While the 11th precinct averaged low among the 14 precincts of the District, it ranked relatively higher in the more violent crimes against persons, and lower in crimes against property. It was sixth highest in criminal homicide (and first in manslaughter; no other precinct had more than one for a District of Columbia total of seven) while it was eleventh for stolen property. It was seventh in rape, but tenth in housebreaking; seventh in aggravated assault, but eleventh in larceny. Even the crimes against property increase relatively when they are personalized, and this precinct is third highest of the District in forgery and counterfeiting. There are social and economic determinants in the crimes against persons, and while the 11th precinct ranks fourth for sex offenses, it is thirteenth for gambling. Arrests for the part I offenses (see detail given above) included approximately 185 whites and 230 nonwhites, while arrests for the part II offenses involved 180 whites and only 100 nonwhites. In 1961, 214 juveniles were arrested in the 11th precinct; this was the twelfth highest for the 20 units reporting. However, these juveniles were relatively more ardent in crimes of violence than their average counterparts among youths arrested. Thus, this precinct was one of only six with a juvenile murder offense and was one of only six with an arson offense (actually two from a District of Columbia total of twelve). It was eleventh in robbery but sixth in housebreaking, and seventh in aggravated assault. It was fifth highest in the unauthorized use of automobiles. Much of this violent delinquency comes from the white population. The one murder, two arson charges, and 87 percent of the auto offenses were charged to whites. But 67 percent of the housebreakings, and 63 percent of the robberies were charged to nonwhites. Still, there is a strong evidence from all these statistics, of an area which is in need of a program which can help to transmit standards, offer guidance to families and to youth, help to maintain and build further a neighborhood of high standards, help to bring neighbors to overcome the cultural and economic gaps which divide and cheat them, and help to build a total sense of community with all. STATEMENT OF WALTER BOYCE, JR., LOCAL NO. 74, INTERNATIONAL HOD CARRIERS, BUILDING, AND COMMON LABORERS UNION OF AMERICA, AFL-CIO Mr. BOYCE. I would like to add to what Mr. Fertig has said that we do back the bill for these national corpsmen and we feel that a great service to the country as well as to the District of Columbia can be served by passing this bill. Specifically the Southeast Neighborhood House thinks that the southeast area can be a clinic for experimentation in this type of operation. We feel that a great service can be done to the residents of the community in inspiring them to serve themselves while learning from the corpsmen. We feel in total that this is a job that needs to be done and the Southeast Neighborhood House, we feel, is the best agency to direct this type of activity, especially for the southeast area. STATEMENT OF ANITA BELLAMY, COMMUNITY SERVICE Miss BELLAMY. Senator Burdick and members of the subcommittee, I plan to be very brief in my statement also, but I would like to take this opportunity to say that the Washington Urban League supports the idea of a National Peace Corps. We are particularly concerned that the Washington area be able to provide a demonstration project. The Urban League has a broader concern for the entire Washington area and we are especially interested in the Southeast area because we feel that it has potential that some of the other areas do not because it has the resources and a very good agency. The Urban League would like to cooperate with such a program by offering our contacts with the broader community and also some of our volunteers. We feel that the real concept of the National Peace Corps would be the idea of help which the Urban League supports wholeheartedly. We think that a great deal can be done by providing broader community service, but we feel it is important to unite the people together in solving their own problems. We would like to add our support to the National Peace Corps and would welcome any questions you may have. Senator BURDICK. Is it your thesis that there is already set up in Southeast Washington the apparatus and the mechanics which could put this program immediately into effect, working with the Settlement House? Mr. FERTIG. That is right, Senator Burdick. I think that the Settlement House, by virtue of its movement into an area which had no social agency until we arrived, has set into motion a certain kind of responsiveness in a community. It would be very timely to be able to build upon this response immediately. We are unable to; we don't have the staff. We are a private welfare agency. I think this is a unique moment in the history of any community in Washington. We have a kind of responsiveness which I think would be well built upon if we had the additional arms and legs of persons who could mobilize volunteers. Senator BURDICK. How many additional arms and legs could you use? Mr. FERTIG. Immediately, 20; by the second year 40; by the third year we hope to use only 20; and by the fourth year we would not need corpsmen any longer. Senator BURDICK. This has been very interesting testimony. We appreciate it very much. Thank