Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Abraham Ribicoff

I think education is such a basic problem for the United States. I think that we must

improve the educational standards of boys and girls no matter where they may be no

matter what the color of their skin may be. I don't think an innocent

child in Mississippi our New Orleans our little rock

should suffer at all because of some philosophy that his

elders or a school board may have. Now if we are going to get on with

education let's get on with it. But the surest way that we will deprive this

country of the educational excellence that it has if we start putting

all the other problems that we face as a nation on the back of

education. And since I am interested in education and I am fighting for

a better education America. I want to fight against everything that I think will hold

back education.

The voice you have just heard is that of Abraham Ribicoff United States secretary of Health

Education and Welfare. The statement was made at the secretary's first press

conference held in Washington D.C. in February. The remainder of that press

conference in a moment. This program is one of a series arranged by the Washington office

of the National Association of educational broadcasters and recorded with the cooperation of the United

States Information Agency. Now the first question to Secretary ripped off.

Was a. Long. Long.

Long. Day.

If.

Your. All didn't.

Believe you

believe that powered house or.

Various or three ministries might be very

hard work are coming along for

a very huge part of

your If someone refuses.

Three year old well frankly I haven't seen them

all in my conversations with the heads of most

of the departments concerning what they were driving at and what their hopes and

aspirations were.

They seem to be consistent with policies that I would maintain but

to say whether I would have. A goal 10 years from now formulated by my

predecessor I wouldn't be quite so I think there are many things just a

field of education. The goal of President Kennedy is a different goal than the goal of

President Eisenhower. The goal in the field of health for the Aging is a

different goal than President Eisenhower.

So when you talk about goals a direction certainly of this administration are different directions

and the previous administration has

not.

Do we know

this in the States.

It is my hope and it is and the message on the bill indicates that this really

is a state's rights bill. Their federal government will

practice will have very very little control

whatsoever over any of the programs these programs

of special educational needs will be programs a screened in

approach by the state administration itself. It would be submitted of course

to the United States Commission of Education to see if it satisfies criteria

for an example it would be very obvious if they were building a rural school and

and they said they wanted to build a new road to go to that school. And at

this was a special need. Well I would doubt that under

our intent that you could use this money to build that road. So

basically there will be a very very a little

controller into Ferentz by the federal government in any of these programs.

These good files could be used and we would hope they would be

used to break some new ground to have some imagination to

bring new leadership in the entire field of education. Every

state has different problems. New York City might have a problem with

slum areas and the problems that it would have in relation to

children that come out of slum areas. Another area might have a special problem in

rural districts. Another problem in another

area might want to do something about the children of migrant workers.

Another area might decide that they want to do something for the mentally retarded child.

Another school district or an area might want to institute a

program of excellence for the children of superior intelligence to

combine let us say the last year the first year of a

college education in the last year of high school.

So it is very very broad to take care of any specific

educational need decided by the state.

In view of a very very broad criteria standard set up by the federal

government.

Yes but it will be

with your in every state.

Let me give you a we try to do that

yesterday at the briefing. Ralph land let me say this that so

we can understand one another. I don't know all the answers. I don't know how long it will take me

to ever know them all my hunches I never wail. I will not hesitate to tell you that I

don't know something of I don't know it however if you ask me a question out in a field that I don't

know. That doesn't mean you're not entitled to the answer will try to find it out for you as fast as we

can.

Now since it is complicated and Ralph Flint is much more knowledgeable than I am Ralph would you

please try to explain it to explain this.

Whole relationship for the men and

will. Never.

Leave their men to give

us a view that. I really only

remember the building.

Yes I am opposed to this amendment. My philosophy is this.

I believe in the decision of the Supreme Court. I believe that it has

a legal basis as well as a moral basis.

However my job is education. I believe deeply that we have to move forward in the

field of education and I can't imagine any greater tragedy for America than to try

to put on the backs of education and impede its progress by trying to solve every

problem that be sets our society over and through and under blocking

going ahead in the field of education. And it would be my hope that we could move ahead in the field of

education north south east and west for white and Negro alike. The

problems that come under civil rights are problems that we are going to have to face as a people

that this problem will have to be faced by the Congress by those in the executive branch and in the states

themselves. But it would be my hope that we would not be able to block education

with any other side issues no matter how important they are. I would

like to see the issue presented to the Congress of the American people. Are you are are you are

not for improvement in the field of education and do you or do you not believe that the

federal government should play a role and not try to bring up many of the side

issues from year to year which hides the real intent and the purposes of those who are for

or against a bill.

Yes I think that has helped

her to break the arc.

All right I know this is it and I don't know what answer the Defense

Department gave Starr so I can tell you that this happens to be my answer you can draw any

allusion that you want but I think it's a different problem entirely. You

write My position is the position of that of the present the

United States has set out his message today.

Yes it.

Will. Help with. Research.

It is it is good it is contemplated that there would be an institute

that would encompass eventually the entire spectrum

of human life from the child right through the adult to the

aging.

