Evening star., 1946-12-10
Review Groups
1oStudy Three
Social Reports
Step Is Preliminary
To Council Action,
DR.. Griffith Says

To Council Action,
Dr.. Griffith Says
Three recent social survey reports
--on race relations, labor manage.
naent and vocational adjustment
problems-are to be studied soor
by special review committees" o1
the Council Of Social Agencies to
present recommendations for action
later by the council itself.
This was announced by DR.. En-
nest s. Grifith, council president
at a meeting yesterday at the
YWCA, where the three previously
published reports were analyzed by
chairmen of the committees in
charge of the subjects for the Wash
ington Social Survey.
None of the survey reports con-
stitutes recommendations of the
Council of Social Agencies itself
OT. TTuuCu pOlltcQ Out.
Only after the Board of Directors
of the council has acted on the
recommendations of its own COM
mittees "can it be said that the
council has acted" he said.
Reports Seen as Challenging.
He characterized the reports as
Exciting and challenging, with food
for thought and action for the Dis
trict of Columbia and surrounding
areas for many years to come"
The survey report on labor-man-
agement relations already has been
referred to a review committee
headed by Msgr. John j. Russell,
pastor Of st. Patrick's Catholic
Church. Tenth and G streets NV,
who also is director Of Catholic
charities of Washington.
Review committees will be set
up within a day or two, 1t was in
dicated, for the surveys on race
relations and vocational adjustment
problems.
The recently published report on
race relations has been greeted with
both acclaim and 6isclaim,
views and counterviews," according
to Neville Miller, chairman Of the
committee which drafted that re-
port. The report had recommended
abolition of segregation here.
Realizing 1t was q ''very trouble
some problem" he declared it was
important for this community to de-
velop a cooperative spirit, so as
to eliminate some of the tensions,
forces and frictions which might
lead to difficulties"
Favors Opportunity.
Declaring the committee had
found discrimination" in all six
fields reviewed, he said his group
had agreed that "a citizeh should
have the opportunity to get ade-
quate medical care, the chance to
work and the chance to learn"
1.-THE Negro" he declared, "does
not have the full opportunity here
to realize his full potentialities.
On the question Of whether the
District should have a vote, he said
that there was great deal Of argu-
ment." This whole subject, he
thought, might well be the subject
of another report. But his commit
tee felt, he said, that "the average
citizen here should have the oppor-
tumity to register his views in the
form Of q vote"
Pointing out that Washington was
not only the Capital Of the United
States, but in many respects the
Capital of the world, he asserted
that, before we try to tell Russia or
India what to do, I'VE have an obli-
cation here to look at our own house
and try to put 1t in order"
Stresses Proposal for Study.
The American people, he declared
were an Optimistic people who
many times skirt around problems
rather than face them"
He stressed his committees recon-
riaendation that a committee Of citi-
zens be appointed by the President
"for study of racial relation prob
lems," and that another committee
of public officials be set up.
Otto S. Boyer, former chairman
OF the National Mediation Board,
outlined the labor management
committees proposals for a Labor
Department in the District Govern
ment and q labor management COM
mittee Of citizens to help improve
relations in this field.
He said a resolution adopted here
recently by the Thirteenth National
Conference on Labor Administration
for single department of labor in
each State "substantiated" one part
of his committees report.
Local Solutions Urged.
"Too many problems in labor have
to be brought here to Washington. !"
he asserted. He called for more re-
sponsibility at the local level. His
recommendation was in line with
declarations by President Truman
and Attorney General Clark, who
urges that more authority De as
sumed by local communities for
solving their own problems.
DR.. Harry A. Jager, Of the United
States Office of Education, sum-