The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-06-02
SPEAKERS HIT
HALF TRUTHS
IN CONFERENCE
BY CHARLES J. WARTMAN

Inc TACT that Negro home own.
ers and renters in the city of De.
troit are living UP TO accepted
standards OF property upkeep and
occupancy and that restrictive
covenants contribute in large pro-
portion TO the run down character
of certain neighborhoods. was
voiced by several speakers as the
keynote OF the Housing Conference
sponsored by the Civil Rights Fed
Grafton at the Maccabees Building
Sunday, May 81
Joseph Bueeeleisen. a member
81 the committee which previous
IN the conference had toured
various neighborhoods in which
Negroes now live. said that his
observation Of the Sojourner
Truth Project and the Conant
Garden area had convinced him
that much that he had heard
SPOUT. Negroes depreciating
property values" did not stand
no In the light Of what he saw.
Il talked TO whites and Negroes
In the area" Buegeleisen said.
~and concluded that much OF the
difficulty and half-truths which
nave come out of that neighbor-
hood are the work IF SINISTER
real estate men" Buegeleisen
said further that conversations
with whites in the area disclosed
that Joseph Buffs. real estate
dealer in the area. who organized
the opposition 10 the Soiourner
Truth site, had been building
rhrar houses NJ FIVE and six
rooms and selling thorn AZ nrices
highly profitable tn himself
DE. r. r. BRUMBAuGH. renort-
Ing for he same committee. cited
the SoJourner Truth project as
further evidence az deliberate
falsiSca'ion ~ facts and rlav upon
the fears and prcjudiccs 81 people
DR. Brumbaugh said that the rec
ords show that there has been no
trouble in the Soiourner Truth
area since the projec: has been
there. and that conversations with
whites in the neiohborhood dis.
closed that the children had GOT
ten along well together. a check
inr OF police records" Dr. Brum-
baugh said. disclosed that there
had been only one assault case in
three wears and ;ha, in that case
n White man IN tho nc, -hhovI'nod
molos'c1 woman resldon, ~ the
projcc'
DIR. BRUCE DOUGLAS. Com
missioner Of Health Mr. John Bal
Longer. Detroit police and Mr..
Gc9r:e Schermcr. director az tho
Mayors lnter-racial Committee.
discussed tho effect Of poor hous-
Ing on health police. and racial
problems in the community All
three speakers emphasized that
there is oirec. correlation hc-
tween inadequate housing and
problem 81 law enforcement.
health standards and he attitudes
81 rcoplc toward members ~ other
groups Those s~cakcrs further
err ASKED that &c cost - cor
roc and check TIC above cy's. is
q burden which olch citizen bears
NJ matter where &c lives
Mr. Edward Common director
ri the Citizens Housing and
Planning Commission. participant
Inc or the panel discussion. re-
minded the audience that the
overall problem Of housing for
Negroes has become one Of the
main problems in the efforts Of
CITY planners 10 prepare for the
future i'm Detroit. and that the
blighted areas Of tho CITY. in
which tho ratio Of whites 10 Nc
grocS is : To I. must he solved IL
the city is going 10 make any
progress as ulacc 10 live. We
have become famous throughout
the world manufacturing
center" ConnorS said. hut We
do not enjoy such reputation a.
. place 10 live"
REVEREND FRANCIS CREAM
Err. rector Christ Episcopal CHURCH
0hN also appeared on the panel
stated that ;he church must assume
es- onSihi'i'Y for giving true
rearln- To democracy II IN fact
democracy Is 10 survive
Mr. T J HauScr. executive sec F
-etarV ~ the s.; Antoine H.M c A, .
md william Nicholas housing d.
.ec'nr ~ The UAW-CIO also par
iclpa'ed on the panel
Reverend Ellsworth VI Smith
and Reverend Charles A Hill
served az co-ehairmen.
THE CONFERENCE also went .
" record ~ form a Citizens Conn
nl,tce ~ 70 o. more mon hcrS 10 .
-eview ne various plans ard pro-
,rams that have been and will be
made 20 eliminate the city's slumS.
The resolutions called upon the
l. ~