Well I would say that certainly if you can the companies that can cut if you can encompass

it in one there's no sense of setting up another a duplicate agency cost a lot of money we'd like

to save it if we can.

Yes it would. You know here are a few US are thinking of

me the individual who regards this

on the day you rejoice even a friend.

Hello. I let her know the deal.

I would say that certainly weighed out to contemplate that they can go to a hospital that

isn't an accredited hospital. I would say Here it is our intention to rely heavily

upon the states for accreditation and approval of proper hospital

facilities. But this we certainly would expect people to go to proper hospitals.

But in the but let's say that in a community you have two hospital or five hospitals a

patient could choose his own hospital.

If you have five accredited institutions.

Oh yes. Give me the bill.

You will be relieved. We'll bring

you some.

No I would say that there would be an arrangement between the federal government and the

hospital upon what the reasonable charges that hospitals have under these

circumstances. There are comparable arrangements

with the governments with Blue Cross with various

plans today and it works out fairly well I think that the

American Hospital Association understands this and the people in Social Security understand

this and I do not contemplate that this will be a basic problem.

Yes ma'am.

If you know that will be how many people over 65 could take care of their own

needs in the first point.

You never know for me to really come up with like the

right.

One for a. Younger guy he doesn't know there's

any way.

It's not. How much of an answer but I think that now the.

Vice President of an insurance company who is a good friend of mine who'd always been against

these programs and he used to argue very very vehemently

with me and his father in law was ill with cancer in the hospital

and the weeks got into months and the months went over a

year and the cost became so burdensome that his

father in law's entire sum of money was used up and

they started to dip in very heavily into his own reserves and the realisation of

what an illness may cost.

Basically my own philosophy on this is this.

This can be a great burden what I'm interested in the indigent somehow the state always

takes care of the people of great wealth are always taken care of. But you do have a

great body of people in America I think the overwhelming number of self-respecting

hardworking people who spend a lifetime. On a job

and during the during this lifetime they have bought a home and

paid off the mortgage and a house is worth ten or twelve thousand dollars they have two or three thousand dollars

in the bank and suddenly they are stricken with a very serious illness that places

one or both of them in the hospital for a long stay then they suddenly find that they have to

mortgage or sell their house and use up their savings. And there could be no greater tragedy

for a person who has worked hard who was overwhelmed with their own home who has been unable to save a

few dollars in the savings bank suddenly found it finding themselves destitute and

bereft in the waning years of their lives. I mean I think we are interested in people like

this and this represents the overwhelming number of Americans now their $10000

home with their $5000 in a bank might under statistics you would say they could afford to

pay for an illness. But if they were struck by a major illness with a large cost of

hospital care today then they wouldn't be able to take care of the illness.

I mean yes ma'am.

Yes well I would say this. I mean you asked this question yesterday and I think it as I showed

you then it's a legitimate question yesterday's legitimate question today. The bill

will contain provisions on the impacted areas

the amount and conditions of that particular phase of the program has

not been decided. As of this press conference just

to make it clear because of some of the questions I asked at the White House yesterday at the briefing

this 10 percent is not intended to be a substitute for

that. There will be a program and that program will be spelt out

in the bill that will be presented sometime this

week.

I think what Wednesday is a holiday and a few things have to be ironed out in the

bill and and some of the problems the conditions of the amount of what goes the impacted areas

are also problems that haven't been quite decided as of now.

Not long now I would say definitely won't go tomorrow.

Yes or.

Whatever you know. They think

oh.

I would say this I mean you people and anyone can say whatever they

want. The only thing that I have said that any basic decision I'd like to know

about it first before I read in the paper. That's the only state that's the only directive

and I think that is one of the things I learned as a governor I mean I hated to be called 3 o'clock in the

morning by a newspaper man asking me a question and I never heard of it. So they can

issue it but I'd like to know it before you fellows know it's OK to call me up I can give you an answer.

I and you are Snell and I

will and I cannot.

That I know of someone as Jack Bell asked me on Meet the Press about all these

new people I started to think of. Of all the people outside of presidential appointments

I brought in and out of 70000 of pool employees I think I could point to there were

four there was John Newman and Wally Turner and

Phil dam or a and Jamaican and now best Berman.

If you want to call these all political appointees This is the extent of my political appointees out

of 70000 people. But as you know they the people you deal with on a day to day

basis they are here and I would gather the overwhelming number of them

and then we'll be here. My feeling is at the very nature of this department is

such that it is beyond politics that

almost all of the over well the overwhelming number of jobs should be handled

under civil service procedures that have pertain for many years.

I have been I have been and I am impressed with the caliber and quality of the

career people in this department and I hope that we can continue to have a department of

the same caliber.

Well I mean I got the directive today sorry I will try to do it is as soon as I

can gather together thoughtfully at the people

in this field. I I happen to believe very deeply in vocational education.

