Show CRISIS IN EDUCATION our nation faces the acute responsibility of providing a right of way for the american child in spite of our economic social and governmental difficulties our future citizens must be built up now we may delay other problems but we cannot delay the day to day care and instruction of our children said president herbert hoover in his bis defense of american childhood at the citizens conference on the crisis in education held at washington D C last month upon the invitation of the president of the united states this conference is unusual in that it invites the cooperation of men of widely different points of view in the consideration of our school and tax system from the standpoint of maintaining the welfare of the children of today our governmental forces have grown unevenly and along with our astounding national development we are now forced to make decisions on the merits of the various expenditures but in the rigid governmental economies that are requisite everywhere we must not encroach upon the schools or reduce the opportunity of the child through the school to develop adequate citizenship there is no safety for our republic without the education of our youth that is the first charge upon all citizens and local governments 1 I have confidence that with adequate reduction of expenditures there can be ample amounts obtained from reasonable taxation to keep heep our school system intact and functioning satisfactorily those in charge of the schools must be willing to face conditions as they are to cooperate in discarding all unnecessary expenditures to analyze all procedures and to carry forward on a solid basis of economy but the schools must be carried on 1 I 1 wish to thank you for giving of your time and coming here to washington for this meeting I 1 trust that out of it will come recommendations that will be of national significance above all may 1 I ask that throughout your deliberations erat ions you bear in mind that the proper care and training of our children is more important than any other process that is carried on by our government if we are to continue to educate our children we must keep and sustain our teachers and our schools the conference closed with a challenge from secretary wilbur of the interior department in these words we have all met here to discuss a very practical question a question that is going to be decided in a thousand or more places by school boards by legislatures perhaps by congress by superintendents ten dents tg of schools and tho the decisions made by all of 0 those individuals are going to determine in a large measure just what will happen to this generation of american children the of suddenly bud denly coming out to clear skies is not very great we have to think it seems to me in terms of an emergency that will last over the decisions of this year so that I 1 ask you as you go back to your various communities ni muni unities ties and to your responsibilities to bear in mind that you came here for just one purpose and that was to see what could be done under our american system to be sure that our boys and girls of this particular period are not robbed of their birthright in education that is what this is all about and I 1 brought up a proposition here that I 1 thought highways less important than schools I 1 still think so you think that was worthwhile doing anything about but you have your responsibility of proposing something just as practical as that and to see sec whatever is practical in the resolutions that are proposed gets into the hands bands of the people that make the decisions if you are going to pay school teachers ers you have to get the money to pay them and that money now Is going to be sought lor for from a dozen sources so that we must take an aggressive attitude for the schools if we are going I 1 to see our children through this is not a matter of passing resolutions it Is a matter of fighting and there is no better thing to fight for than the american school child and I 1 want to leave with you as you go that challenge fight through for these I 1 american school children fight the highways fight the politicians I 1 fight all the groups its worth while |