St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1959-05-29

ton will refuse to show publicly
advertised homes to prospective
Negro buyers. Some refuse out
right and others use subterfuges.
Bohman said a survey by the
Home Builders association showed
Negro families were living in 125
neighborhoods in st. Paul which
were formerly all-white.
Leon H. Sault, a retired engin-
eer with offices at 322 First Fed
eral Bldg and contractor repre-
scented the st. Paul Rental Prop
erty Owners association. Sault
said that an Open Occupancy or
dinance would be class legisla-
ton and cause the apartment house
owners to lose thousands of dol
lars. He said the colored people
had equal rights already but that
the open Occupancy" would be
special rights" Mr.. Sault said
that If the council passed such
legislation it would cause severe
financial loss to property owners
of the city.
William Dunn, attorney and leg
islative representative of the st.
Paul Board Of Realtors told the
council the state legislature had
rejected an open Occupancy"
measure after Is months of study
by a legislative interim commits
sion. He also said the interim COM
r,,iee'on would not recommend
passage of such a measure after
hearing pleas and opposition to
the measure. (The interim COM
mission actually split five to five
on the proposed measure0
Dunn said there had been no
proof given that Negroes had any
difficulty buying homes anywhere
in the city. He said Realtors had
offered to cooperate with the st.
Paul Urban League and that the
league had not furnished the board
with a single incident wherein
Negroes were having any diff
Guilty purchasing property in any
section of st. Paul.
Dunn said the problem if there
had been one must have been i'm
proving because the state high
way depart ment which had
charge of clearing the land for the
freeway through the Rondo-St.
Anthony area had not replied to
insistent requests of his as to the
need for help by any families dis
possessed for housing.
Dunn also said that a proposed
housing committee which Mayor
Joe Dillon announced he was
forming never got off the
ground, and was abandoned, he
thought because there was no
need for 1t.
Dunn also said he had sold
property to Negroes in several
parts of the city.
He created quite a stir of quiet
merriment when in attempting to
show he was not prejudiced he
related how he even represented
2 Negro woman on a manslaughte1
| charge! C"For money one of the
spectators whispered audibly as
ripple of laughter and smiles
went through the spectator sec,
ton of the city council.)
The Board of Realtors represen
tative repeated his charge that the
board had received no assistance
from the st. Paul Urban League
(The league replies to Mr.. Dunn:
charge in another column in this
edition..
|, Shirley Rehnwall, executive sec,
rotary of the Minnesota Home
Owners, Inc. which she says has q
membership of 5000 members with
1000 of them in st. Paul sale
her organization was neither fol
Indignation or segregation.
She said she thought those who
favored open Occupancy" were
trying to push things too fast"
Mrs. Rehnwall also said: 1--WE
do not believe in legislating eithel
morals or human relations. It i.
every Americans right to buy
or lease wherever he choose, JUS
as it is every Americans right
to sell, rent or lease his property
to whomever he chooses"
The city council requested Corp
grafton counsel Louis P. SheahaI
to make a statement on the ordin
ance. Mr.. Sheahan did so but point
ed out that he had only seen tn,
drafted ordinance two days befor,
the hearing. He said it would TAX
i at least a month to give prope,
opinion on it.
Mr.. Sheahan was asked to stud,
the measure and bring in his opin
ion by June 20. The city lega
officer said he may visit the cite
which have such ordinances t,
assist him in formulating his re
n port.