The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1949-07-13

discrimination in the city's
ton. Views of these groups
were presented in briefs al
a public hearing of the
Mayors committee on inter
group relations.
The briefs disclosed that all
but three of the organizations
favored a city ordinance to out.
law racial and religious discrim-
ination. The three opposing such
an ordinance were the Hotel as
sociations of both Oregon and
Portland, and the ballroom op-
orators.
DR.. Myron C. Cole. chairman
of the committee and pastor OF
the First Christian church, said
the hearing was held to give all
interested groups In the city an
opportunity to oppose or favor a
sample ordinance that would
make 1t unlawful to discriminate
against any person because OF
race. color, religion. ancestry OF
national origin by any business
which offers its facilities or SER
vices to the public.
Penalty Provided
The ordinance. II admitted to
and passed by the city council
would carry penalties of six
months in jail and or a $500
fine violations.
Some of the organizations
submitting briefs we're: The
Negro Citizens and Taxpayers
League; Portland Council of
Church Women; League of Wo-
men Voters; Portland Teachers
Union No. III: Republican Cen
trail Committee; Young Demo-
crat Club of Multnomah county;
Young Republican Federation of
Oregon; Urban League of Port
land and National Association for
the Advancement of Colored
People; briefs and testimony of
the latter two here follow:
TESTIMONY OF:
EDWIN G. BERRY, Executive
Secretary Urban League of Port
land.
RE:
SAMPLE ORDINANCE against
Discrimination in Public Accom-
modations. the Rev. Myron C.
Cole, presiding.
Mr.. Chairman and members of
the committee:
Thank you for the invitation
to submit statement and to
give testimony on this important
subject. In the name of the Ur-
ban League of Portland, l wish
to record approval of the sample
ordinance which your committee
submitted for our perusal. This
sample ordinance is fair. real
istic. workable, and overdue.
That we are assembled to dis
cuss this important issue is COM
mendable. That it is necessary
for us to discuss 1t, is reprehen-
sible. However, mans march to-
ward freedom is a continuous and
on-going process. This is just
another link in that process.
Since this matter must be con-
sidered, it is well that we have
chosen July 1949. just one
hundred and seventy-three years
and two days after the signing
of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. the beginning of the ex-
citing and inspiring American
Greed which has guaranteed
freedom and dignity to ALL
men. We, in America, have never
completely fulfilled this promise
of dignity and freedom to all of
our citizens. The passage of the
sample ordinance will be simply
one more step toward that full
fillment.
l shall not use the time allotted
me to cite individual cases of
discrimination. Other testimony
has amply established, document
ed and underlined the glazing
truth, that racial discrimination
in the use of public accommoda-
tions is rampant in our commu-
nifty.
Non-white travellers, passing
through our city. are never sure
where they can find a place to
lay their head. Non-white shop
pers are never certain where
they can buy a meal in down
D0~k1o.I l. sc M caQrnf