I think that this is a most important phase of the educate overall education

problems of our nation. I believe that the time has come to update

vocational education in America. I am very anxious to get on with the job and I

hope to be able to get this group together as soon as possible following the directive of

the president very

much the right amount of the help that will be provided. There is

nothing you know that you didn't like the other prisons

overseas but in general that you find a great

pleasure I think that the administration bill

has been very carefully and thoughtfully worked out both

for benefits to be received and fiscal

and actuarial a responsibility and I do believe that the bill

that we brought together is a proper bill taking into account

the actuarial projection and what you can buy for one half

send Social Security tax and I would and it would be my recommendation that we stick with

that.

RICK PERRY Yes. Oh boy

all right. You're there could be situations where federal funds be

withheld from the schools but I think you can see there's a

situation here.

If I don't I don't know of any right that I have or

power that the secretary has at the present time.

I do know this that when a man takes an executive position

he is really two people I mean there are his own ideas and his own

philosophy and there is also the duty that he has to carry out the Constitution of the

laws of the United States of America. And when Congress

passes a law that says you do this you do it whether you believe the law is sound or is

unsound.

Now I know of nothing in the law at the present

time that would allow the secretary to deny Fons

to any school district to any public school district in the United States.

I don't I don't know that the president can do this this

I don't know either whether there's any law that allows a president to do this. I can't

speak for the president but I don't know

that whether there's anything that I can do a secretary.

That he has you know the president hasn't asked me about this. I

have asked for all the information that is available on all these

questions I'm just interested in it personally.

I am curious about it and interested in it.

But I know of no general program in

existence at the present time I think in the any any

DNA there is a provision that no

loans would be denied to any student because of race color creed or religion.

I think in this message that we have that the president sent out sent up today

concerning scholarships. There was a statement in there that nobody would be. No one should be

denied a scholarship because of race color creed or religion.

So there you have it spelled out.

But outside of having it spelled out I don't know of any

specific and he specific place where this can be done now. Again I don't

know of all the details and all the laws if there are any specific ones that you know about that

I don't know about I would be I would welcome to be informed of this.

Well I would say under the president's program we as I would say and I would say

under the president's program this would be a private school and not a public school it wouldn't be

counted in the grant the grant is for average daily attendance to public schools.

What you were talking about would be a private school serve

problem with Kelly Price will probably be easy

but I would say I think very well. Hello sir. And I

let her run for president. Yeah.

I well my feeling is that the secretary Fleming was correct in that decision.

Yes sir.

Good

evening. You

mean you're all changing. You know

me pretty mayor and.

I would say that what Mr. Mills introduced represents my position and the

administration's position now.

Yes. That's right.

I would say with that the situation with the recession and the number of people out of work I

would say that the position taken on that bill is sound as of today.

Yesterday the president has proposed that he will

run at any price to be relieved of the

sentence without the book.

Not at all I mean since the ADA is specifically designed to help in

the construction public schools and the payment of teachers

salaries in public schools then this is the test that you go by and there was no

justification for counting in the students who go to a private or parochial

schools. If you are only going to try to solve the problem of

construction and teachers in public schools I think that it's very

logical to have this formula in view of the president's objective.

I personally believe. That Howard

University should pay should play an increasingly

large role in the educational process of this country. I

have recommended that there be a substantial increase in the

allocation of funds to Howard University over that provided in the Eisenhower

budget and it would be my hope and

interest as secretary to do everything that I

can to make Howard University a stronger and greater University.

You know they say that they

think that is the right.

Well I have been saying this but let me say this.

The field of mental health was one was a field that I was vitally and

deeply interested in as governor in Connecticut. I believe that mental

mental illness is one of the greatest scar GEs and one of

the most important diseases to overcome with one out of every 10

Americans being stricken during their lifetime with mental illness. There was a great

opportunity Faraz on the federal level to make

site Elizabeth's Hospital one of the most meaningful and forward looking hospitals in the

country. And I would certainly do everything possible as secretary to

encourage the future growth and advancement of St. Elizabeth's.

And again as you can well realize my time has been taken up

very very fully with the problems of the president's program to

date. And I have not had an opportunity to go into details

on site Elizabeth. Yes ma'am.

I don't that well I don't know where we can if they have a pipe. If a pub if it

isn't a public school it's a private school then I don't see where they're entitled to any federal

support. I don't

know what I could do this would I would say this would assist said this was something you have to be decided by the court.

I don't know anything the secretary can do.

Yes that is very very well.

You are right

here this is exactly the wrong

thing. This will be

your legacy.

Right or

I would say is a matter of fact it would give impetus to just

what you are talking about for this reason. The greatest burden upon

the private insurance companies are Blue Cross in the health field are the people over the age

65. And yet people under the age 60 under age

65 still suffer from illness and hospitalization.

If Blue Cross and the private insurance companies do not have the costly burden

actuarially the high cost over 65 I think that they

could write much lower rates on their policies in the

lower age brackets and it would be my guess that if

anything this would encourage insurance in the

same fields.

I from Washington D.C. This has been a press conference with United States secretary of Health

Education and Welfare. Abraham Ribicoff it was recorded in February in

cooperation with the United States Information Agency and prepared by the Washington office of the

National Association of educational broadcasters program arranger was Leonard

press production by the University of Michigan Broadcasting Service. This is

the n AB Radio Network A.