Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-07-25
Race Discrimination
BY Better New
York cdfeS Drops

New York city ". Y~-Dis-
elimination in east midtown res
taurants Of Manhattan has drop
ped from 42ft 10 1879 In two
years, the Committee On Civil
Rights In East Manhattan re-
ported yesterday following a re-
survey Of the areas eating places.
Chosen two years ago because
Of It's proximity 10 the United
Nations headquarters, the terri.
tory covered In between Fifth
Avenue and the East River, and
from saith TO 5Sth Street. The
Commlttec was eager % test this
district because II believed that
the United States largely on the
basis Of impressions gained in the
area.
The Committee, encouraged by
the StatlsticRIly significant drop
In discrimination. attributed the
reduction 10 q prOcens Of edueA-
ton by the Committee both
through direct contacts by letters
to restaurant owners and inter
views with restaurant owners and
personnel and through work with
civic organizations IN the com.
munity.
In 1850, 10 determine whether
there was discrimination or not,
the Committee carried out . sur.
vey IN this AREA by q direct test
ing method In the 1862 ro-suFvsy
the same teehniques were used
The re-survey was carried out by
272 persons. divided into minor.
ity" teams Of two Negroes and
control teams Of two whites. A
sample Of % East Midtown res
taurants was tested during n 10
day period. Forty.thTse Of the
restaurants tested had been sur
vcyed two years ago and 80 were
tested for the first time. The Ne
gro team entered first. followed
closely by the white team. Each
team was instructed not 10 rec
ogniEe the other and 20 give no
indication Of any interest other
than getting a meal Both teams
observed carefully a number Of
details concerning tho treatment
accorded them. reporting these
Immediately after the test on
carefully prepared report forms
Tho two surveys were conduct
ed under the guidance OF n group
OF social scientists including Or.
Kenneth Clark Of the NorthHids
Center for Child Development.
Or Herbert HymAn of Columbia
University: DIR, Sophia NJ. Robin.
son Of the New York School Of
Social Work, and Claire sellitE.
Of the Research center for Human
Relation Of New York University
who prepared the report, noted;
In 1850. discrimination was
encountered much more frequent.
~ In restaurants charging an
average Of SaOO 10 Ss.op per meal,
than IN those charging under -,
In 1904, the percentage Of dis.
elimination dropped in higher
priced restaurants while remain.
Ing stationary In the lower priced
restaurants.
Head Walters A Problem
Again. head walters and hos.
teaaea wrre the most frequent
sources Of discriminatory treat.
ment, In eight Of the dincrimIna.
tory restaurants, the head waiter
or hoateaa alone showed dlscrim.
inatoFy behavior; In two. u waiter
or waitress alone showed such be-.
hAvior; In three. both a head
waiter or waitress were involved
In the remaining two cases, an.
other employee that check girl.
baTtenderl also showed discrim.
inAtory behavior, OF the fifteen
discriminatory incidents, head
walters or hosteaaen were Involv.
I'd In y total Of thirteen. walters
or mattresses IN q total Of ak.
The findings Indicate, however.
that the clear-cut pattern OF
unequal treatment In l9rt Of the
cases revealed by the initial audit
In 1880 10 generally breaking
down. In the future Il IL expected
that the residual 49, Of dis
elimination can be wiped out
through continued efforts Of q
voluntary citizens group such a.
the Committee on Civil Rights In
East Manhattan which Il com.
posed Of members Of ~ civic and
church organizations and which
has secured the friendly coopera-