Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1955-01-29
Charge State
Continued from Page One)

and that not only the men men,
toned in the affidavits but
all officers in the state will be
alerted"
Because of my activities in
bringing in about Is members in
the NAACP branch" farmer as
serts in his affidavit, economic
pressure is being exerted on me. :"
Owner of 73 acres of "rich Missis-
sippi delta soil" with a seven
room house, barn and a tractor,
this Negro farmer says that al
though his tract produces as much
as bale-and- a-half of cotton per
acre he is unable to get loans for
operations.
Because of drought and the de-
mand for immediate payment of a
$4,000 mortgage, he is in danger
of losing his place. anyone be
longing to the NAACP," he af-
firms, is not deemed worthy of
financial assistance and is termed
a troublemaker in the community"
Although disaster loans are be-
ing made to individuals" in his
drought-stricken area, another vic
tim affirms that he has been I'M
able to secure such a loan "be-
cause a Mr.. S. O'Neal Of Lexing-
ton, Miss. farm home manager)
thought | should not have it."
A woman farm owner in the
same drought-stricken area also
complains that O'Neal and Strider
denied her a disaster loan to OPP
crate her farm during 1865. at is
generally believed" she adds, that
Mrs. Strider refuses some loans
to NAACP members because of
local activities"
Last year, local NAACP lead
er swears, he secured without diff
ficulty an operational loan from
the FILA. But this year, | have
been unsuccessful in getting any
consideration for a loan to OPP
crate my farm" he asserts, NAM
ing O'Neal as the one who reject
ed his application.
Because of my mere member
ship in the NAACP and my pres
ence in the community" complains
the owner of 76-acre farm, there
exists a feeling of dislike for me
by some white men who are in
federal authority (FHA) and who
have attempted to make my pres
ence in the community impossible.
mo loans," he continues, "will
be extended to me for current OPP
erations which begin in indian
uary. A Mr.. Walter E. Strider,
supervisor for the FILA of Lex
ington, Miss, through which my
property was purchased, will not
make it possible for me to secure
loan for operations through the
FILA. However, a white friend of
mine was able to receive up to $10,-
900 for the purchase of equipment
and for operations through the
FILA and Mr.. Strider."
Meanwhile from Mississippi
comes reports that the two offic-
ials named have completely denied
the charges made in the affidavit
filed in Washington.
Shirley O'Neal, one of the three
Negro Assistant FILA County Su
pervisors in the state said he was
surprised that the NAACP would
claim discrimination in the rejec-
ton of these loans, adding that
he was never interested in wheth-
er applicants were members of the
NAACP, and never asked.
He said he had never talked to
any member of the Citizens Coun-
| Gil
Walter S. Strider, the other Of
ficial named in the affidavits, call
ed the charges absolutely false, and
said his office in Lexington, Mis-
sissippi made loans regardless of
color to any person who qualified
and met the requirements in the
regulations of the Federal Agency.
Strider said his record showed
four Negro farmers who applied
for loans and were rejected since
last July because they failed to
meet the ordinary requirements of
the Farm Home Administration.