Excerpt from Tulean Dispatch: Planning Board Proposed

Excerpt from Talean Dispatch

9-22-42

"Planning Board Proposed" - Yoshimi Shibata, Councilman Block 47

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Upon the completion of the evacuation, the U.S. government wad 2

choice in dealing with us. One was to make a gloomy Japanese Con-

centration Camp and the other to make a Colony thriving with life,

happiness and growing enterprises. Fortunately, our government

chose the latter and gave us an opportunity from falling into a

pool of degeneration and stagnation.

However, the "dministration has been looked upon with suspicion and

distrust and with the dropping of morale and, lack of cooperation,

the peality that this project may become a filure is not too re-

mote. It is not just another job to the administrator, but it is

a patriotic duty to us as well as to the county.

From a practical point, we must produce food for ourselves anc other

relocation centers which are not so fortunate in this type of produe

tion. Now that we are here, we must think of the future. |

For a successful enterprise, we need cooperation and to get that we

must have high morale. Our morale has been dropping lower and lower

and we are tekkng on an attitude that every man is for himself be-

cause the whole system is not operating properly. The fault lies

in the fect tthat the people do not voice their major problem through

the Council but take direct action and also the WRA has not been pre-

senting their numerous problems to us for consultation. The adminis-

tretion does not understand us, and when executive orders are given,

we do not respond to their expectation. The colonists when they ree

lize the gravity of any situation are willing t copperate if given

some responsibility and authority.

This Project 1s not a normal city, but it is more like a largecon-

pany doing business on a grand scale. In such a set up, there is a

labor board to represent the workkng men and a bozrd of directors to

carry the policies of the company. In recent years wih an increasing

amount of industrial disputes, it was found that a thrid board, the

modiator, was absolutely necessary for harmonicus cooperation. In

this camp, the councilman act in the,similar capacity as the labor

board and toe administration with it s block managers is equivalent

to the board directors. We need a permanent thtrfrd board to consult

and heloy plan the generel policies of operation inthis camp. We can

readily call this a planning board and it s duty is to closely advise

the administration in some of their erecufive policies and als o to

present the WRA problems to the people for consultation. This is our

camp and the people will co perate more fully if we are given some

voice xm in the administrative matters.

The members of the planning board must be formed from the spontane-

ous request of the people for if created by the WRA, the colonists

will look upon it as another tool for the edAministration to carry

out their means. Fellow Councilman, we realize the gravity pf the

situation and I eppesl to you to throughly discues the problem with

your block members and request thet to tmmediately form this cent

badly needed board so thet we may have a more harmonious community.

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