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1 PAGE 4—May 4, 1955—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. ^"YKLAHOMANS spoke out by a nearly three-to-one majority April 5 in favor of sweeping new school finance measures, including a provision merging the previously- divorced white and Negro school budgets. However, at month’s end, the legislature remained bogged down in committee arguments over vitalizing the omnibus constitutional amendment. The “better schools amendment” had been publicized as a financial overhaul rather than a move toward outright school integration, and went to the voters without overt opposi tion. The final election tally: 231,097 for and 73,021 against. Only seven of the 77 counties turned down the package proposal. These were Texas (voicing strongest opposition at 2,136 to 832), Beaver, Cimarron, Harper, Love, Major and Roger Mills Counties. All ar north western ranching and wheat counties having few or no Negro residents, except for Love County, on the southern border, which showed 115 Negroes of school age in the last state school census. GARY CALLS FOR ACTION Gov. Raymond Gary, who openly staked his political prestige on the amendment, called for quick vitali- zation action. But legislative infight ing has prompted doubts as to wheth er a new school code can be ham mered out by May 15, when the $105-per-week legislative pay period ends. Events occurred in roughly this order: 1. The House Education Committee presented a complete new version of the state school code, incorporating vitalization of all the new amend ments. 2. While this was being pulled and hauled through the House, Rep. Bill Langley, Stillwell, House Revenue & Taxation chairman, introduced a separate bill merely vitalizing the new provisions. This bill slipped through the House almost unnoticed, with no debate, and was sent to the Senate. 3. The Senate, thus given a starting point for its own work, promptly be gan revamping the Langley bill, and lifting out portions of the bulky re vised code to wrap into it. Fathered by the Senate Education Committee, this was fashioned as a 93-page sub stitute for the Langley bill. 4. House members, frankly peevish, realized they had forfeited further decisive share in a major legislative job, and quit work on their own new code. After only 25 pages had been considered, they advanced it out of the committee of the whole without reading the remainder. Only third reading and final passage remained pending. Meanwhile, Bill Shipley of Okmul gee, House education chairman who has consistently opposed immediate integration, washed his hands of the whole job. “I’m sick and tired of fighting,” Shipley told reporters. “I’ve worked night and day for the school people of this state, and all I hear is blame for the things I’ve done wrong.” Neither in Shipley’s case nor in the House impasse was integration the prime controversy. Legislators ar gued myriad problems, including teachers’ salaries, county superin tendents’ qualifications and what to do about the newly-approved 15 million dollar bond issue for colleges and universities and other state in stitutions. Both the House-revised code and the Senate’s Langley bill substitute specifically leave the state constitu tion in shape to meet desegregation, but do nothing to encourage school mergers. “We are preparing the bill so we can go either way on segregation,” said Oliver Walker, Dale, Senate education chairman. “We are fixing it so the local board can determine.” A liberal transfer plan, with dual bus systems where necessary, seemed assured in the final version. Both measures would retain “separate” schools for children of the minority race in each district. County superin tendents would have authority to designate which schools were sep arate, and would have wide latitude in authorizing transfers. The original House revision fur ther would permit parent groups to vote or petition transfers en masse if they so desired. In both measures, transfers are possible without par ents’ consent, provided the affected child lives within one and a half miles of the receiving school or is provided with transportation. (It should be noted that sections relat ing to separate schools start on page 35 of the House revision, which means that none of those portions were read before the bulky bill was shoved through the committee of the whole.) The Senate’s Langley substitute rather frankly anticipates that the separate school plan will become ob solete in light of new U. S. Supreme Court rulings. Section 42 provides: “If any of the provisions of this act shall be adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity or con stitutionality of any of the other provisions of this act.” BUDGETS COMBINED The only integration spelled out in either bill is budgetary. Both versions direct school boards to operate sep arate white and Negro schools on one budget. Oklahoma schools previously had two entirely separate budgets. Negro schools were financed by a countywide four-mill levy, which under the April 5 voters’ mandate now becomes an unrestricted four- mill levy to be doled out to all schools on a per capita basis. School forces outside the Senate and House education blocs remained silent on all the issues, and there was no official protest from Negro or in terracial groups on the apparent trend toward discouraging integra tion. Education leaders who mar shalled unprecedented agency and individual support for the better schools amendment had publicly stressed before the election that their prime mission was a new and more efficient financing system