Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-05

airy rules and set up separate
dren. He also ruled out a retur
illegal and asserting it would
cause chaotic upheaval" in the
schools.
The school superintendent
also accused the Davis group of
ignoring his testimony at its
public hearings. He pointed to
his plea at the hearings for more
teachers, supervisors and other
school improvements. and for
more generous financial support
III general,
DR.. Corning made his COM
ments in an eight-page report to
the board of education. Most
board members already have
voiced public opposition to the
Davis proposals.
The Davis recommendations
were made by Representatives
Davis of Georgia, Williams of
Mississippi and Jones of North
Carolina, Democrats, and Broy-
hill of Virginia. Republican.
Representatives Miller of Ne
braska and Hyde of Maryland
dissented.
Denies Move TOO Rapid"
The school chief fatty denied
an assertion by the Davis unit
that District indignation has
been too rapid. He said there
are still many unsolved prob
lens" but he declared that
progress is being made in the
solution of these problems
He also said, in effect, that
the city schools had no prac-
teal alternative but to integrate
in the fashion they did soon
after the Supreme Courts anti
segregation ruling in 1854.
School officials, DR.. Corning
said, worked on integration plans
for two years before the court
ruling. consulting the experience
of other school systems and
bringing in nationally recognized
experts
He also noted that teachers
and other school personnel at
tended a series of workshops and
carried on other studies by way
OF preparation. The views of
civic groups also were obtained,
he added.
Dr. Corning characterized the
Districts integration program
as a middle of -the-road' plan,
which he said was actually
somewhat gradual"
Procedures Cited
Instead of reassigning all stu
dents, his report noted, the plan
allowed them to stay in schools
they were attending in 1854 until
promotion or graduation.
A special hardship committee
also has functioned continuously
since indignation to hear paren-
tai requests for special transfers
and under this procedure many
children have been allowed to
attend schools outside the bound
aries within which they live, he
said. The report did not give any
number.
DR.. Corning pointed out that
the school system, just prior tc
indignation. had been subjected
to controversy, dissatisfaction
and unrest" because of pressure
to transfer "half-filled" white
schools to colored pupils housed
in overcrowded ones.
Twenty-one schools were
transferred in the last severa
years before the courts ruling
and several more would have hac
to be similarly transferred il
segregation had not been aban-
doned, he said. He also asserted
hat it would have been necessary
to take many teacher salaries
away from the city's white
schools.
Eight lawsuits were pending
against the school board, anc
more could have been expected
Iif action had not been taken
the superintendent said.
DR.. Corning also said no one
proposed a more gradual inte-
grafton program which would
be practical"
A plan to integrate only q
grade at time, which would
have taken Is years. would
have resulted in prolonged. con-