The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-09-05
STATEMENT OF FACTS BY THE
BOARD OF MANAGEMENT OF
THE WESTERN COLLEGE.
Submitted by Or. j. H. Garnett,
President.

lPresioent.
The Board of Managers of the West.
ern college and Industrial Institution
located at Macon, Missouri, desires to
make the following statement of facts
to its friends, concerning its purchase
and ownership of the property located
at 9Srd street and Jackson avenue
Kansas City, Mo.
For the past twenty years the col
lege has been located at Macon, Mo-,
and during its existence there, we are
proud to say, has accomplished a
great work of education for the am
bilious youth of our race. As a re-
suit we have men and women in many
useful walks Of life, and some mis-
~sionaries in the foreign field. 1t has
been the wish of the managers of the
institution for a number OF years TO
locate our college at some place where
we could be in close touch with a
larger Negro population than 1t is pos.
s.Dle for us to reach at Macon, Mo-,
and also to locate school where
INDECENT students might find oppor-
tunities of support while e~ndeavoring
to educate themselves.
Kansas City appealed to us especial
ly as being the center of the territory
from which we draw much of u sup.
port, also because of the 10000 Ne
groes located in and adjacent to Kan
sas City. We have Investigated sew
eral locations in and about Kansas
city, and finally the location at 33rd
and Jackson was suggested to us by
those who posed as our friends, and
negotiations were entered into which
led up to our purchase of this property
at the sum Of $25, 900. 1t is a tract
OF ten acres of land situated at the
southwest corner of 33rd street and
Jackson avenue, and has located upon
it a big stone residence building which
can be used for u purpose and other
buildings which car be utilized.
We desire to say that this property
had never been proposed to us by any
one prior to the beginning of he ne
gotiations which were contaminated
in u purchase of this property, and
we purchased same without any sug-
gestions that there would be any OPP
position to our location in this dis
trict. The property is located, as can
be demonstrated, by investigation, in
an unimproved territory. At the time
we purchased this property, there was
not a sidewalk or improved street
south of 31st and east of Indiana ave-
nue., with the exception of one side
walk. Within about three blocks of
this location there IS now located a
colored public school and a settlement
of fifty to seventy Negro families. I'm.
mediately surrounding, the location are
a few un~pretentious homes occupied
by white people, but none of sthem so
expensive that we cannot find ready
purchasers for them at their actual
worth, among our people.
After looking the situation over we
were impressed that this was a place
where we could locate with as little
opposition from the white people as
any place in Kansas City. Without ar
guing the right or wrong of the mat
ter, we are conscious of course that
it would be difficult for us to locate
anywhere without arousing some op-
position from the white people. But,
we are confronted with the all-impor'
tant fact to us, that we are here and
we are entitled to at least an oppor'
tunity to make the best of our condi
ion and we'ask from the white people
their cooperation in securing for us
the opportunity of doing what we car
for the elevation and betterment o.
our race.
When it became known that this
property was to be used as a site fol
the Western College, a Negro school
considerable opposition was manifest
ed in the neighborhood by residents
and landowners owning land adjacen
to our location. An effort was mad
to have the Park Board condemn thu
property for park purposes. This pc
tition was rejected by the Park Boar
and matters were left to stand Il
statu quo. When it became NANTES
that we would not be able to occup,
this property without opposition, W
at once assured those opposing u
that it was not u disposition t
intrude ourselves upon any commu1
ity where we we're not wanted, as W
realized that our greatest asset wa
the friendship of the white people, an
we were willing to allow u plan
to be defeated to suit their desires
the same could be done without abst
lutte ruin to ourselves.
We expressed our willingness t
postpone u plans of locating here
and offered to sell the property a
exactly what it cost us. That offe
has been made all along and stand
good today, but no substantial attemI
has been made on the part of anyon
to purchase our ground.
We submit to the sense of fairne'
of the white people, that 1t is not rigl
to ask us to sacrifice the money tn;
we have now invested in this pro
erty. We are not able to hold IL
property in its present unproductiN
condition, and unless it is disposed 4
at once, we will be compelled, fl
our own protection, to take posse
sion of the property and use 1t fl
the purpose we had intended,
Before we do this, VIZ desiro to plaI
w.