We recently received some items constructed by the carpentry shop that are especially impressive. These are the Formica covered cabinets and display unit for the Carson and Second Street offices. It was my understanding that the materials list, layout, and construction of these cabinets was completed by Bob Barns, a graduate Job Corpsman. The actual value of these cabinets, if purchased on the market, is unknown. However, the personal value of having these professional "homemade" items in the office certainly exceeds the cash value of the product. We do appreciate what the Job Corps organization has done for us, even though we are neglectful in thanking you and your organization for the work that is done. SHERMAN B. BOYCE. [From Our Paper, Apr. 17, 1969, Carson City, Nev.] (By Director Smith) I am still not prepared to "toss in the towel" and say that Clear Creek will definitely be closed. I do know there is quite a bit of controversy around the proposed closures both locally and nationally. Later this week or next I am fairly confident that we will be furnished the list of items upon which the proposed closures is based. Feel assured that I will review the items carefully, compare the statistics of other Centers with ours here at Clear Creek and give all of you a "guess" at that time as to what I think our chances are of remaining open. I am confident we will see some Job Corps Centers closed. If we are destined to be one of those closed, we will close the same way we have operated in the past year we will be one of the best closing Centers in the west! All of you have been discussing the possibility of the State of Nevada taking over Clear Creek. This is an entirely separate matter all together. I have been assured by proper authorities that the proposed closing of Clear Creek and the State proposal are two entirely separate items. The State is interested only if Clear Creek is closed because of statistical rankings. I have no reason to believe otherwise. As a matter of fact, State personnel are assisting in every way possible to gather information concerning our proposed closure. This is a period of stress and strain for all of us. Each individual at the Center is highly concerned as to what is going to happen. All I can say at this time is-let's keep our chins up, spirits as high as possible, and continue to run a good center. As I receive positive information, either good or bad, I will keep you informed. COMMENTS Talking with corpsmen about our program has shown that many of them fully realize this as their "second chance." My hope is that they won't give up, regardless of what occurs in the future. They are aware that the program has been good for them, helping them toward employment and improving their education. The record for our Center speaks for itself. I join with my coworkers in regretting the loss of the corpsmen's "second chance." CHARLES BEASLEY, Resident Worker. It's unfortunate that so many corpsmen with the desire and confidence of making something out of themselves will perhaps have to give up all their hard work and their chance of better qualifying themselves due to the possible closure of our Job Corps Center. However, whatever the decision may be, my best wishes to all those corpsmen who have tried to make Clear Creek an outstanding Centerthe best in the West. C. JOHNSON. Resident Worker. If the decision to close the Center goes through, we can give a lot of thought to the why of it. A hurt will be felt by many; politics is going to make a hardship for many. This closing definitely is political. BOB DAGGETT. FACT SHEET ON CLEAR CREEK JOB CORPS CENTER LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF NEVADA, This Job Corps Center is: 31⁄2 years old; is operated by Forest Service, Toiyabe National Forest; serves 200+ drop-outs at a time; has averaged a stay of 7 months per man; has seen 900 go through program, with changed skills & attitudes & habits of work; has a known placement record of 70+% (placement figures are hard to pin down, so more hired are presumed, but this 70% is sure). Average age of young men is 17. Program is 1⁄2 basic education, 1⁄2 skills training. Since young men are at the Center 24 hours a day, program is also: training in leisure time use, games, hobby crafts, sports, hiking, fire-fighting, search-&rescue; training in leadership, social skills, student government; individual and group counseling. Skills training leads directly to well-paid jobs in both rural & metropolitan areas (ex. $3.56 an hour offset press operator in Sacramento last month). Major training fields are: Employers and labor unions have helped develop individual training plans and training record systems, geared to industry's actual demands. Skills training projects contribute directly either to Center development and maintenance, or to products used in Toiyabe National Forest. Major projects of 31⁄2 years have been New Forest Ranger Station, Carson City; New Ranger dwelling, Bridgeport, California; New Ranger dwelling, Tonopah, Nevada; Forest Service warehouse, Tonopah; Forest Service warehouse remodeled near Fallon, Nevada; New shelter, Ichthyosaur State Park, Toiyabe Forest, Gabbs, Nevada; New Forest Service picnic area near Spooner Summit, Lake Tahoe; 5 miles of new forest access road near Hawthorne, Nevada; 8 miles of forest road reconstruction near Hawthorne ; 700 acres of range revegetation near Austin, Nevada; and Several miles of rangeland fences in various parts of Nevada. 