The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1938-08-26
Allege State Liquor Officials Biased;
No Chance for Negro Club License
Walters, Musicians, Entertainers Ask Community
To Take Steps i'm Their Behalf

A group of Walters, Musicians
and Entertainers called upon the
Northwest Enterprise asking that
some drastic steps be taken to
force the State Liquor Board to
deal fairly with establishments
seeking club license, where Negro
help will be employed.
The group charged that there
seemed to be no strict require
ments, other than meeting the
mandates of the law. However,
race members have been told it
would be useless to apply.
The committee further stated
that in the State of Washington
there are several hundred members
of the race who depend upon bar
tending, Underwriting, and musical
engagements for livelihood.
These people are being forced to
either go on public relief, or else
force persons out of employment
in other lines of endeavor. The Ne
gro with job finds his security
jeopardized by being forced to
compete with the unemployed mu-
stefan or waiter, who if employed
at his own vocation would offer
no opposition. Therefore, every
Negro with a job finds the discri-
mination against other Negroes
regardless of what class of en-
ployment, directly involves him.
Only Janitor Jobs
To support their claim that the
State Liquor Board is prejudiced,
the delegation cited that before
the State owned stores were OPEN
ed, many competent persons APP
piled for positions on the sales
force, warehouses, and other de-
partments. Also it is an establish
ed fact that many of these people
had experience in the class of work
they applied for; but when posi-
lions were given, Negroes received
only a few janitor jobs. In one
store where there is tremendous
volume of race business, no con-
s1deration was even given there
for clerk-not even one clerk.
Several weeks ago we voiced the
sentiments of the Northwest En-
terprise relative to the State High
way Department refusing to con-
slider a Negro civil engineer for
employment, and we think that the
refusal of the State Liquor Board
to consider club licenses where the
proprietors are Negroes, is just as
much community problem as the
highway official who said, ut is
not merit but your color that keeps
you off the payroll"
Demand Full Investigation
The same group of civic minded
men and women who have always
come to the front when discrimin-
alton has raised it's ugly head are
expected to go to the front in this
matter A committee of substan-
tial citizens should be called, as
certain the facts, then protest. If
the protest bring no results then
an organized movement to bring
publicity to this unfair practice,
also an investigation of all phases
of the Liquor Board, should be de-
manded from the proper authori-
ties, including alleged stool pi-
geon" operations of the Board,
where some bartender or waiter is
induced to violate the law by a
State operative.
Next week the group promises
to have several stories to prove
that the Board discriminates ag-
ainst the Negro race. They also
claim that they will supply names
and addresses of Liquor Clubs run
ming all over the city giving en-
ployment to white walters, bar
tenders and musicians.