The Informer and Texas Freeman (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 10, Ed. 1 Saturday, January 17, 1942 Page: 3 of 16
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act.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1942
WORKERS WIN SUIT AGAINST
ST. LOUIS HOUSING AUTHORITY
Court Asked To |
Enforce Policy Of
Non - Discrimination
By ALVIN E. WHITE
WASHINGTON.—(ANP)—Responding to an order by
the state circuit court in St. Louis, Mo., the United States
Housing Authority, Thursday reaffirmed its intenton of en-
forcing its non-discrimination policy and has asked the court
to direct the St. Louis Housing Authority to carry out its
contractural obligations to “require
that there shall be no discrimina-
tion because of race . . . in the
employmnet of persons for work”
on its low-rent housing projects. •
The suit, instituted by skilled
Negro building trades workers, is
based on the allegation that the
USHA, the St. Louis Housing au-
thority and building contractors
had failed to live up to their con-
tracts to pay to Negro skilled work-
ers 3.5 per cent of all wages paid to
skilled labor.
Alleging that they had been de-
nied employment on a USHA-
aide project in St. Louis solely
because of race, the plaintiffs pe-
titioned the court to restrain the
USHA and the SLHA from pay-
ing out further funds for skilled
labor and to order the defendants
to comply with the terms of their
contract.
Let al action by the plaintiffs cli-
maxes a long period of negotiations
during which representatives of the
USHA divisions of labor relations
ad racial relatons sought to facili-
tate the employment of Negro la-
bor in accordance with the terms
of the contract for the develop-
ment of the Carr Square project.
Because of the long standing prac-
tice of excluding Negro artisans
from large scale construction jobs
in. St. Louis, the USHA entered into
preliminary negotiations with the
local authority, Negro groups and
the building trades unions prior to
appoval of loan contracts for the
efforts to secure compliance.
The clause, which defines dis-
crimination by establishing a mini-
mum percentage as a criterion, is
the bass upon which the suit was
filed. Inasmuch as a large number
of unskilled Negro workers are em-
ployed on the project job, insiders
point out, it would be difficult to
prove discrimination in the absence
of the percentage clause. The clause
affords the oportunity to prove dis-
crimination.
In his affidavit of discrimination,
Administrator Straus admits the
discrimination and defines the areas
of responsibility. Although ques-
tioning the legal right of the plain-
tiffs to sue (since they are not
parties to the contract, merely
beneficiaries), the USHA agrees to-
join the plaintiffs in plea for re-
lief provided the court finds, as
the USHA already admits that dis-
crimination does exist.
The affidavit points out that the
USHA is the promissee and not the
promisor in the covenant between
it and the local authority. The re-
sponsibility for enforcement lies
with the local authority, the prom-
isor. The right to sue for enforce-
ment, however, lies with the USHA.
“The United States Housing au-
thority,” the affidavit affirms, “while
relying on administrative action as
the most effective method of pre-
venting discrimination, is convinced
development of projects in that 1
city. While assuring the local au-T covenant,
thority that - they would go along
with the non-discrimination policy,
that it has enforceable legal Inter-
ests under the non-discrimination
Should administrative
methods of securing compliance
fail, it has the legal right to in-
Informer Gets Exclusive Inte
From Officials On Soldier
By Frank A. Young, Jr.
(Exclusive Informer Interview)
Alexandria, Louisiana—The Army
has no statement to make regard-
ing the Lee street incident. That is
officially.
Fifth Army Crops headquarters
released a statement that “none
of the 28 Negro soldiers had been
killed, and only two injured
seriously."
Major Ray McKnight, Camp
Beauregard, Assistant Corps Pro-
vost marshal informed me that
“no official was in a position to
make a statement for the Army,
and that orders had been issued
that all statements must come
from the commandant of the Area
Crops, Colonel Hanst.”
The marshal, regretting the 300
mile trip said: "I know the town
is full of newspaper men, but
everyone must realize that we are
doing everything we possibly can
to get to the bottom of the situat-
ion.”
