Arkansas State press., 1955-01-28
The NAACP Scores AGAIN.
BY Alfred Baker Lewis

The National Association for the Advancement of Coloree
People has proved its worth 1t has filed try eompe
the builders of homes where the sale of the finance
by government guaranteed mortgages either from the Veter
ans Administration the Federal Housing Administration
to discriminating against Negroes By refusing
houses to them 1t is particularly important try stop ht
growth of ywhite' housing projects where large number
of homes built in whole and which
Negroes are effectively excluded,
The LepoHn projects in Long Island and in Easter
Pennsylvania are the largest and most notorious but by
means the only examples OF this vicious practice Unless th
practice be stopped the end of racial segregation in edu
cation will lose much of its value because practice tn
schools localities and in very many localities especially
in these housing projects, Negroes just cannot buy
This discrimination against Negroes arises either because
builders or the lending institutions refuse IN finance the
purchase of homes by Negroes the basis thar
whites, alleging the for their practices dserim
nation the existence possible existence of prejudice the
part of white homebuyers.
There real possibility that the NAACP's suit may
be successful since these homes practical matter could
not be sold in such large numbers it not for the Fed
eral Governments guarantee of the mortgages The
ment guarantee makes possible for banks insurance
panes that take the mortgage to offer lower rate of in
erest and to accept the mortgage with little down
buyers but not to Negro home purchasers.
The Government Housing program has had two mair
parts, the building Of rental projects the financing Of
homes for sale In the rental projects the low partly
because the largescae operation cuts costs partly bacaus
of the financing by Municipal Housing authorities partly
because the Federal Government makes some contribution o
ward the rent In the rental part of the housing program Ne
groes have gained at least proporonatey with whites and in
some localities even III greater proportion because OF tAe
greater need But this has been reduced practical
H nothing by the Eisenhower conspcuousy to fight
his suggestion that the program be continued
The government guarantee for mortgages homes built
to SELL the other hand has been expanded But from th
program Negroes gained next to nothing because OF dis
elimination by lending institutions and builders bacaus
the Federal Government has done nothing all stop dis
elimination. It is the purpose of the NAACPs compel
the government refuse guarantee mortgages dis
elimination against Negro buyers exists.
man the labor Between the two he is semt-en-
poyed
This halfempoyment was suspected from the beginning
of the administration Last month it confirmed, The
Secretary of Labor made full dress speech before Of the
major labor bodies the CIO In this situation it usual to
expect the official line of the administration.
Mr. Mitchell spoke well about the need for a national
labor policy particularly in regard to the socaed right to
work" passed by the individual He suggested
that these laws be resended amended few days later
Mr. Nlitehes boss, by the of Eisenhower, said
that his Secretary Labors speech had nothing do with
reality the administration Republican program Mr.
Mitchell was in effect merely exercising his vocal apparatus
Which leaves the problem of the right to work" laws
back where it These misnamed merely
oc mountaineering around unonbustng laws They start
the hoier- thanhou statement that American
shall be denied the right to work because he refuses to
fee join organization. They end up by making un on
security clauses union shop and closed shop legal.
Mr. Mitchell doesn't speak for the administration it
looks cannot depend the Republicans do any
thing these laws o really expected it of them al
though there culver of hope when the Secretary made
his speech)
But this shouldn't surprise us at all The fright work"
laws, from bill to effect another example of
utcal hypocrisy. The people who them par
cuay interested in the real right to work The laws do not
guarantee the right work And the effect
busting rather than MISUNDERSTANDING,
item proves this fact What's the major in our
country of the right work, of the right to adj
the job Racial and religious preudice Segre
CATION! Color bars Do the fright work" say any
mere thought would drive into Mysteries wonder
if that's why the administration walks out its Secretary
of Labor
Dos and D0n'tS-