Evening star., 1962-04-12
HOUSING
Real Estate and Bank
Witnesses to Speak

not change attitudes, it
changes behavior. Then atti-
tudeS change.
"AS the social scientists
know, it's not law against edu-
cation; it's law as education" I"
This was considered to be an
answer to advocates of the
"natural-change-through -edu-
cation" school of thought.
The hearing opened in the
State Department Auditorium,
empty except for approximate
ly 35 to 40 persons. AS the
session continued, the crowd
grew until about 200 persons
were listening to the testimony
of the sworn witnesses.
Calls for Agency
Another commission witness,
Sterling Tucker, of the Urban
League, recommended the Gre
alton of a metropolitan hous-
ing agency to develop housing
plans and programs on a met
ropolitan basis to solve the
housing problem of all resi-
dents in the area.
Mr.. Tucker said the proposed
agency's responsibility should
include an area-wide housing
inventory and development OF
plans and programs to provide
housing for low and moderate
income families, with subsidies
where needed.
Mr.. Tucker charged that
practically nothing conStruc-
tive is being done in the sub
urbs to shoulder a share of
the central city's housing bur-
den.
g. It is virtually impos-
sible,' he continued, "for a
nonwhite family regardless
of means and regardless of
employment location-to Sc
cure modern suburban hous-
ing"
Mr.. Tucker also urged that
current highway plans involv-
ing extensive displacement of
Negro families should be put
in moratorium until adequate
relocation housing is assured
for all families required to be
displaced in the public good.
Suburb Problem
Another witness, Philip Stod-
dard Brown, a Washington
economist, Joined with Mr..
Tucker in naming the suburbs
as the greatest problem in
housing discrimination in the
Washington area.
Mr.. Brown, who has offices
at 1927 Connecticut avenue
NV, cited Alexandria as an
example.
He charged that although
the Virginia suburbs popula-
ton includes IL per cent Ne
groes housing conditions have
progressively worsened in re-
cent years" He said that
only 100 new houses have be-
come available to Negroes for
occupancy in the last Is years
and that public development
has, at the same time, taken
away land designated for Negro
housing.
"The color line in Alexandria
is everywhere drawn sharply" F"
he said. Mr.. Brown said Negro
youths cannot swim, bowl, have
no occupational trainin G
courses available in schools
and inferior shop equipment in
the schools.
Walter N. Tobriner, pgesi-
dent of the District Board of
Commissioners, said in a pre-
pared talk that he would back
efforts-legislative or voluntary
by the Commission to de-
segregate private housing here.
By Regulation
"On these findings, I would
propose to my fellow District
Commissioners that they take
such steps by regulation, rec
commended legislation, or efforts
to achieve voluntary co-opera-
ton, as will most effectively
and expeditiously meet the
problem" Mr.. Tobriner said.
The problem" referred to by
the former president of the
District Public School Board
who led Washington schools
through a desegregation pro-
gram. is one he acknowledged
had not been solved in the face
of other civil rights progress.
I'm the past Is years