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The urban Coalition I Federal Bar Building West/ 1819 H Street, N. w. Washington , D. C. / 20006 Steering Committee Co-chairmen : Andrew Heiskell/ A. Philip Randolph February 23, 1968 NATIONAL COORDINATOR'S WEEKLY REPORT PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT More than 200 people from 13 states participated in a one-day action conference on private employment in Kansas City, Mo., this week. The meeting was the last in a series of three dealing with private employment problems and opportunities. J. A . Hosford, general manager of Western Electric Company's plant at Lee's Summit, Missouri, described the imaginative employment program being carried out by the Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas) Urban Coalition. It features pledges by major employers to hire and train "marginally-qualified" people. The goal is about 1000 jobs for such people each year. Both Hosford and Francis Keppel, chairman of the board of General Learning Corporation, pointed out that there is some degree of risk for business in carrying out such employment programs. But Keppel added: The disadvantaged residents of the big city ghettos are proving that underneath all of that misery and desperation lies a great deal of intelligence and latent ability just yearning for a chance to e xpress itself." NATIONAL CONFERENCES Preliminary arrangements have been made for the national conferences discussed in last week's report . The national conference of local coalitions will be held on April 2, followed on April 3 by the natio n al legislative conference on employ ment . Both meetings will be held at the Shoreham Hotel i n Washington . LOCAL COALITIONS Co -Cha irma n And r e w Heis k e l l addr essed a t wo - day meet i ng o f the Phi l a del phia Urban Coalition last wee k, a s did The o d o r e Mc Kelde n , chairman of t he Ba l timo r e Co a lition . All r epo r ts i ndicat e t he Phil a delphi a Coaliti o n h a s ma de a v e ry s tro ng b eginnin g . Na t i o nal Coordinato r Ro n Linto n spo k e t o a c o mmuni t y mee ting o f the Tacoma , Washingto n Coalition. En glewo od , N. J. , is the latest city to r eport the f o r mation o f a Co alitio n. National Coordinators : John Feild/ Ron M. Linton Telephone 293 -1530 