Mr. Gardner Joins the Coalition

APPOINTMENTS Mr. Gardner Joins the Coaltion When he announced his resignation as Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, John Gardner pledged to continue to fight the sickness of the cities.

Last week Gardner redeemed his prom ise by accepting the chairmanship of the national Urban Coalition, an amal gam of leaders from business, labor, local government, religious and civil rights organizations that was formed to attack the civic problems highlighted by the Newark and Detroit riots.

In fact, Gardner -- the ablest administrator of urban reform in the U.S.-had inspired the coalition in the first place. More than a year ago, sensing the imminent fall of congressional axes on Great Society funding, HEW's Secretary told a group of university presidents that the "nation would benefit greatly by a revival of local leadership outside Government." He warned a Cleveland audience last April: "It will be a sad end to a great enterprise if the epitaph for our society turns out to read: 'All the best people bemoaned the quality of leadership, but none sought to lead.' " The coalition could well provide the means to erase that epitaph; headed by Negro Labor Leader A. Philip Randolph and Time Inc.

Board Chairman Andrew Heiskell, its leaders range from David Rockefeller to George Meany, Martin Luther King to New York City Mayor John Lindsay.

One of the coalition's problems in the past -- along with scanty funding and the reluctance of Republican congressional leaders to lend their support had been President Johnson's coolness toward it. That may change. Johnson pledged Gardner "the fullest possible co operation" in the effort to find solutions for the cities.

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