1,000,000. $$ value of work done for Toiyabe National Forest and remaining for local use. Basic education starts with 30% of youth below 3d grade, most between 3d & 5th, has taken some to High School Equivalency; has taken most to 8th grade functioning level; motivation of total program dissolves hang-ups youth previously had about education; this camp ranks high: out of 82 camps, only 10 higher in math, 18 in reading. Cost is around $1,000,000 a year: Cost $5,500 per corpsman, includes clothing, dental costs (high, and sometimes paid twice in year with 7-month average stay), medical expenses. Also includes $1,400 in raw materials for projects which stay on land in finished products for Forest campsites. Earning capacity of graduated corpsman will return whole cost to U.S. in taxes alone in 3 years. The productive morale and quality of manliness everywhere evident in this Center have no price tag, either for the young man or for the country. LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF TUCSON, Hon. MORRIS K. UDALL, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. UDALL: The League of Women Voters has supported the Job Corps. Removing young people from environments holding little hope for improving their opportunities for employment and placing them in residential settings where both job annd basic educational training would be available, away from the distractions of other influences, seemed worthy of trial as a means to provide equal opportunity to the disadvantaged for education and employment. To set up replacement facilities in 30 urban centers by July seems unrealistic. This is the date that Secretary Shultz set for closing 59 Job Corps centers, including all in Arizona. Therefore the League opposes the abrupt closing of Job Corps centers. Continued withdrawal of promised assistance and opportunity cannot help but make the disadvantaged cynical and disillusioned about the depth of commitment the nation has to overcoming poverty and discrimination. As urban "mini" skill centers are developed, they may prove better able to fill the needs of the severely disadvantaged. The League would not then oppose, and might well support, phasing out the Job Corps. It does not believe, however, that opening "mini" centers necessitates precipitous closing of Job Corps centers. The "saving" anticipated comes about, in part, through serving smaller numbers (10,000 less). Too, the relatively high yearly costs per enrollee in the Job Corps are somewhat offset because many of these young people, especially in conservation centers, do constructive work whose value had been appraised at $56 million by the end of 1968. Secretary Shultz' intended action may be illegal as well. Senator Muskie (D. Me.) said that closing more than one half of the centers means that less than 40 percent of male enrollees will be in conservation corps as required by the Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1967 (P.L. 90-222, Section 106, a). Please give opposition to the abrupt closing of Job Corps Centers your consideration. Thank you. Sincerely, Mrs. W. S. WILLIAMS, President. Chairman PERKINS. The committee will recess until 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. (Whereupon, at 3:25 p.m., the committee recessed until 9 a.m., Friday, May 2, 1969.) ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AMENDMENTS OF 1969 FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1969 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR, Washington, D.C. The task force met at 9:50 a.m., pursuant to recess, in room 2175, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Carl D. Perkins (chairman of the committee) presiding. Present: Representatives Perkins, O'Hara, Quie, Erlenborn, Esch, Steiger, and Landgrebe. Staff members present: H. D. Reed, Jr., general counsel; William F. Gaul, associate general counsel; Robert E. McCord, chief clerk and senior specialist; Charles W. Radcliffe, minority counsel for education; and John Buckley, chief minority investigator. Chairman PERKINS. The committee will come to order. A quorum is present. I am glad this morning, Congressman Pickle, to welcome you here and Mr. Templeton who, to my way of thinking, is one of the great authorities in the whole country insofar as the education of the youth of this country is concerned. I think you want to introduce Mr. Templeton. Immediately preceding those remarks, I want to ask unanimous consent to present this petition that Mrs. Morse carried in here this morning and gave to the stenographer. STATEMENT OF HON. J. J. PICKLE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS Mr. PICKLE. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to present to the committee this morning Dr. Arleigh Templeton, president of Sam Houston State College. Although many members of the committee have visited with him personally, either here in Washington or at the Gary Corps Center in San Marcos, Tex., I feel it a privilege to present him here to you. He is one of the best known educators in the Southwest. He is president of a college but has extensive experience in both elementary and secondary education programs, in the junior college level of education, and now is president of Sam Houston State College. He is experienced in the field. He is a recognized holder of a doctorate degree and, yet, though he is recognized in the education field, his authoritative advice carries the force of a southwesterner who brooks no nonsense in a program that he thinks is as extremely valuable to America as the Job Corps. |