A statement was suggested, nam-
ing the most seriously wounded,
giving their ages and home ad-
dresses, and naming those arrested,
the charges filed against them, and
what action is to be taken in the
one by one, to get a reasonable
idea of just what did happen.”
“I can repeat what I said Mon-
day. I was at supper when head-
quarters notified me of the trouble.
I rushed down to Lee Street. All
available military and civilian
police were called out, and state
police also were called. There was
considerable shooting, sticks were
being used and bricks and rocks
were flying through the air. I saw
only one Negro soldier who
been shot."
Cheif Gray commented that it
was possible that some of the sol-
diers may have been hit by stray
shots fired by Negro civilian#
"We are doing everything in
our power to keep the town red
its environs peaceful and it is only
natural that shortly after pay day
and on a Saturday night there is
greatest danger of trouble.”
CME Education
Executive Com.
Holds Meeting
case.
The Good Shepherd Funeral
■Home, which has the contract to
handle all bodies of colored sol-
diers who die in the Crops area,
denied that they had handled a
single body.
Colonel Hanst is anxious to inter-
view any newspaperman since,
many of them have traveled long
distances to get there, but he still
SCENE OF HUGE FIRE
Section of the Negro business area on Lyons Avenue that was threatened by fire. Pic-
tured is a section of the “Memories" night spot being consumed by flames. —Rabb Photo.
Fire Guts Half-Block
Lyons Business Section
the trade unions refused to make
any denite commitment. William
Green, president of the American
Federation of Labor, was appealed
to without avail.
‘Under terms and conditions of
the loan contract between the
USHA and the local housing au-
thority, minimum percentages for
the employment of Negro labor
were stipulated as evidence of non-
discrimination. The USHA has no
direct relationship with the build-
ing contracts; however, under terms
of its covenant with the USHA, the
local authority is required to see
that the building contractors abide
by the non-discrimination clause.
This clause and the percentages
were inserted in all contracts let
by the local authority to the build-
ers. S
voke the aid of the courts to 'se-
cure compliance by adjudication
Ordinarily, however, it would not
under present circumstances begin
court action to enforce its rights
because of ■ its belief in the ade-
quacy of its administrative reme-
dies. Thus, in absence of a lawsuit
begun by another party, USHA
would not as yet have instituted an
action against St. Louis Housing
authority for specific performance
of the latter’s contractural obliga-
tions to it.”
On more than 450 projects, the
As the project went under con-
struction, no skilled Negro workers
were employed. Some of the con-
tractors expressed willingness to
. employ Negroes but said they were
afraid the unions would not only
withdraw their members, but would
also boycott the contractors in the
future. For this reason, allegedly,
no contractor was willing to be the
first to break the tabu of more than
a generation against Negro work-
ers.
Further negotiations were under-
taken by the USHA in a final ef- .
fort to secure compliance. When
the suit was filed the unions broke
off negotiations, claiming that the
litigation made it impossble to ne-
gotiate an understanding. Mean-
while, Nathan Straus, USHA ad-
ministrator, who had previously di-
rected the local authority to as-
sume its full responsibility in the
enforcement of the non-discrimina-
tion clause, informed the St. Louis
Until this problem was resolved.
Informer persons in government
circles here consider the suit and
the response of the USHA aa
highly signifliant. It brings to a
finsl issue the legal standing of
the non-discrimination clauses in
public works developments. The
USHA has, through administra-
USHA through administrative
methods has been able to seenre
compliance with its non-diserimi-
nation regulations resulting in
earnings by Negro building trades
workers of more than $15,000,000.
However, these methods have not
been successful in a few cities,
notably, St. Louis, Houston and
Dallas. Because of publie policy
and threats of political reprisals,
the USHA has hesitated to take
the final administrative step—the
withholding of funds with the
consequent stoppage* of work on
a partially completed project. Af-
ter repeated efforts to secure
compliance in Houston, the USHA
declined to approve loan contracts
for development of additional
projects. Recently there have
been indications that the barrier
will in some measure be broken
down in Dallas where white car-
penters have heretofore refused
to work on the project with Ne-
gro carpenters though both be-
longed to separate locals of the
same AFL union.
