The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-15

social workers-to make new
friends and to get their names
in the papers.
Far From The Slums.
Those Negroes who are liv-
ing in their large stone houses
on southern Michigan Boule-
ward buy the expensive book
which prints the results of these
numerous Investigations. Meanwhile,
the unfortunate living on Federal
Street and South Dearborn, does not
know he has afforded entertainment
for the upper class Of his race on the
more pleasant avenue.
That is not the kind Of an investi-
cation the DAILY WORKER is
carrying on. True to its name, the
DAILY WORKER is interested in
putting into the hands of the work
er-negroes of Chicago the facts as
to the actual conditions under which
they live. For the first time a daily
newspaper is being distributed to
them which tells them how they can
better their living conditions and
then, help them to do it.
Black and White Landlords.
There is no excuse for the large
real estate dealers-either colored
or white-in charging higher rents to
the Negroes than they had been
charging the whites in the same
neighborhood and often in the same
houses. 1t is a clear cut matter of
profteering. The excuse always Of
fered in such cases is that Negro ten
ants depreciate the value of the prop
erty. The DAILY WORKER finds
that this is not true.
Even many of the large real estate
dealers themselves-such as the De-
priests, in mixed neighborhoods turn
white tenants out of their apartments,
and replace them with Negroes. They
do this because the Negro has been
accustomed to paying more rent and
because the landlord knows he does
not have to repair the Negro tenants
houses. The DAILY WORKER came
across a place near Saith street, where
the landlord was forced to get the
sheriff to evict his white tenants, who
said they did not mind living in the
same building with Negroes.
The Defender On Landlords.
Our contemporary, the Chicago
Defender, says about the pro-
Ifiteering real estate dealers, in
their last issue, "There is curious
situation in the problem of real
estate and real estate management
which puzzles some laymen and some
property owners. Many real estate
men who are members of the Race do
not hesitate to declare themselves as
benefactors of the Race because of
their successful efforts in securing
properties to be rented to our people.
AS proof that these benefits are not
altogether an unmixed evil, the pur-
chaser of some>very extensive hold
ings recently was approached by one
or two real estate agents and advised
to eject the white tenants already
occupying the building, and replace
them with Race tenants. The argu-
ments advanced are, that the rents
can be increased, and that the income
of the building would be worth a
great deal more than would be pos
sible if white tenants were retained.
"This seems to be curious kind
Of mathematics whereby business
men who are members of the Race
seem to think it is legitimate pro-
position to penalize members of their
own Race. Ordinarily individuals
would ask themselves whether an
apartment is worth more according
to the complexion of the tenants.
Everybody that knows the housing
situation in our large cities knows
that it is extremely difficult for our
people to get housing Accommodations.
Some believe that this situation was
brought about on account of the pre-
JUDGE of white owners. When we
have begun to study the problem we