STUDENTS IN UPTON, DOWNTON, AND FLUXTON DOWNTON: A COMMUNITY DISCOURAGING TO ACTIVITY Downton is very different from Upton. Immediately apparent are the reasons. The 1930 census placed the city in the population category 50,000,- 100,000. Although 71 percent of the total population is foreign born, certain nationality groups are discriminated against. Two percent of the people are Negro. Public opinion is influenced mainly through the papers of a larger, conservative city which is nearby and which stimulates many of Downton’s activities. Since Downton is small, community facilities are not well devel- oped. There is no Council of Social Agencies and no general community center. The city’s few industries have employed somewhat more than 20,000 people, 7,000 of whom now are not working. The serious unemployment situation has influenced the community to believe that individuals who have jobs should be content and that those who are in comfortable positions must pro- tect themselves. Accordingly, trade unions are resisted and employers have formed “independent” groups designed to discourage bona fide organizations. Added to the community’s distrust of labor has been the conflict between labor organizations themselves. The trade unions belong predominantly to the American Federation of Labor; the building trades supply the majority of the 5,000 paid-up members. In recent years the Congress of Industrial Organ- izations has been attempting to organize certain of the new industries and now has a membership in good standing of perhaps 1,000 persons, largely men. Neither group has organized women to any great extent, possibly because men predominate in Downton’s industries. However, the A.F. of L. has recently asked members to bring their wives to meetings concerned with social security and similar problems. Women have also been invited to attend public con- ferences on communal questions sponsored by the C.LO. Workers’ education has not progressed very far in the community, which believes that vocational instruction provided in the public schools meets the needs of workers. An adult education program of the W.P.A. was opposed. Personnel men in some of the companies at one time seemed interestd in workers’ education but now are definitely against the idea. The A-F. of L. claims to favor a program but states that its members are not ready. Informa- tional meetings have been encouraged. The C.1.O. has had to emphasize organ- ization because of its very small staff in the community and the union’s leaders 113