for all schools. as yet. Our Negro people seem satis fied with their schools and the exist ing system. The matter hasn’t been pushed in the county, but it could be a knotty problem.” Berkeley County, Supt. James L. Creasy: “We have no plans for inte gration at present. We’re waiting for final Supreme Court action since we don’t think we have adequate infor mation as yet. “We have made no tests of public sentiment on the matter, so we don’t know what might develop—but I have unbounded faith in the people of Berkeley County. They would be ca pable and willing to take the proper actions when necessary.” Braxton County, Supt. Roy B. Cart wright: “Yes, we have integrated our Negro and white students. We don’t have too many Negro students, but they are now attending Sutton high school and two or three county ele mentary schools. “We have one Negro school that is going ahead this year, but that is be cause the students and parents wanted to continue it. Its teacher, incidentally, is an outstanding man who has worked well to get things done smoothly. We have never had a word of protest on the issue, and the Negro children have been accepted without question.” Harrison County: An assistant su perintendent says that “we have one Negro school still operating, but Ne gro students are attending other schools. Future problems haven’t been weighed thoroughly enough to make any statement about them. “We had no trouble with partial in tegration, but that’s about as far as we can discuss the matter now. The youngsters had their choice in what schools to attend last fall and every thing has been quite satisfactory.” Cabell County, Supt. Olin Nutter: “We have partial integration. Negro and white children ride together to and from school, and first and second grade children have entered schools most convenient for them. Regardless of grade, if any hardship has pre sented itself, other Negro students have enrolled at white schools. “We do not anticipate any problems West Virginia CHARLESTON, W. Va. ^7EST VIRGINIA, traditionally a “border” state, remains in that indefinite category in its actions to ward segregation in public schools. Last September, five months after the original Supreme Court ruling declaring the old doctrine of “separate but equal” school facilities for white and Negro children invalid, a survey conducted by reporters for the Charleston Gazette, found this picture in West Virginia’s integration efforts: Integration had been effected com pletely in 12 counties; partially in 13 other counties. Eighteen counties had taken no action on the issue; 11 had no Negro pupils; and integration in one county had been delayed by pro test actions. Now, nearly a year after the con troversial decision by the Supreme Court—and only days after the mat ter was again debated before the same high court in an effort to settle how the first ruling should be carried out —the picture remains generally the same. MORE INTEGRATION SEEN There are prospects, though, that with the opening of a new school year next September more counties will join the list of the “integrated.” Studies toward this consolidation are being made in several counties at present, and in others school officials report that integration should proceed without difficulty or protests when the Supreme Court makes a final def inite decision on its implementation. A fresh survey by the Gazette, in which the superintendents of schools in 19 counties were checked—more or less at random—concerning their present status and prospects for the future, was conducted between April 14-16. They were questioned directly on their county’s present status regard ing integration; what plans were be ing made for the months to come; and if they thought any public protests might develop over integration. The check brought replies like these: Kanawha County, Supt. Virgil L. Flinn: “Our board has gone on record that it will wait until the Supreme Court issues its final decrees on the matter before proceeding. I believe that the Supreme Court will give ample time for integration to be ef fected if the states face the problems in a sensible way. “We’re not expecting any trouble at all with our students when we do proceed in Kanawha County, al though protests might come from some parents.” Lafayette County, Supt. A. L. Walk er: “Our county hasn’t attempted in tegration yet, but we are studying the issue at present. I couldn’t answer anything concerning the possibility of protests since I don’t know what will develop.” Mercer County: An assistant super intendent reports that “we are wait ing to see what the Supreme Court does before taking further steps on integration.” McDowell County: According to an assistant superintendent, “There has been no desire, demand or interest in the integration issue. It’s awfully hard to answer about possible problems of integration protests, though. They could come.” Mingo County: An assistant super intendent reports that integration action hasn’t been taken as yet. How ever, “a committee was named earlier in the year—and it is studying what can be done to cope with the integra tion issue when some decision is made on it. So far they’ve aired the problem at PTA and civic meetings. We hope to move into integration smoothly. “I think we’ll move into it without trouble; of course, there might be a few protests, just as there are to any thing new, but we’re not expecting any major difficulties.” Logan County, Supt. Paul C. Win ter: “We have no students integrated Southern School News Southern School News is the official publication of the Southern Education Reporting Service, an