St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1956-09-28

William Gerber of Memphis, Tenn.
did a fairly good job of painting
Negro children as lnife-wielding
outlaws. His line Of questioning
was apparently aimed to prove
that Negroes were not only stupid.
but were thieving, destructive,
sexual maniacs.
Only three OF the six-man sub
committee were present Wednes-
day, the opening date of the hear
ing. They were chairman James c.
Davis of Georgia, John Bell Will
hams Of Mississippi and Joel T.
Broyhil of Virginia, all outspoken
segregationists and foes of school
indignation.
The other three committee
members who were absent were
congressman Woodrow w. Jones
of North Carolina, A. L. Miller OF
Nebraska and Dewitt S. HYDE of
Maryland.
One of the witnesses called on
Wednesday was c. Melvin Sharp.
president of the d. c. Board of
Education. A number of teachers
who oppose school Indignation
were also heard.
Refuse Indignation Proponents
Testimony
Several proponents for school
Indignation had requested permits
sion to be heard, but their requests
have been denied by the subcom-
mittee. Among them was Eugene
Davidson, president of the Wash
ington Branch NAACP.
After the NAACP's request had
been denied, they joined forces
with other organizations forming
the Citizens Committee against
Defamation. This committee asked
the privilege TO be heard but was
also ignored. Other requests came
from the Urban League and the
American Council on Human
Rights.
Chairman Davis announced DIR
ing the hearing that these organi-
cations requesting to be heard
should summarize the facts that
they have for the committees
study. If the committee feels that
The information which they pro-
pose to offer is well documented
and is pertinent to the hearings.
the committee would then consider
giving them a chance to appear
Beside Sharp a few school
teachers were called before the
committee on the opening date in
Guiding one colored principal. Each
OF those witnesses were questioned
on whether they had noted more
thievery in their schools since in
tegration?
They were asked If the scholas-
tlcal attainment of the Negro
children was not far below that of
the whites on the same grade
level They were questioned on the
discipline Of their schools since in
tegration, as compared with those
OF segregated years. They were
asked about the sex behavior Of
the colored children. INQUIRIES
were made on whether or not there
had been more destruction Of pbv-
steal plants since Negroes used
them.
In almost every instance these
Pro-segregationists replied to the
affirmative.
Hugh Smith. principal OF JEFF
ferson High School. said discipIin-
airy problems had increased since
Negroes enrolled in his school He
said he had encountered more
problems in the past two wears
than he had in his entire 26 wears
as head Of that school.
Since migration, he said the
enrolment OF his school had in
creased from 800 to 900. Last wear
his student body consisted Of a.
bout IS per cent Negro and As per
cent white. He said his office was
always crowded with children who
mad been sent there by their res
pective teachers for nlisbehavior
Colored children. he continued
mad the idea that they could get
what they wanted by fighting for
H. Apparently they did not have
food at home, so they made an ef-
fort TO get lunch money by fight
ing for Il, he added.
He agreed with the committee
eounsers suggestion that the
eolored children were greatly re-
tarded. thus, making is necessary
to hold back some other children.
However. he declined 20 agree
with John Bell Williams that the
10 Of white children Of low In
come groups was far above that
Of eol0red children with the
same background and environ
ment
The Mississippi Congressman
proposed TO prove that economics