Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-02
Hiumon Rights
Unit, NAACP
Level Charges


yesterday by spokesman for two
outside groups, when the Davis
subcommittee Of the House Dis
trict Committee adjourned hear
ings on Washington schools.
They were Clarence Mitchell,
director of the Washington
bureau of the National Associa-
ton for the Advancement of
Colored People. and John T.
Blue. Washington director of the
American Council on Human
Rights.
Earlier Chairman Davis had
brought from subcommittee
counsel William E. Gerber a
statement that no outside group
that asked to be heard had COM
piled with the rule that a sum-
mary of the statement to be
given must be filed in advance.
The'one exception. Mr.. Gerber
said, was the Arkansas Avenue
Community Association whose
statement was purely argu-
mentative."
Reports No Reply
Mr.. Mitchell, at the end Of
yesterdays session, told Chair
man Davis and reporters he had
asked several times that his wit
nesseS be heard. He said he had
no reply. He declared this was
mot IN keeping with usual pro-
cedure."
He agreed he had not SUBJ
mitted a summary in advance
but said that if he had, it prob
ably would have gone into the
waste paper basket.
Mr.. Mitchell said the NAACP
wanted to provide testimony
from experts ito refute testi-
mony about the intelligence
quotients of colored pupils and
other falsehoods about integrated
schools"
Asked if he thought this SUBJ
ject had been sufficiently COW
cred by School Supt. Hobart M.
Corning and others. Mr.. Mitchell
said mot from the same point
of view"
Sees Hazard TO Democracy
Mr.. Mitchell told reporters
there was real hazard to de-
mocracy" to have men like Rep
resentatives Davis of Georgia and
Williams of Mississippi in Con-
gress, adding IF we ever get the
election system Strengthened out
we won't have men like that"
Mr.. Blue told reporters the
American Council Of Human
Rights had been preparing a
brief on the subject but that
this took time. Other groups,
he told reporters, we're doing the
same.
Mr.. Blue asked if he could
submit the brief when it was
ready and Chairman Davis
referred him to Counsel Gerber.
1--WE are not afraid to submit
a statement in advance of testi-
mony," Mr.. Blue told reporters,
although it seems to be a way
of screening out witnesses"
Representative Dawson, DEM
ocrat of Illinois. Negro member
of the full House District Com
mittee, yesterday charged that
the Davis hearings we're illegal.
He said. in a press statement
released to reporters at the
school hearings, that this was
so because the House had not
granted permission to the COM
mittee to hold hearings during
the adjournment Of Congress.
No Comment
Chairman Davis and Repre-
sentive Williams shrugged this
of with the remark that I'VE
don't wan ito comment on
that"
Mr.. Dawson commended no
committee of the House may sit
during the adjournment Of Con-
gress without the permission Of
the House and that the Davis
group does not have this in
dispensable permission"
Mr.. Dawson argued that the
Davis "free-wheeling" subcom-
mittee. therefore. had no power
to require any witness to attend,
no right to use public funds to
pay the expenses Of its meet
ings and that its finding have
no official sanction.
Mr.. Dawson supported his
statements with a legal brief by
Committee Counsel Orville s.
Poland. and sent copies OF his
statement and the legal opinion
TO the Democratic National
Committee.
Decision May Go TO Floor
II Mr.. Dawson carries his
tight TO the House in January.
the House Speaker will have TO
decide on the legality Of the
subcommittee's hearings. But a
ruling BY the Speaker may be
appealed TO the House and de-
cided there by a floor vote.
The Senate put into its rules
permission for It's standing COM
mittees TO sit and act during re-
ceSses OF Congress. Mr.. Poland
asserted that the House declined
70 take the same action and thus
showed II does not want its COM
mittees 70 meet during adjourn
ments In the absence Of specific
authorization.
The Poland statement said
that the important fact is that
the subcommittee has neither
general nor specific permission
from the House 10 sit when the
House Is adjourned. 1t said any
process" the subcommittee IS
sues Is a nullity "and any ez-
penses 1t incurs IN connection
with ia meetings are unauthor-
lied and uncollectable."
Mr.. Gerber Is paid at the rate
Of $4,000 a year and he said he
hRs been drawing his salary. He.
his two assistants.