objective, fact-finding agency established by southern newspaper editors and educators with the aim of providing accurate, unbiased information to school administrators, public officials and interested lay citizens on developments in education arising from the U. S. Supreme Court opinion of May 17, 1954 declaring segregation in the public schools unconstitutional. SERS is not an advocate, is neither pro-segregation nor anti-segregation, but simply reports the facts as it finds them, state by state. OFFICERS Virginius Dabney Chairman Thomas R. Waring Vice-Chairman C. A. McKnight Executive Director BOARD OF DIRECTORS Frank Ahlgren, Editor, Memphis Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn. Gordon Blackwell, Director, Institute for Research in Social Science, University of N.C. Harvie Branscomb, Chancellor, Van derbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. Virginius Dabney, Editor, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Va. Coleman A. Harwell, Editor, Nash ville Tennessean, Nashville, Tenn. Henry H. Hill, President, George Peabody College, Nashville, Tenn. Charles S. Johnson, President, Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn. C. A. McKnight, Exec. Director Sou. Education Reporting Service Charles Moss, Executive Editor, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tenn. Thomas R. Waring, Editor, Charles ton News & Courier, Charleston, s. c. Henry I. Willett, Superintendent of Schools, Richmond, Va. P. B. Young Sr., Editor, Norfolk Journal & Guide, Norfolk, Va. CORRESPONDENTS ALABAMA William H. McDonald, Editorial Writer, Montgomery Advertiser ARKANSAS Thomas D. Davis, Asst. City Editor, Arkansas Gazette DELAWARE William P. Frank, Staff Writer, Wilmington News DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Jeanne Rogers, Education Writer, Washington Post & Times Herald FLORIDA Bert Collier, Staff Writer, Miami Herald GEORGIA Joseph B. Parham, Editor, The Macon News KENTUCKY Weldon James, Editorial Writer, Louisville Courier-Journal LOUISIANA Mario Fellom, Political Reporter, New Orleans Item MARYLAND Edgar L. Jones, Editorial Writer, Baltimore Evening Sun MISSISSIPPI Kenneth Toler, Mississippi Bureau, Memphis Commercial-Appeal MISSOURI Robert Lasch, Editorial Writer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch NORTH CAROLINA Jay Jenkins, Staff Writer, Raleigh News & Observer OKLAHOMA Mary Goddard, Staff Writer, Ok lahoma City Oklahoman-Times SOUTH CAROLINA W. D. Workman Jr., Special Cor respondent, Columbia, S. C. TENNESSEE James Elliott, Staff Writer, Nash ville Banner Wallace Westfeldt, Staff Writer, Nashville Tennessean TEXAS Richard M. Morehead, Austin Bu reau, Dallas News VIRGINIA Overton Jones, Editorial Writer, Richmond Times-Dispatch WEST VIRGINIA Frank A. Knight, Editor, Charles ton Gazette MAIL ADDRESS P.O. Box 6156, Acklen Station, Nashville 5, Tenn. whatsoever and are going right ahead.” Ohio County, Supt. J. P. McHenry: “We haven’t done too much toward integration as yet. We invited Ne groes to attend schools of their choice, and 12 entered white schools al though most returned to Negro schools. We’re really awaiting some directive on the matter. We plan to go along with integration and expect no trouble.” Monongalia County, Supt. Rex Smith: “We have completely inte grated both pupils and teachers. Last summer we held meetings with Ne gro groups to work out plans, and we’re expecting no trouble in the fu ture unless something completely un foreseen might develop.” (Monon galia County was the first in the state to achieve complete integration). Wood County, Asst. Supt. W. E. Lawson: “We have integrated the first and ninth grades, and intend to pro ceed by grades on a yearly basis. Things are working out all right and we foresee all grades being integrated on schedule.” Barbour County, Supt. Bretsel Har ris: “We faced some difficulties in en rolling white students in Negro schools close to their homes, but we anticipate no trouble in the future.” Taylor County, Supt. Virgil Rohr- bough: “We are partially integrated. Plans for the future haven’t been dis cussed fully, but we expect speedy integration. Two of our Negro teach ers are teaching in formerly white schools and are working out fine.” Boone County, Asst. Supt. Wihn2 r Dawes: “At present things are going along smoothly, with 18 students at tending white schools to take course-' not offered at their schools. No reai plans have been made for the future- but we don’t anticipate any trouble Greenbrier County, Supt. D. D Harrah: “I have no comment to make on the matter at present.” (Protest-' last fall in Greenbrier county broug postponement of integration actn" ities.) Raleigh County, Supt. D. W. Brf son: “We haven’t gotten into the ma ter at all as yet. We have no real pi for the future, as we’re waiting final Supreme Court action. Wetzel County, Supt. S. R- y “We solved the problem even be o the original Supreme Court d ecl ^‘„■ We polled every family conce and integrated Negro students with a integrated negro ] ^ objections. This affected oriy Paden city schools—and this wl ? o0 i's Negro youth was one of the sc basketball stars and outstanding letes.” ■ v e On the state level, counties been encouraged by the office o (0 Supt. of Free Schools W. W. ™ re proceed with integration as r^P ^ as possible, but implementator been left largely to the counties- ^ Among Dr. Trent’s recent ac 1 p , this field has been his announc . ^ that henceforth all students ^ examinations on West Virg inl tory in competition to qualify , qC - “Knight of the Golden H° TS honor will be judged withou to race.