Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1954-10-01
FRIDAY. OCTOBER /. 1864
Glenwood Redevelopment Plans
DO Not Protect MinOritics Rights


aibie will be used To keep race and
religious discrimination at "A min
imum, The catch however, In that
the present authority may be-
changed time and time again be-
fore the project IN completed and a
policy Of to-day may easily be
changed by change Of heart or Of
the membership 81 the authority
ON the other hand, II the proper
nun-dlseriminnt1ry ga fe guards
were made q part Of the plan sub
mitted 10 the federal government
they could not he changed by the
whims az the authority no mat
ter whom lts members were
Aldermen who would have Xix
ed Ia have gone along with the
human relations groups position
were in quandary because of the
authority'a position that delay
bttRAitilfu Nv NflF tDiiHhll Htibtt
returning the plans Ia the author.
ity would delay the program many
months Actually the public hear.
ing was farce In 40 far an giving
opportunity Ia make changes In
the authority proposals. The coun~
ell was given no option II either
had 10 approve the plan without
duttlng an go or crossing u 20"
or he accused OF holding up the
whole rcdevelopm.nt program.
which Minneapolis sorely needed
The Mayors Council ON Human
Relations. the Urban League and
the NAAcp had been trying 10
obtain from the housing authority
for months assurances that min
critics would be protected In the
deeds The authority had heard
the groups plea only q few days
before and had taken the position
that It's general policy statement
on discrimination was auffi-
cient.
II would he interesting TO know
why the authority waited until
few short days before tho final
date of submission 10 ask for q
public hearing on the plan which
II apparently expected the council
To rubber stamp. One alderman
said the authority could have ask.
cd for public hearing four weeks
ago, giving the citizens an oppor.
tunity to make suggestions for
changes
As u was the city council was
opportunrd that any changes
would be fatal TO the entire pro
gram, The Minneapolis Building
Trades Assembly Immediately
presSurcd the aldermen who nigh,
have otherwise sent tho matter
back 10 the authority Tor inscr.
ton ot the disputed sections As u
was tho council was given tho al.
Tentative OF rubber stamping the
authority action or facing blame
for a long delay
This newspaper honestly feels
that any delay on the matter
would have been OF short duration
and that the authority director
and it's attorney used the long de
lay" excuse "a strategy 10 get ap-
prevail without the strengthening
clauses. which the human relations
groups asked 10 have inserted for
protection OF all citizens
This paper congratulstes the
aldermen who voted to send the
matter back to the authority
They were courageous under cS.
trrmc pressure. II commiserstes
with all of the aldermen who then
voted resolution ordering the
authority to ban discrimination
from housing on the one hand. and
then practically approved discrtm
nation in industrial and business
Development Protecting a minor.
~ members rights To- housing is
important, but protecting the
same individuals right to rur-
chase business or industrial prop
erty is jus, ss important
This newspaper believes II Il
Joined by many thousands ~ ciu-
Ecns who are against using tax
funds to discriminate against some
Americans In expressing genuine
regret. first. for the housing AT.
thority's poNtion and secondly
FOR the position ~ the seven alder.
mon who voted against sending
the matter back to the authority