Officials in public works agencies
here believe that the St. Louis case
will establish precedent if the court
upholds the legality of the peti-
tion. They believe that such a de-
cision will overcome much of the
HOUSTON.—An entire half-block
section of the 3200 region on Lyons
Avenue was partially destroyed
and a number of businesses se-
riously threatened by flames that
raged for an hour or more Satur-
day afternoon.
Fire department branches arriv-
ed in the block to find Mrs. Shel-
ley Hawthorne’s "Memories” Night
Club, the upstairs apartments and
rooms above cabaret, a package
liquor store just adjoining her bus-
iness (owned by Mrs. Hawthorne),
and the cafe section of her bus-
iness and at 3208-3210 Lyons Ave-
nue being gutted by fire, while
Katherine’s Beauty Box, 3206%
Lyons; Blackman’s Wheatley Bar-
ber Shop, 3206 Lyons; and the Im-
perial Cleaners .(Washington's)
3204% Lyons Avenue were forced
to remove their entire equipment
into the streets.
At the Imperial Cleaners, which
just a week previous had encount-
ered a small fire in the rear of the
even tumble to save her life. All
of her possessions were burned.
Mr. Judge Green, a resident in
one of the rooms was at work and
came from his contracting job when
told of the fire by a friend, but
could save nothing. 1
Mr. R. L. Mason, occupant of
room number 4 in the building,
along with Mr. L. C. Turner, who
resides at 1610% Simpson Street,
broke in the hallway of the house
and tried to get to Mr. Mason's
room. The smoke drove them away,
so they immediately thought of
seeing if Miss Lucille Williams, an-
other resident of the building) was
trapped or out of the house. Both
Miss Williams and Mrs Wiley’s
doors Were locked by the time they
knocked upon them. The thickness
of the smoke and the crackling
flames finally made them emerge
from the apartments.
Wilfred Brown, 3510 Market St.,
Willis McDaniel, 3419 Stonewall,
and Henry Griffin, 2606 Leona St.,
were responsible for many things
being saved by the shop owners.
Danger of the surrounding blocks
of flame dwellings being destroyed
was very perilous.
Control of the fire was not ob-
tained for some time as sections of
the roof had to be chopped away
in order to head the blaze off.
Throngs of people crowded the
■S^'^X#?^'^
the peak afternoon hours.
Mrs. Hawthorne has some in-
surance on the premises but it was
not learned whether full coverage
is written on the business or not.
is in no position to speak for the
thing is being done to get to the
ARMY. Only to say that every-
bottom of the incident.
It happened that Colonel Ringl-
ing was conversing with Chief of
Police Gray when I arrived to see
the Chief. When I asked the Col-
onel if he had heard rumors that
General Davis was coming to the
city in regard to the Court Martial
of the guilty persons, the Colonel
then asked me "Have you heard
that Brig. Gen. Davis is coming?,”
to which I replied "No, I was
only attempting to find out.”
Cheif Gray was not too busy
to explain the city police depart-
ment's side of entering into the
activity. Chief Gray said: “I am
positive that you can depend on
a fair investigation, and you can
the army has appointed are even
say in your paper that the men
interrogating my police officers,
JACKSON, Tenn., (ANP)—The
last session of the executive • com-
mittee of the board of education of
the CME church prior to the setting
of the next session of the general
conference in Chicago next May
was held here last week with the
Bishop R. A. Carter, Chicago, pre-
siding. Dr. Bertram W. Doyle, gen-
eral secretary of the board of
education, made his annual report
to the executive committee covering
a wide variety of activities in con-
nection with his official relation-
ship with the schools and colleges
of the faith.
