Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-25
National Community
Council Promotes
Self Reliance Pledge
By Froncis P. Douglas


Millions of Americans are to
be asked to sign pledges to tote
their own loads and not shunt
them onto the back of Uncle
Sam.
Plans to this end have been |
made by the National Council
for Community Improvement.
The program has the indorse-
ment of President Eisenhower.
In o message read at q dinner
last night, which concluded the
councils one-day meeting in the
Mayfiower Hotel, Mr.. Eisen-
hover said:
I'm your efforts to promote |
the active cooperation Of indi- |
viduals and organizations in the
community in solving local
problems. your organization SYM
bolizes the democratic teamwork
and individual and community
self-reliance which have played
90 great a role in the growth OF
this Nation. :.
eff all Of our citizens in their
communities will work together
in the manner exemplified by
your organization, there is in
deed a bright future for our
freedoms"
The council is opening a CAM
paign to foster other organiza-
tons throughout the Nation to
encourage self-reliance at the
grass roots and end the "cen-
tralization of power in Washing
ton"
Text Of Pledge.
Its "Pledge of Community Re-
sponsibility,' which it plans to
ask millions to sign. reads:
st believe that the strength
Of America is in our people: that
the communities of our Nation
are the foundation of our ma
tional life.
81 believe that a sense of in
dividual responsibility and CO.
operation among organizations
is fundamental to the improve
ment of the Nations commune
ties as a main source Of national
vitality.
81 pledge, therefore, that I
will take an active interest in
the problems Of my community:
that / will encourage the fullest
use of local resources and efforts
in all aspects of community af-
fairs
The program had bipartisan
Endorsement. The speakers at
the dinner were Marion B. Fol-
som, Undersecretary of tn e
Treasury. and Senator Byrd,
Democrat, of Virginia. j. C..
Penney, chairman of the board
of the j. C. Penney Co., and
chairman of the council, was
prevented from being present by
illness. Mr.. Penney, who is IS,
was taken to George Washing
ton University Hospital yeSter-
day, suffering from pneumonia.
Grants Under Study.
Mr.. Folsom said President
Eisenhower's Commission on
Inter-Governmental Relations is
studying whether some Of the
Federal grantS-in-aid to the
States can be eliminated. He
said these grants now amount to
$2.9 billion a year. He added
that this is II per cent OF the
budget, excluding expenditures
for national security and inter-
est.
Senator Byrd asserted that
Creeping paternalism is just as
bad as creeping socialism. The
end result is the same. he said
"the destruction of the princi-
pies of our free Government.
always we must remember,
he continued, "that power fol-
lows the purse and the more
Federal aid the greater the au-
thority of the Federal Govern
ment is over local affairs"
Opposes Higher Debt Limit.
He stated again his opposition
to lifting the existing debt cell
ing of $275 billion, a step TIT
administration is expected to asl
Congress to take. THAT is mor'
than enough for us to owe" Sen
ator Byrd said.
George H. Coppers. president
Of the National Biscuit Co., pre-
sided at the dinner.