St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1947-07-04


ance Co. and its wholly-owned sub
sidiary, Stuyvesant Town Corpora
ton, to show cause why a prelim
mary injunction should not be Is
sued forbidding racial discrimina
ton in Stuyvesant Town. The or
der is returnable July 1, 1947.
Vets Bring Suit
The first suit was brought By
three Negro war veterans against
Stuyvesant Town. The second is 9
taxpayers suit brought by ShaC
Polier, Vice President Of the Amer
lean Jewish Congress, against the
City Of New York, to prevent the
City from granting tax exemption
10 Stuyvesant Town as long as il
discriminates against Negroes. The
taxes saved amount TO about fifty
million dollars over a period Of
twenty-five years.
The three Negro veteran plain
tiffs are;
/. Captain Joseph Dorsey who
lives with his family in a con-
demned tenement at o W. 10S St.
He holds an M. A. degree from
Western Reserve; served in the
army for four and a half years and
is now employed as supervisor Of
case work for the probation de-
partment Of the Court Of General
Sessions.
2. Captain Monroe Bowling, 270
Convent Ave-, who is employed as
Senior Employment Manager of the
New York State Employment
Service.
3. Calvin S. Harper, 1887 Pauld-
ing Ave-, Bronx, a disabled war vet
eran who is forced TO travel three
hours q day to and from his en-
ployment in Manhattan. He served
overseas for eighteen months and
was honorably discharged with the
rank Of Technical Sergeant.
The Negro plaintiffs have been
interviewed by the Stuyvesant
Town authorities for apartments,
they state in their affidavits. These
interviews, however, do not mean
that Stuyvesant Town has changed
its policy Of discrimination as sum-
married In a letter dated June 20,
1916, to Clifford Foster Of the
American Civil Liberties Union
and signed by Mr.. George Cove,
Executive Vice President of Stuyve-
SAINT Town. The letter stated:
an conformity with public
announcement made when the
plans for StuyVesant Town were
first formulated In cooperation
with the City, provision has not
been made for occupancy by Ne
gro families"
An affidavit submitted by Shad
Polier states that Mr.. Cove told
him that Negroes were being in
terviewed and Investigated as to
their qualifications and background
in case the policy Of excluding Ne
groes was modified at some future
time but that no such change was
contemplated at present,
Charles Abrams, noted housing
authority, has been retained by the
plaintiffs as Attorney Of Record.
He will be assisted by Thurgood
Marshall, general counsel Of the
NAACP, and Will Maslow, general
counsel Of the AJC.
Should Pay Taxes
Mr.. Abrams complaint contends
that because Of the granting Of tax
exemption, the ceding Of streets
by the City to StuyvesRnt and the
exercise Of power Of eminent do
main to condemn private property
for Stuyvesant Town, therefore,
the defendants are acting as an
agent Of the City and by discrim-
mating against the plaintiffs they
are depriving them Of the full and
equal protection Of the law in vio-
lation Of Article / Section IL Of
the Constitution Of the State Of
New York and the Fourteenth
Amendment Of the Constitution Of
the United States.
In announcing the commence
ment Of his action last night Mr..
Polier said: "This is a test case
to determine whether a private
government can exist within the
City Of New York subject to its
own laws and can legally disre-
gard the policies and constitutional
provisions Of our Federal and State
Governments prohibiting discrim-
ination against any citizen because
Of race, color, or creed. It has al
ways been a basic principle of the
American Jewish Congress that no
corporation or institutions which
discriminate against any Of the peo-
pie should receive tax exemption,
which is in fact a subsidy paid for
by all the people"
American Negroes spend millions
Of dollars yearly with the Metro
politan Life Insurance. II main
tains a policy Of Job discrimination
against Negroes throughout its Of
fees.
Convention Negro
Catholics Impressive
BUFFALo-"Build your charac-
ter on Catholic standards. Profess
your faith boldly. Live up to the
teachings Of Christ as the Church
interprets them to you. Respect
yourselves, and thus demand re-