The personnel of the executive
committee in attendance at the
session were: Bishop R .A. Carter,
chairman; Dr. Bertham W. Doyle
general secretary of the executive
committee; Bishop J. A. Harmlet.
chairman of the education board;
Dr. W. R. Banks, Prairie View,
Texas; Miss Annie E. Kelly, Holly
Springs, Mississippi, and Rev. Earl
Dyer, Little Rock.
The report made by Dr. Doyle on
educational funds accruing from the
genetal funds for support of schools
and colleges on the CME church
showed an appreciable increase over
precious years ,all complete reports
in general funds from eight of the
nine episcopal districts of the
church-at-large disclosing increases
in finances for support of the schools
and colleges as well as the depart-
mental monies. *
Dr. Doyle brought to attention of
the committee the “exceptional op-
portunity present church-related col-
leges to serve people in a distinc-
tive and far-reaching way” during
(9!
- IUIT3
CELEBS SEE FIGHT
the present national defense pro-
gram. Among chief contributions
cited were the challenging of the
church-related colleges as “keep-
ing on being colleges of the church
with their popular functions tn so-
ciety,” leaving to other well-equip-
ped, well- financed, publicly-sup-
ported insttiution, the very, skill
and technical phases of the national
defense program, and, what he
choseto call “civilian morale." In
the two fields specified. Dr. Doyle
expressed his opinion as being,
those in which the church-lelated
colleges were better situated—and
adapted by tradition, objestive, fa-
cilities and faculties to make the
“greatest contributions for the
greatest good for the greatest num-
bers.”
Bishop Supports
Citizen's Council
MIAMI.-(ANP)—The Florida Ne-
gro Citizens’ council here recently
announced that Bishop H. Y. Tookes
of Jacksonville, Florida recently
took out a “gold membership" in
the organization by the payment of
annual dues of $25.
From other points in Florida, al-
most $1,000 in pledges has been
received from prominent people.
This is just a part of the $6,500
needed by the council ♦• operate
during 1942.
OOD FORLESS
BIG MODERN FOOD MARKET IS SERVING GR
1501 MAIN
1118 BROADWAY
1100 QUITMAN
ft HOUSTON
3406MAIN C 5OOHARRISBUR
SON PRARIEOUACD 2001 VALE
16O/TAF Y MATY 1420 RICHMOND
NO
21
Visit Our Newly Rebuilt Store No. 3 On Washington At
Preston
plant, young men were forced to
work feverishly to remove a tank
"containing oil, was threatened by
the flames which scorched the tin
inside of the tank shed. Mr. Black-
man’s barber chairs were all re-
moved and Katherine’s Beauty Box
suffered smoke damage.
A pool room, operated by Mr.
Foster Frank, and where the blaze
according to fire records, began,
was almost entirely burnt out, for:
the floors and all the wooden su-
per structure of the building was
ready to collapse following the
holocaust.
It was learned from the Fire
Chief that an oil stove exploded
in the pool hall and the flames un-
able to be conquered by water
thrown upon them, worked their
way to an air space adjoining the
chimney of the building.
Mrs. Vera Wiley told the Inform-
er reporter an amazing incident
connected with the fire. She stated
that she had been upstairs and up-
on hearing someone remark that
“these wooden buildings surely do
catch fire quickly” she opened- a
window in the house and noticed
opposition heretofore encountered
in administering non-discrimina- the fire engines standing down in
tion clauses.
HALLSVILLE
Lewis Rodgers motored to Long-
view in his 1941 Pontiac with his
wife Mrs. O. Rodgers, Mrs. Ded-
mon, Mrs. Hettie B. Daniels, little
Yondell Moore and Mrs. Mattie
tive action, sought an adjustment
o th s problem. Negotiations and ___ „ ___________
other devices have been used in lerhood of Longview.
