.MjcyNQ.MjcyNQ

(2) make a strong plea for job opportunities for all Americans through a combination of private and public pr ograms. We though·c you would be interested in comparing the President's statement with the goal contained in the Urban Coalition's Statement of Principles adopted at the Emergency Convocation: Coalition Goal The President There are some half million unemployed, hard-core unemployed, in our principal cities. We just have to go and find jobs for them . I am going to cal l in the businessmen of America and say one of t wo things have t o h appen: You have to help me go out and find jobs for these people, or we are going to have to find jobs in the Government f or them and offer every one of them a job. I think that is one thing that cou ld be done . I think that will have to be done, as expensiv e as it is . Government and business must accept responsibility -to provide all Americans with opport unity to earn an adequate income. Private industry must greatly accelerate its efforts to recruit, train, and hire the hard-core unemployed . When the pr ivate sector is unable to provide employment to those who are b oth able and willing to work, then in a free society the government must of n e c e ssity assume the responsibility and act as the employer of last resort or must assure adequate i ncome for those who are unable to work. The pre ss interpr eted the President's sta tement as an important new p o licy p o s ition on the gover nment's r esponsibilit y . At a press conference the f ollowing day, Rep . Carl D. Perkins (Ky. ), chairman of the House Educ ation a n d Labor Committee said he would s uppor t whatever bill i n the field o f employment the Pres i d ent sen d s to Congr e s s next year. Providing jobs for tho s e wh o c a n't find private employment, he said, "is the proper r ole f or g ov ernment". EDUCATI ONAL DIS PARI TIES Despite bad weather that clo sed the Detroit airport for s e vera l hours on December 18, seven members o f the Educational Disparities Ta s k Force were able to get tog ether for a schedu led meeting. They held a spirited discussion of t h e problems which exist in thi s a r e a a n d began concentration on tho s e which they felt the Coalition could effectively combat. The Ta sk Force will meet again at 2:30 p.m. on January 8 at the Mayflower Ho tel in Washington. LOCAL COALITIONS Encouragement and assistance in the formation of local urban coalitions continues to receive high priority. During December Washington �(3) D. C., Boston, Baltimore, Plainfield , N. J., Stanford and Bridgeport, Connecticut announced plans for local coalitions. Washington Mayor Walter E . Washington said in a public announcement that citizens have called for the o r ganization of a local coalition "in terms of urgency" generated by the August Emergency Convocation. He emphasized that the local effort must have the support and participation of the Virginia and Maryland suburbs. The nex t regional mobilization conference will be held in New York City on January 12 -- at New York University ' s Loeb Center. EQUAL HOUSING Plans are in progress for a National Action Session on Equal Housing Opportunities to be held in Chicago at the Conrad Hilton Hotel on January 18. The Task Force has concentrated on the completion of program development papers. COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC SUPPORT Two we ll-i llu str ated publications a r e in the wor ks and will soon be ma iled to thos e int e r ested in t h e wo rk of the Coalition . The first is a r e p o rt, inc l uding the tex ts of major addresses , on the Mobili z at ion Confe rence hel d in Chicago o n October 17 . The second will be a similar publicatio n r e p o r tin g on the Privat e Emp l oyme nt Co nfere n ce h eld in Atlanta o n De c e mbe r 1 3. HOUSING, RECONSTRUCTI ON AND INVESTMENT Progre ss cont i nued o n the ma jor wo rking pape r being prepa r e d by t he Task Force as a guide for t h e Coalition in the deve lopme nt o f a long-ra n ge pr o gr am . STEERING COMMITTEE Unavoidab le schedu l i ng pr oble ms for sever a l o f t he principals on the S te e r ing Committee r e su lted in a p o stponement of t h e meeting sche duled fo r De c ember 18 in De troit t o J anuar y 8 in Washington , D. C. The mee t ing wi ll beg in at 7:3 0 p.m. in t he Mayf l ower Hotel . �