of the committee record on this bill. The problem with which it deals is one with which I am familiar in a general way. In my judgment the bill should receive favorable action. Best regards. Sincerely, WARREN G. MAGNUSON, United States Senate THE STATE COLLEGE OF WASHINGTON, OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, Pullman, Wash., February 1, 1950. Senator WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington 25, D. C. MY DEAR SENATOR: Recently Senators Tobey, Hill, and many others introduced a bill, S. 2909, which would authorize the Veterans' Administration to compensate colleges and universities for the costs of veterans training without deductions of Federal funds received by those institutions as a regular part of their financial support. This applies of course particularly and on a large scale to the land-grant colleges. To Washington State College it means at least $200,000 already and eventually will mean a great deal more. I have read Senator Tobey's speech in introducing this bill and the documents he put in the record in explanation of it. These facts are exactly as we understand them and as we have experienced them. The General Accounting Office had its examiner here for many weeks last year. We have as yet had no official request for repayment to the Veterans' Administration of what the General Accounting Office apparently claims has been overpayment to us. We merely have the official statement of the examiner that he is so recommending. Washington State College is a member of the Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities. Its president is Arthur S. Adams, president of the University of New Hampshire. By agreement with the rest of us he has taken it up and naturally through the Senator from New Hampshire. But the same condition and problem apply in the State of Washington. I suppose that here it is entirely a matter of Washington State College. So far as I know the University of Washington is not involved because it does not have the same regular support through Federal funds. The university, I think, does have some land grants and theoretically it might be involved to that extent. I hope you will interest yourself in supporting this legislation and in securing its early enactment. It is strange that the final administrative decisions of the Veterans' Administration should be so inconsistent with the clear purpose of Congress in enacting the GI bill of rights. Yours sincerely, WILSON COMPTON, President. WEST VIRGINIA STATE COLLEGE, Hon. HARLEY M. KILGORE, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. Institute, W. Va., March 17, 1950. DEAR SENATOR KILGORE: I hand you now a statement which was authorized by representatives of seven major teacher organizations in joint session in Atlantic City, N. J., on February 28, 1950. In same you will note that said representatives asked me to present to you this statement which represents an urgent request that you make an effort to have the Congress consider at the earliest possible date your literacy education bill. I am pleased now to bring this matter to your attention. The statement has been signed for the committee by Dr. William M. Cooper, Hampton Institute, Hampton, Va. I have signed it as a representative of the Conference of Presidents of Negro Land-Grant Colleges. The representatives of the organizations, now mentioned, have direct or indirect relationship to approximately 10,000,000 people of our country. If I can add an additional word in connection with this matter you will have only to command me. If you wish to talk this matter over with me, I will be glad to respond upon your request. Sincerely yours, Hon. HARLEY M. KILGORE, The United States Senate, Washington, D. C. JOHN W. DAVIS, President. DEAR SIR: During the last session of Congress you introduced a literacy education bill which was designed to wipe out the blot of illiteracy from our Nation. We were all gratified that this grave and important problem attracted the attention of so able and courageous a statesman. Because it does require statesmanship of a high order to be able to discern a need among the unorganized masses and to champion the cause of a nonpressure group. We fully appreciate your interest in certain other measures of far-reaching significance, and we would not have you lessen your advocacy of them. However, we beg to call your attention again to the transcedent importance at this time of your literacy education bill. We are sure that you are fully aware of the facts regarding illiteracy which made the need to begin a broadside attack on this problem more urgent day by day. It is for this reason that a number of us met in Atlantic City in connection with the American Association of School Administrators, and passed a resolution asking Dr. John W. Davis to present to you our urgent request that you make an effort to have the Congress consider your literacy education bill at this session. The organizations represented by this group are: Conference of Presidents of Negro Land-Grant Colleges. American Teachers Association. National Association of Deans and Registrars. Association of Deans of Women and Advisers to Girls in Negro Schools. Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools for Negroes. National Association of Personnel Deans and Advisers of Men in Negro National Conference on Adult Education and the Negro. We hope that you will find the time to press for early consideration of this measure. Yours very truly, WILLIAM M. COOPER (For the committee.) JOHN W. DAVIS, Chairman, Executive Committee, Conference of Presidents of Negro Land-Grant Colleges. Senator HILL. Unless someone else wishes to be heard, we stand in recess. (Whereupon, at 11:30 a. m., the committee adjourned until April 10, 1950.) VETERANS REGULATION AFFECTING COLLEGES OF AGRICULTURE AND THE MECHANIC ARTS-VETERANS REGULATION ON COURSES OF EDUCATION OR TRAINING MONDAY, APRIL 10, 1950 UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE, The subcommittee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 11:10 a. m., in room P-36, United States Capitol, Senator Lister Hill presiding. Present: Senators Hill, Aiken, and Morse. Senator HILL. The subcommittee will kindly come to order. Dr. Adams, will you come around please, sir. Dr. ADAMS. Yes, sir. Senator HILL. Have a seat, sir. We have several other members of the subcommittee who assure me they are on the way over here and as soon as we get started with your testimony I think they will come in. Now we will be glad to have you proceed, Doctor, and make any statement that you see fit with reference to this bill H. R. 7057. I believe it is the same as the companion bill S. 2909, with some small changes, but please proceed in your own way and make any statement that you see fit to make. STATEMENT OF DR. ARTHUR S. ADAMS, PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND PRESIDENT OF ASSOCIATION OF LAND-GRANT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Dr. ADAMS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am Arthur S. Adams, president of the University of New Hampshire, and I speak in behalf of the Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, of which organization I am the president. This association includes 53 State colleges and universities established under the Morrill Act of 1862. Its member institutions have enrolled about one-fourth of the total students in 4-year institutions of higher education in this country. Accompanying me is Dr. Laurence Lunden, comptroller of the University of Minnesota, and chairman of a joint committee of business officers of our association and the National Association of State Universities. We appear at the authorization and request of our institutions to urge your favorable consideration of House bill 7057 and of Senate bill 2909. As introduced the bills were identical. The House made a minor change in the first section and added a second section specifically 57 authorizing the Veterans' Administration to make the adjustment directed in the first section, and we respectfully request the bill to be considered in the form passed by the House. Senator HILL. You prefer the House language? Dr. ADAMS. Yes, sir. The documentation of the particular issue under consideration is extensive. With your permission, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I should like to speak informally concerning these matters. Senator HILL. Go right ahead in any way you see fit, Doctor. Dr. ADAMS. I would rather do that than read this prepared state ment. In essence this legislation provides for a decision on an administrative regulation of the Veterans' Administration requiring the deduction of certain Federal appropriations made to the land-grant institutions in the computation of costs of veterans' education. We feel that deduction is not warranted and we base our claims on two points. One is that the funds in question are endowment in character and have been a part of the founding and continuing support of the entire system of land-grant institutions. Senator HILL. Let me ask this question, Doctor: Assist my recollection. When was the Morrill-Nelson Act passed, do you recall? Dr. ADAMS. In 1862, Mr. Chairman. Senator HILL. Not the act which first set up the land-grant colleges but the act from which you get these instructional funds? Dr. ADAMS. The Morrill-Nelson Senator HILL. Yes; those acts. I think they ought to go into the record. I recall that the basic act was passed, as you say, in 1862, but these acts were passed later. I know the Bankhead-Jones Act was passed much later. Dr. ADAMS. That is right, sir. The second Morrill Act was passed August 30, 1890. Senator HILL. And that is the act to which you have just adverted? Dr. ADAMS. With two subsequent amendments, Mr. Chairman. One is the Nelson amendment of March 4, 1907, and the other is the Bankhead-Jones Act of June 29, 1935. Senator HILL. I see. All right, Doctor. (Pursuant to Senator Hill's instruction, the acts and amendments referred to are as follows:) [MORRILL-NELSON ACT] [Public Law 242, 59th Cong., July 2, 1862] An Act donating public lands to the several States and Territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there be granted to the several States, for the purposes hereinafter mentioned, an amount of public land, to be apportioned to each State a quantity equal to thirty thousand acres for each senator and representative in Congress to which the States are respectively entitled by the apportionment under the census of eighteen hundred and sixty: Provided, That no mineral lands shall be selected or purchased under the provisions of this act. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the land aforesaid, after being surveyed, shall be apportioned to the several States in sections or subdivisions of sections, not less than one quarter of a section; and whenever there are public lands in a State subject to sale at private entry at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, the quantity to which said State shall be entitled shall be selected from such lands |