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that if different groups of people are to be absorbed into one community
and are to be complimentary to each other and benefit from
an exchange of respective ideas and cultures, scattering is more
desirable.
In view of the possible social dangers of allowing the development
of racial communities, living in isolation from the rest of the
town, I am doing all I can to encourage people within these groups to
broaden and extend their interests outside the group, and into the
general community.
To this end I am constantly encouraging newcomers to want to
understand and participate in the wider activities of the city, and in
fact to look on themselves not only as citizens of Paddington, but
also citizens of London. I feel sure that an immigrant will fit in
more quickly and comfortably if he can stop thinking of himself only
as a West Indian or Pakistani and begin to think of himself as also
belonging to London.
This is a two-way traffic problem. Not only do we need to
persuade newcomers of their responsibilities outside of their own
racial group, but also to persuade indigenous people that they have
responsibilities in the opposite direction, outside of their group,
because it is only in the realisation of these responsibilities that a
complete and balanced community can be built.
In conjunction with Officers of appropriate Government
Departments, Councils of Social Service and Committees interested
in this problem, we are working steadfastly towards the ultimate
goal where not only officials and social workers, but also community
minded people, who perhaps had not previously been concerned
with people with such sharp differences in background are made
sufficiently knowledgeable and understanding of these differences as
to be able to accept them, despite the fact they may not approve of
them, and thus help to resolve problems that arise from misunderstanding.
In this connection conferences and discussion groups have been
held from time to time, and in the hope of promoting better understanding
of people from the West Indies, the Paddington Overseas
Students and Workers Committee published a small booklet answering
some of the more common questions that are continually being
asked about people from this part of the Commonwealth.
With a view to stimulating the interest of new comers to the
Borough an important conference was recently arranged by the
Council and the Migrants Division (West Indies) for Leading
West Indians. By this we meant people who had indicated interest
in community affairs, or their intention to settle in the Borough.
At this meeting His Worship the Mayor welcomed the guests, and
the speakers included prominent people in the fields of Local
Government, Police Force and Voluntary Welfare Organisations.
This was the beginning of what we hope may develop into a programme
of mutual social education.
It has to be admitted that with the present shortage, housing
lends itself to vicious and unscrupulous exploitation and I am