The Omaha guide., 1932-09-24
july 20. 1882

President
18th & Dodge
Omaha, Nebraska.
Dear Sir:
I am writing you in regards to the
situation in the north end of Omaha
among the Colored citizens; a large
number of whom are your tenants,
and some are buying property from
you. / am quite sure you had not
observed the seriousness Of the situa-
ton; and those who are depending up
on this class of people makes it very
hard to keep all things adjusted prop
erly.
/ have been a customer of yours fol
the past 8 or 9 years, and I have triec
to be very prompt in taking care Of
my accounts. For the past IS to e
months l have spent between $4,000
and $4,000 with your company; car.
rying tenants who have paid me well
or as they should each month when the
rent comes due, and they have beer
doing this for 4 or 5 years.
It seems very cruel and unjust t.
shut them out of work when they are
deserving and willing to work, but are
not given the proper consideration.
am writing this, due to the fact ]
have been a little late in the last few
weeks in taking are of some of my
accounts, and / perhaps will be some
what later, if conditions do not
change; which is no fault of ours. AS
soon as business permits, and if given
a chance, | hall bring matters up to-
date.
When one takes into consideration,
corporations such as the Telephone
Company. Nebraska Power, Metropol-
itan Utilities District, Paxton & Gal
lagher, and other businesses that we
patronize; representing at least $50
of the population of the city, number
ing from II, 1000 to $4,000; each con
cern makes our group "the last to be
hired, and the first to be fired" When
it comes to being given a fair consid-
Grafton, they are placed at the bottom
of the list, regardless of how they
support a business; not realizing that
they are human and act similar to any
other body Of people if given a chance.
They are dependable, appreciative,
trusty and fair, and are anxious for
an opportunity to make good.
These businesses that they are sup
porting expect the same fee as reg
ularly from thin, as of others, al
though they are given the least, or 10
consideration whatsoever, regardless
of qualifications. | am sure this body
of people have meant a great deal to
your Association. Many of them are
anxious to save their homes, and will.
if given an opportunity. If the city
was crowded with opportunities of
employment, for all, regardless Of
race, matters would be perhaps some
what different; but wherever there is
employment; after every other ma
tionality is served, this body of peo-
pie is given the rest, or the next con-
~sideration; which is not fair.
| am sure you realize, the more in
~telligence one has, the better equipped
he is to prepare himself for the neces-
saries Of life; the more comfortable
and inviting he can make his sur
roundings to guard himself against
diseases, and the more DESTROYS he can
fit himself for the situation. If every
mar was given a fair chance, there
would be no discrimination as to en-
ployment or business transactions; no
confusions or i'll feelings, but every
one made happy; not speaking from a
social standpoint of view, for that is
not to be considered.
l know that you have any number
Of houses in this community, and per-
haps you and several of those en-
ployed on your staff are members Of
the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, or
some other organization that is band
ed together for the betterment of the
city. l was thinking if there is not
some way that you can influence these
different corporations to give this
body of people a more fair consider
alton, in regards to the amount of
money they spend with these different
firms. They would be happy to know
you have given them this considera-
ton which is greatly needed, and will
be a wonderful help in keeping your
books up-to-date, and helping any
pumber of property buyers to hold on.
Many businesses have used this
body of people as a means to an end.
Any number of concerns have given |
them satisfaction to the extent that
'they were going to do" but this is
the end Of such consideration
and no further action is taken on same
and | am appealing to you for a body |
of people who are not in a position to
help themselves, which makes it bad
for all in the community.
If there is anything you can do to
help better this situation, and help
bring about a fairer consideration, it
will be highly -apnreciated among this |