you. The subcommittee will be in recess until Wednesday at 10 a.m. (Whereupon, at 3:55 p.m. the subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 19, 1963.) NATIONAL SERVICE CORPS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1963 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE NATIONAL SERVICE CORPS OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 10 a.m., pursuant to recess, in room 1318, Senate Office Building, Senator Harrison A. Williams, Jr. (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Senators Williams (presiding) and Burdick. Also present: Senator John Sherman Cooper of Kentucky. Subcommittee staff member present: Frederick R. Blackwell, counsel. Senator WILLIAMS. Our subcommittee will come to order. We are honored to have our friend, the distinguished Senator from Kentucky, Senator John Sherman Cooper who is cosponsor of this bill and a most valued sponsor of any measure, particularly if this measure deals with people and their problems. STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN SHERMAN COOPER, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF KENTUCKY Senator COOPER. Thank you, Senator Williams. I have come here today to introduce a man I have known for many years, Dr. B. F. Ayer, who is a member of the faculty of Berea College, Berea, Ky., and also the executive secretary of the Council of the Southern Mountains which this year celebrates its golden anniversary of service to the youth who live in the Appalachian Mountains. Because Dr. Ayer has been a member of the faculty of Berea College for a number of years, I think that his experience will be very valuable to this committee. I am sure that members of the subcommittee are familiar with the record of service and the objective of Berea College. I will not take a great deal of time in talking about Berea College but I would like to point out that it is a unique college in this country. Located in the edge of the mill country of Kentucky, it was created to provide opportunities for young men and women who lived in the Appalachian region of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina and it has been doing that throughout the years. Then he served as the member of the Council of the Southern Mountains and is now its executive secretary. This council has been dealing with the problems of the Appalachian Mountains for years, particularly with the work opportunities and the opportunities for young men and young women. I do believe that Dr. Ayer, because of this experience, will be a very valuable witness. It is my honor to introduce him. Senator WILLIAMS. Thank you very much, Senator Cooper. STATEMENT OF B. F. AYER, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, COUNCIL OF THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS Mr. AYER. Thank you, Senator Cooper. I am here simply because of the terrible needs of some 8 million U.S. citizens in the Appalachian South-the mountain counties of some 9 Southern States. I served this area, as the Senator said, as an instructor at Berea College, but for many years worked in “admissions" and have visited in homes and schools and courthouse squares throughout the entire area. Now let me spend just a half a minute on the total situation. In this area, on the average, we are underemployed-and this means underfinanced-which means poor, largely because we are undereducated. I just want to give two statistics right quickly. Out of 257 mountain counties there are only 2 where the adult educational median level is above the national median and there are only 2 where the family income level is above the income level out of this whole area. Senator WILLIAMS. How many States are you talking about? Mr. AYER. I am talking about 9 States and 257 or more counties in these 9 States from Morgantown, W. Va., to Birmingham, Ala., to each mountain on the side of the range. For instance, in one county, the adult educational median is 6.5 years of school, and the national median is 10.6. In one county, the family income is as low as $1,324; family income, with the national median, $5,660. Now we are talking about an area which is in need, but an area of great human potential. I am here on behalf of Federal help which will give these people a chance to develop their potential within the national situation. Now 1 person out of every 25 in the Nation lives in this area, and this is an area of great concern. Now I would like to make this one statement: We caught on, let us say to use the vernacular-to soil erosion almost too late. It was almost all in the Gulf of Mexico before we got sharp about this and began to rebuild our soil. We didn't catch on to timber devastation until we cut it about three times over, and our great resource was gone. We are catching on to water conservation only slowly and not fast enough. But these three, as important as they are, are not as important as human erosion; I mean the erosion of human potential and character, and this is what I am here to talk about. Now I really would like to indicate that this is in a period of emergency, when this many people of great potential have lost hope, and are faced with lack of challenge and lack of opportunity, and lack of vision about what to do about themselves. Now, I believe that we tolerate here in America the underdevelopment of human resources only in unawareness of its negative potential |