St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1961-03-24
"Foir Housing" Pros
And Cons Heard
Before Lurqe Crowd

BeT0Te Eor9e ~r0Wc
CONTINUED From Page -
were possible to turn every white
person in the room, including leg
islators and opponents to the bill
into Negroes, and black, for "a
hours-the bill would pass without
a murmur.
Newman claimed, being a Negro
for a few hours and seeking a de-
cent place to live would result in
n UNI erous humiliating rebuffs,
from apartment house landlords,
with plenty of vacant space, but
none for Negroes; rebuffs from
builders of suburban developments
and city landlords who have houses
to rent and householders and real
estate firms who have houses to
sell but not to people with brown
and black faces would change the
attitudes Of those opposed to the
fair housing measure.
The editor said Just "a hours a
Negro and any opposition you have
to fair housing legislation would
fade away, and you would prob
ably be very indignant that any
American citizen, or any American
family would have to meet the
insults, the subterfuges and the
humiliation which occurs to a Ne
gro when he goes out to find de-
cent housing, even in as advanced
state as Minnesota"
Newman raped the practices of
area housing developers advertis-
ing homes for sales for veterans
on the radio and TV. He said,
these outfits use misleading ad-
vertising, because they don't really
offer their homes and special deals
to veterans, but to white veterans
only"
without legislation, real estate
firms and home builders who do
not want to practice race discrim-
nation are at the mercy comped-
lively of those who insist upon
discriminating against non-whites, "
the publisher claimed
In closing Newman told the
committee: most Of the Negroes
of this state believe a fair housing
law is imperative; that it not only
benefits them, but also more great
ly benefits the state as a whole by
removing an unfair condition which
poisons the wells of unity and CO.
operation, and makes mockery out
Of justice and equality of oppor-
tunity."
DR.. Chester Pennington, pastor
Of Hennepin Avenue Methodist
church appeared for three prin-
cipal religious faiths and announc-
ed that the principal Catholic,
Protestant, Jewish bodies in the
state were in favor Of the housing
measure.
In an abbreviated statement cut
short by the time requirements
set by the busy committee DR..
Pennington stated he was joined
in behalf Of the various faiths In
support of the fair housing bill by
Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Leonard
P. Cowley, Rabbi Kassel Abelson,
president OF the Minnesota Rab-
binical association and the Rev.
Wesley Ewert for the Minnesota
Council Of churches, the chief Pro-
testant group in the state.
Robert Bohman, executive sec
rotary of the st. Paul Home Build
er's association repeated the charge
he has made before that Negroes
in this area have not made a gen.
uine effort to secure housing out
side the present areas of heavy
concentration.
He said the fair housing bill was
really an attempt for housing
Indignation"
He said that only eight fam
lilies out Of 1S6 displaced by the
st. Paul part Of the freeways
had come to his organization for
help In obtaining housing.
Bohman claimed that 148 Negro
families in the st. Paul area are
now living in former all-white
neighborhoods and that this was
accomplished without legislation
Bohman criticised the st. Paul
NAACP for refusing to approve an
all-Negro housing development
which he claimed home builders
offered to construct The NAACF
said 1t was "a step-bacl1ward'.
A NAACP official said, 'Boh-
man and his crowd wanted TO
compound present housing dis
elimination by building poorly
disguised jimcro development and
we called II what II was: an
attempt to further extend hous-
ing segregation In Minnesota"
William J. Dunn representing St
Paul Board Of Realtors described
what he called ':fruitless efforts
to obtains names Of Negro fam.
lies displaced by Stun clearance