Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-13

Inc moral problem is TIT
South. The difference lies in degree.
In many northern cities and towns,
there is virtually no problem. There
are the areas where there is stable
Negro population, not growing
much, reasonably well housed,
fairly steadily employed.
But as the Negro population in q
given city increases, so often does
the problem.
How serious is the whole Negro
problem outside the South? What
steps are being taken to solve it?
The last time was in Jackson,
Miss, William j. Simmons, admin
lstrator for the pro-Segregation
White Citizens Councils, said, why
don't you go up North and write
about the way Negroes are
treated?"
So l went to the North South
city of Baltimore and to New York,
Chicago and Detroit.
Brood Inteerotion
The schools, found, are inte-
grated in all these cities. Negroes
are working at jobs which are
closed to them in the South. With
the exception of Baltimore, Negroes
come and 60 in hotels, restaurants
and theaters.
Further, each of these cities in
the past 10 years has adopted anti
discrimination ordinances - Balti-
more just last month.
Each city has set up an active
public commission against discrim-
ination with the expressed mission
of breaking down prejudice because
of race, religion, ancestry or ma
tional origin.
There is nothing comparable to
these commissions anywhere in the
South.
There still is discrimination
against Negroes in private employ
ment in these four cities and BAR
riers against them in private
housing. A survey in New York. for
example. indicates that 80 per cent
of privately owned housing is not
accessible to Negroes. All public
housing is open to them, however.
In Los Angeles, Associated Press
Reporters Graham Berry and H. D.
Without looked into the racial stu
alton and found that, with the ex-
ception of the housing field, it
paralleled that in the four cities
l visited.
THE Negro population" they re-
spread in Los Angeles than prob
ably any other city of comparable
size in the Nation"
Housing Is Tension Point
Housing is the greatest single
source of racial tension in all the
cities I visited.
There are cities such as Cicero,
H., adjacent to Chicago, and Dear
born, Mich. next to Detroit, which
exclude Negro residents through
community pressures.
And you can find instances in
the North of mob action when a
Negro family moves into an all
white neighborhood.
Where statistics are available 1t
can be shown that Negroes account
for most of the arrests for major
crimes-two-thirds of the murders
in Chicago. 50 per cent Of all
felonies in Detroit.
New York City does not break
down its assist figures by race.
Deputy Police Commissioner Walter
Arm explained why.
I'VE find" he said, that crime
is among the poor. 1t is not by
race"
The majority of people on the
general relief rolls are white
50 per cent, for example, in Detroit.
Chicago gives aid to SIS ,433 depend
ent children, rs per cent of whom
are Negro.
Is Relief the Lure?
Does the Negro flee the South
just to get on relief rolls? The ques-
ton was put to Welfare Commits
sioners Dan Ryan of Detroit. Henry
Mccarthy of New York City and
Alvin Rose of Chicago. Their an
swers:
Il personally don't think the
Negro moves North to get on well
fare,p said Mr.. Ryan. II think he
comes in search of job opportunity
Mr.. Mccarthy said, They don't
come to New York City to get on re-
lief. They come to work"
No" answer Mr.. Rose. And be-
sides it is almost impossible to get
on relief Immediately. There is a
residency requirement of one year
in the State and six months in Chi
cago. They have to have all sorts
of records, too, before they can
qualify-birth records. school rec
ords, doctors certificates"
All three commissioners told the
same story: The number of actual
employables on general relief is
small. More than rs per cent of the
people on relief are the aged. the
i'll, mothers with small children,
and children.
Despite the Slums and the dis