The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1948-10-20

by the Most Reverend Edward d
Howard, DID,, Archbishop OF
Portland in Oregon, held October
10-11-12, Neighbors of Wooderaft
Hall. The opening meeting was
Sunday, 4 p. m. (This and the s
D. m. meeting the only ones at.
tended by the writer) was chair
named by e. Shelton Hill, indus
trial secretary, Portland branch,
National Urban League. The fol.
lowing subjects and speakers in.
spired large enthusiastic audi.
ence: The Negroes Place in Eco
nomic Life Today by Edwin G.
Berry. executive secretary of the
Portland branch, National Urban
League; Necessary Legislation by
Rev. George G. Higgins, assistant
director, Social Action Depart
ment, National Catholic Welfare
Conference, Washington, d. c.;
His Right as a Human Person. by
Rev. Thomas A. Feuch, o. p.
Pastor, OILY Rosary Church, Port
land.
Mr.. Berry. speaking on The Ne
gro's Place in Economic Life To
day, said among many things, the
question is often asked, "What
does the Negro want, feel, vote,
etc" "To which Negro do you
REFER" the speaker asked. Ne
groes have been and are still be-
ing misunderstood by teachers, ex-
perts, etc. White America has
tried to lump all Negroes in one
group-the brown, black, blond
blue eyes, rich, poor, underprivi-
legged sick, etc, utterly false; pig
mentation and woody hair, they
have set us apart. There is a
great comparison-in 1865 when
the Negro owned no property,
were chattels, and 194S when Ne
groes own millions of dollars in
churches, homes, schools, bust
ness. The speaker referred to DR..
Drew, discoverer of blood plasma;
Paul R. Williams, architect; Ralph
Bunche, diplomat and statesman.
Negroes are not what whites
think they are. I'm more inter
ested in where we're going, rather
than where we've been. There
should be full freedom for all men
every where. We have accom-
piished much in Portland the last
two years but we have a long,
long, long way to go before we
can say that Portland is a city
in which all may be and become
what they are capable of being.
Signs, white only still prevail
We in America have accepted the
paradoxical, that SOME men are
created equal. We in America
treat our white enemies better
than we treat our black friends"
"If Joe Stain came to Port
land, he wouldn't be denied hotel
accommodations could eat any
place and get a good job. An UNI
written creed-America, a land OF
opportunity"
Rev. Higgins, speaking on Nee
essary Legislation, said in part,
1.-THE state has the duty to give
consideration to rights of poor and
underprivileged, n eedy; not
enough class legislation Other
necessary legislation: Repeal OF
the Taft Hartley Act; unit eff
fort to get Negroes and whites
in trade unions; and still other
legislation, Fair Employment Prac-
tees, an increase in wages, so
cial security, some types of health
legislation-hospitals, ETC., hous
ing-present totally inadequate
christians are b eing judged
throughout the world because OF
their social attitudes"
Rev. Feucht, in discussing
Rights as a Human Person, de
fined rights or moral power as
meaning, to do, have or admit
something. 1--WE have natural
rights, rights by positive divine
law, human rights and constitu
tional rights, neither of which nc
man should be denied"
At s D. m. the meeting was
chairmaned by the Very Rev
Theodore J. Mehling. c. S. G..
Portland, Oregon.
Ways to Promote Interracial
Justice in Economic Life was ably
discussed by Mrs. Irene B. Miller
executive secretary, Civic Unity
Seattle, Washington.
-, Mrs. Miller very emphatically
stated that "An average American
Christian-Catholic, belongs to the
I'm Not Prejudiced. but Club
The employer kneels at the raj
with those whom he will not give
a job. Discrimination, is fools
economy" she continued. we
must know what it means to be
a Negro-most of us haven't
learned what it means to be
Christian The speaker admitted
that she has often wondered how
] Neeroes can be so Datient WheI