Evening star., 1948-06-17

IL 10 present Cnelr complaints ABOUT
the inadequate facilities" at the
school. About 200 of the students
staged a demonstration last week
asking for a new school,"
Two Hearings Held.
Two public hearings were held by
the School Boards committee on
community use of buildings and
grounds recently to decide whether
lit should tell the Recreation De-
partment to stop segregating white
and colored children on school
property The hearings were asked
by George E. c. Hayes and Mrs.
James Williams. colored board
members
Albert E. Steinem, head of the
school committee. said the decision
was not based on the hearings but
on, the necessity of making the
Fairgrounds available for the chill
dren. He said a report on the hear
ings would be presented later.
Mr.. Hayes and Mrs. Williams
voted against giving permission to
the Recreation Department to use
the buildings at all. Both said
they felt Congress did not intend
for the Fairgrounds to be segregated
when it set up the Recreation
Board.
Wilson Favors Permission.
John H. Wilson. the other colored
board member, voted for giving per
mission, saying that although he
is against segregation. he does not
desire to keep the Fairgrounds
closed to children, white or colored,
during the summer months.
No mention was made of a sug-
gestion by Harry S. Wender, head
of the District Recreation Board,
that the School Board order the
Recreation Board to permit inter-
racial meetings in the colored
schools. Mr.. Wender made this
recommendation at the last hear
ing.
The Recreation Department will
use the schools from June "a
through September 30.
Is Vote of Confidence.
The invitation to the Bell students
to appear at some future date
amounted to vote of confidence in
the way Associate Supt. Lawson
Cantrell put an end to the demon
stration last Thursday.
Board Member Adelbert L. Lee
criticized Mr.. Cantrell for advising
the students to write letter to the
School Board saying:
These students are going to think
that every time they have a griev-
ance they can petition us. We are
going to have too many OF them"
He said the boys should have
been advised to proceed through
their parents and through the
Parent Teacher Association. Petit
tioning of the board should not be
encouraged, he added.
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, pres
ident of the board, commended Mr..
Cantrell for turning their thoughts
into constructive channels"
To Await Survey.
Mr.. Lee said Mr.. Cantrell should
have told the boys the facts about
board efforts to replace Bell, add
ing that he felt future planning
for buildings should be held up
out of difference to Senator Dwor-
shak. Republican. of Idaho, until
the 100000 survey of school needs
ordered by Congress was completed.
The Senator thought up the idea
and obtained the services of DR..
George D. Strayer, professor emer-
titus of Columbia University Teach
ers' College. to make the survey.
Other board members agreed with
Mrs. Doyle, who said:
Survey or no survey. we are going
ahead with what is best for the
Students
Bell Situation Explained.
The Bell situation, as explained
by School Supt. Hobart M. Corning,
is this:
Money has been appropriated by
Congress to transfer Bell to the
Central High School Building But,
two weeks ago, school officials
decided that perhaps it would be
better to shift Bell to the Powell
Junior High School. Enrolment at
Powell has dropped so much that
the students there could be shifted
to other Junior high schools.
To get Bell into Powell, however,
would require first board approval
then a change in legislation by Con-
greSs as the present funds are ear
marked for alterations to Central.
The present Bell site would, under
long-range plans, he used for the
site of the new Shaw Junior High
School,
The whole idea is under study by
DR.. Corning and his staff-and no
definite recommendation has been
presented to the board as yet on the
transfer to Powell