Taylor to witness the United Broth-
■ • ■ • • •
PUBSY 100 Pacofi
Kentucky STRAIGHT
BOURBON WHISKEY
BOTTLED
in-BOND
the street. She then assumed sud-
denly that maybe it was the house
in which she was living. Going to
the hall door, she opened it, and
was met with a gush of smoke and
onrushing flame. She hurriedly
shut the door, grabbed her purse
and her household pet, Persian kit-
ten, and knowing exactly where the
stairs were placed in the house,
stayed near the floor to receive
oxygen and dove for the steps. She
said she actually fell down the
stairs but was glad .to be able to
By STAFF WRITER
NEW YORK.—In the press box
with me were: Ches Washington and
Billy Rowe of the Pittsburgh Cour-
ier, Dan Burley and Julius Adams
Sports editor and Managing editor
respectively of the Amsterdam
News, Floyd Snelson of the. New
York Age, Fay Young and Maurice
Dancer of the Chicago Defender and
Ted Yates of T. Y. P.
Other prominent persons attended
by the score, among them were:
Atty, and Mrs. E. O. Austin, Mr.
and Mrs. Verteny Tandy (contrac-
tor for Lela Walker home), Mrs.
Louis T. Wright (wife of Dr. Louis
T. Wright) Mrs. Inez Richardson
Wilson (teacher), Miss Lucille Arm-
stead (teacher) with whom Joe
Louis takes his down home meals,
Mrs. Eunice Carter (District' Attor-
ney), Dr. and Mrs. Doug Speaks, Dr.
Clarence Hogans, Dr. Perry W.
Cheney, Miss Marie McCleary, Mr.
and Mrs. Elmer Carter (Unemploy-
ment Commission), Mr. and Mrs.
Howard Bearden, Dr. and Mrs. Wi-
ley Wilson, Dr. and Mrs. Wiley
Wilson, Dr. and Mrs. Theodore
Donaldson (dentist from Texas),
Miss Blanche Thompson and bro-
ther Jesse (Miss Thompson was
founder of the Brown Skin models,
also from Texas), Miss Maud Rus-
Cabin in the Sky), Judge Jane
Bolden (Domestic Relations Court),
Judge and Mrs. H. Lancy, (N. Y.),
Judge and Mrs. H. Lancy (N. Y.
Municipal Justice), Mr. and Mrs.
E. Simms Campbell, Walter White
and Son, Atty, and Mrs. Harry
Braggs, Dr. and Mrs. C. B. Powell
(Amsterdam Star News), Rev. and
Mrs. A. Alton Powell, Jr., (Pastor
largest church in the world, also
first Negro City Councilor of N. Y.),
Dr. Merrill Curtis and- Prof. Al-
phonso Hurd of Washington, D. C.,
McKerrick Jones and George Jones
of Chicago, Pappy Williams, David
Luck, Edward Link, George Blanche,
Mrs. Helen Jackson, Mr. Woogie
Harris, Mr. Ted Horne, Mr. Isaac
Nicholson of .Pittsburgh, Johnny
Wallace of Cleveland and Pitts-
burgh, Mrs. John Roxborough of
Detroit, Mrs. Julian Black of Chi-
cago, Mr. Chas. Glenn, Frank H.
Young, Mr. Nelson Sykes of Chica-
go, Mr. Pat Brooks, Mr. Joe Harris,
Mr. C. F. DeBerry and Dr. F. D.
Whitby of Detroit, Vernon Hutchins,
Mr. William Somerford, Miss
Blanche Bowman, Mr. and Mrs.
Presley Winfield, Mr. Jesse O.
Thomas, Mr. Claude A. Barnett, Mr.
and Mrs. Cortez Peters, Mrs. Phyl-
lis Howard Ware, Mr. Lafayette
Harris, Mr. Norman Lloyd, Mr
Chester Washnigton, Mr. William
sell (Texas-Late of Ethel Waters Nunn, Mr. Cliff Davis.
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The Informer and Texas Freeman (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 10, Ed. 1 Saturday, January 17, 1942, newspaper, January 17, 1942; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1626682/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.