Evening star., 1950-12-29

ntegration
Poses Problems
Divergent Interests
Present Obstacles,
PorIey Is Told

0siSy - tOtO
The problem of integrating CITY,
county governments of growing
metropolitan areas is tougher to
solve today than ever before, ex-
perts in the field said today.
A group of these planners re-
ported on the results of their eff
forts toward consolidation in ma
jor cities at a meeting of the
American Political Science Asso-
citation at the Hotel Statler.
With single exception. they
were reports of failure caused by
divergent political interests be-
tween city and county (which be-
come greater as the suburban area
increases in development"
The exception was the city of
Baton Rouge, La. where the rap
idly mushrooming industrial area
around the old city has recently
been brought under unified con-
troll But even in this case, ac-
cqrding to DR.. Thomas H. Reed,
who developed the plan, cit went
through largely because local poll
ticians were asleep at the switch" )"
Consolidation Efforts Reviewed.
Reviewing the efforts of consoli-
dat1on in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh
st. Louis, Boston and Birmingham
other speakers reached the follow
ing general conclusions:
/. The modern plague of "subur.
oanitis"-the flight of population
and business to the suburban
areas-is placing many cities in a
grave financial spot and creating
"blighted" urban areas.
2. The public generally agrees
that some form of integration of
committing and trade areas is nee
essary but turns down specific pro-
posals.
3. Except for the case of Baton
Rouge. consolidation has been lin
lted to unified control of some
facilities such as water supply and
power and certain contractual re-
lationships between cities and
counties such as for sewage dis
posal. DR.. Reed summed up the
case for the experts:
Unless the American peonle
wake up to the problem, we're
going to continue to make small
progress in the field"
Warns Against illusions"
Another discussion panel heard
a leading Far East expert warn
against chasing the dangerous
political illusion" that Titoisn
would arise in China.
DR.. Karl Wittfogel, director of
the Chinese history project and a
former Columbia University pro-
fessor, said that rather than con-
centrate on Mao Tse-tung's
hidden Titoist tendency" we
should devote our fullest attention
to the problems of the masses
both in China and the rest of Asia
DR.. William B Balls of WASH
ington University told the discus
sion group that Soviet expansion
ism in the Far East had been
facilitated by the Yalta agree
ment among Britain, the United
States and Russia.
He said the current Communist
move in Korea is part of the
Leninist-Stalinist thesis that 81
multaneous attacks and agitations
in the East and West is neces-
sary to bring about the destruc-
tion of world capitalism.
At lunch, the delegates were
to hear from Leon Keyserling,
chairman Of the Council of Eco
nomic Advisers, while Ernest A.
Gross, American ambassador to
the United Nations, will discuss
the presert threat to the U. N
at an evening session.
Amendment Suggested.
Far from restricting themselves
to purely academic discussion, the
educators last night heard a call
for a constitutional amendment
on treaty ratification by the as
sociation's president, DR.. James
K. Pollock.
Speaking at dinner meeting
DR.. Pollock suggested that treaties
should be confirmed by a majority
vote Of both houses Of Congress
instead of by the Senate alone.
DR.. Pollock is professor of poll
tical science at the University of
Michigan. and a former member OF
the Hoover Commission.
Awards Announced.
The association last night an
nounced the following annual
awards for outstanding publica-
tions:
Woodrow Wilson Foundation
award in the field of government
and democracy to Stephen K.
Bailey. Wesleyan University, for
Congress Makes a Law"
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memo
rial Foundation award in govern
ment and human welfare to Ar
thur M. Holcombe, Harvard, for
Our More Perfect Union"
Freedom House Willkie Memo
rial Building award in interna-
tional relations to John B. Cond-
life, University of California, for
THE Commerce of Nations"