Greenbelt cooperator., 1940-04-11
VOLUME /, NUMBER II

AS reported in last weeks Cooperator, have
publicly charged the present of the
Citizens Assoc iation with what seemed to serious
failure to provide effective leadership of the Asso
citation a whole.
However I do not want it to be thought that I
of the work that is being accomplished the
officers of the Assoc iation and their committees.
The Milk Comi ttee has effected extraordinary
demonstration of citizens cooperating for their
tual profit. The Housing Committee has been attack
ing the crucial Greenbelt problem of the transient
citizenry with Intelligence and energy. The Trans
portat1on Committee did good piece of work, both
in drawing its proposed solution to its problem
and in its cooperation with nei hboring communities
in negotiations with Capital Transit. II agree with
the editor Of the Cooperator though that the
portation Committee mi ght we'll have and mi t STILL
give attention to the possibility of planning
the efficient utili zation of the private auto
mobiles available.) The Welfare Committee has
broad program including an employment service, an
emergency drug fund, clothing and toy exchange,
and general social service. (And it to carry
out this work quietly and effectively, without the
self-ri ghteous strionics that is associated
with such work by amateur citizens groups.) The
kindergarten Committee is activeas is the Education
Committee, am led to believe, although wonder if
it does not lean rather too heavily the director
of adult education. And the present series of pre-
sentations by the different Greenbelt orgni zations
introducing their work and objectiveS to
comers (and many Of the rest of too) has added
good deal to the value of the Associations meetings
and light we'll become permanent policy. It is
fortunate that few citizens have been present to
enjoy them.
But the work of the individual committees mo mat
ter how brilliant, does not make Citizens Associ
alton. Or it doesn't unless it stirs in at least
good proportion of the citizenry civic consciousness
and feeling of personal responsibility for the well
fare of the community Comi ttee reports should not
be neglected they have been, but neither should
they be rambling, ring narrations they too often
are Whenever possible they should present questions
for the citizens to decide, for the citizens
to support, work for the citizens to do--for the
good Of the town.
Not until individual citizens and indi vi dual or
ganizations of town the interests and prob
lens they have in with each other; not until
they meet together regularly to develop these
problems; not till then will they begin to know fully
what 1T means to live in model town, matter how
model the town may be far buildings, landscapes,
and opportunities go. Citizens united accopl sh
much for the good, where citizens in vidual1y
do little but grmble and find fault.
The Greenbelt Citizens Associate on is created
the purpose of uniting us Greenbelt residents, and
it is not justif flying it's existence unless it does
mite And are overlooking one of the greatest
opportunities Greenbelt has to offer--one of the
greatest bulmrks against dictators--tf let the
Citizens Assoct alton fail.
Howard C. Custer