Evening star., 1953-06-09
Problem Of fPriceLists
Faces Cafe Owners in
1873 Law VaIidation

Washington restaurant own
ers were ready today to comply
with the Supreme Courts anti
segregation mandate, but they
had a few questions to ask the
people who will enforce it.
The Restaurant-Beverage As
sociation will meet at $3.50 o'clock
tonight at the Chantilly room in
the Hamilton Hotel to discuss
the effects of the decision.
Meeting last night in regular
session, the Washington Restau-
rant Associations Board of
Directors found themselves
occupied with this brand-new
problem.
The Is directors, who repre-
sent about 1900 association
members here and in nearby
Virginia and Maryland. said the
District group had been told to
comply with the ruling. There
are about 800 other District
restaurants not af1iliated with
the association.
Conference to Be Asked.
That means the restaurants
must live up to law written in
1873. some terms of which might
not be practicable today. In any
event, the association was to
ask a conference with the cor
poration counsel today for clari-
fication on whether it will be
necessary to:
Cd File complete price lists
with the District government on
all items sold and .(2) publish
price lists in restaurants other
than those shown on menus.
In their off-hand opinion.
corporation counsel attorneys
said it may not be necessary to
file the price lists with the Gov
ernment. They also believe the
menus may suffice as price lists
In restaurants.
Owners Caught FIat-FOOted.
Restaurateurs admitted they
were caught f1at-footed by the
Supreme Court decision.
Some likened the regulations
of the 1873 law to those of the
old OPA and OPS set-ups. and
said it would mean the eating
places must be "policed" again.
Another recalled that those
emergency set-ups permitted so
days for compliance of price
posting. while the literal enforce
ment of the 1873 law was asked
Immediately.
Discussing the price-poSting
phase, one owner said an average
restaurant might have as many
as 1000 prices to post each year
that they might even change
daily because of market fluctua-
tionS.
The Board of Directors meet
ing was attended by the assocja-
ton attorneys, 10 V. Morgan, jr.,
and Ringgold Hart.
Proponents Promise Vigilance.
Meanwhile, the Co-ordinating
Committee for the Enforcement
of the District Anti-DiScrimina-
tion Laws. said it expected to
remain intact to see that the
resurrected law is obeyed.
It was this group that has
been fighting for unrestricted
service in eating places since the
test was instituted at Thomp-
sons restaurant three years ago.
In a statement, Mrs. Mary
Church Terrell, committee chair
man. said:
1--WE will continue our efforts
as long as necessary to see that
this law is accepted by all in q
fair and democratic fashion and
that no restaurant will be per-
mitted to violate or evade it. We
will not permit these laws to
become lost"
Campaign On for 3 Years.
A committee spokesman said
that surveys have shown As or
so Washington restaurants were
serving white and colored pa
irons before the Supreme Court
decision. The number has been
rising slowly, but steadily, it
was said.
For the last three years the
committee has been negotiating
with restaurant managers. The
campaign at one time centered