Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-25

Miss Dorothy i. Trip, princi-
lpal Of Langdon Elementary
School, Twentieth and Franklin
streets NE, and Woodbridge Ele-
lmentary School, Carlton and
Central avenues NE, was the
witness whose protest tFiggeret
the quick summons to Or. Cor
ming yesterday.
Statement Protested
Today q second witness, Mrs
Mary A. Seath. . fifth-grade
teacher at the Emery Elementary
School. registered protest
against Mr.. Williams statement
| During questioning Mrs. Seatt
Twas asked by counsel William
Gerber whether she was afraid
Ito testify.
"Well. perhaps so.' she re-
piled, adding: I'm q temporary
teacher and I'm hired by the
year"
"And you need to keep you
lob" put In Mr.. Gerber.
That's right" Mrs. Seath re-
Isponded.
| Mrs. Seath was questioned BY
Representative williams, Demo
Icrat Of Mississippi. as to why
she was fearful. She said thai
lshe did not care for the way
newspapers were writing up the
current hearings. She also cited
the statement Of the School
Board member as reported b
1.-THE press.
Asked specifically by Repre-
sentative Williams:
do you consider the state
Tment he made to be q veiles
threat Of some kind?"
| She responded. however:
II don't know. ! really dom
know. doubt it,"
| Mrs. Seath testified that int.
Igration is going better this yea
than last year at her school
lShe insisted, despite her refer.
Ience to qualms about testifying
that she was testifying truth
fully.
| Economic Status Blamed
I =
Ernest S. Jenkyns, principal b
1.-THE Randall Junior High Sch6o
lin the Southwest section, tolt
1.-THE committee today that the Low
economic status Of the Randall
larea is chiefly responsible for hi
schools educational problems
randall had only three whit
students last year and has Il
lnOw. (.
He said many pupils are work,
ling far below the normal grad
level to which they are assigned
but that this always has beer
the case" and IS typical at Ran
dall's type Of neighborhOod
Many Of his students com
from homes where there Is olll'
one parent and where living con
ditions are poor.
IF life is marginal, there /
mo incentive to study he as
iserted.
He credited migration witt
equalizing teaching staffs an
lother facilities in the city,s col
ored and white schools, thereb,
overcoming some long -standinl
handicaps to the city's colore,
children. He testified that hi
school has been having no seri
GUS disciplinary problems.
Tests Given to An
Lester T. Walter principal D
Bell Vocational High School
which had 10 or 20 colored stu
dents among its total Of 308 las
year, and has about so now. sail
JAIL the students coming into hi
school must pass an aptitud
test and that he had made n
special study comparing coloreI
land white.
He said that the total Of col
Iored pupils last year hal
dropped to IL at the end Of til
year. however.
He said the school had dim
Guilty in finding after school an
summer work for colored stu
dents. Asked why, he replied
"The people who want to EN-
Iploy them don't want to emplo
colored."
Asked II he had any explain
ation for that attitude on TIL
part Of an employer, he re
sponded:
Il guess that's just his natura'
personal preference"
Lemuel Penn, principal Of tn
Phelps Vocational High Schoo
Oath street and Benning roa
NE. said some graduates Of hi
school are handicapped in gettin
jobs because Of social and EN-
Iployment patterns"
Discrimination Alleged
Asked to specify what h
meant, Mr.. Penn said discrim
nation practices and ''suc
things as closed unions havin
race discrimination clauses"
Chairman Davis said he. di
mot know Of any unions follow
ling such rules and wanted {
know who they were.
Mr.. Penn gave two illustra
Itions. He said there had bee
difficulties in placing graduate
in electrical work and on car
Epentry jobs. They were not re
fused such jobs, because the
were not prepared for such worl
he commended.
THE only reason ! could Sc