Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1961-07-22
mayor-Urges
Support For
Coming Bond
Issue Election
ROtarians
Show Nashville
Indignation Film

"dyoi hheH thompson ana city
department heads hit the banquet
circuit today, launching a two
week campaign to boost a $12,65O,-
600 bond election Aug. l..
"We are doing your work."
Thompson told Jackson Rotarians
at noon today.
Every citizen must convince
himself that each of these major
improvements are necessary to
maintain Jackson as a first-rate
city. We are merely helping you
make up your minds" he said.
Affected by the forthcoming cleo
ton are the police Isl million),
fire department ($75O,OOO), streets
($750,000, water ($3.5 million),
parks and recreation Isl million),
airport ($4.5 million), sewers
($750,000), City Hall remodeling
($250,000) and a new Negro Lii
brary (s15O,OOO)..
Participating in the municipal
sales job were Chief of Police w.
D. Rayfield, Fire Chief Harmon
Wallace, Traffic Director A. L.
Smith, Jr, Water Dept. Chief r.
M. Coker and Engineer Lewellyn
Dean, Parks & Recreation Director
George Hurts, Airport Director
Capt. T, A. Turner and City Plan
ming Board Director Lloyd Mont
gomery.
Each of the department heads
outlined specified improvements in
cluded in the multi-million dollar
bond proposal.
The mayor also resorted to visual
aids Saturday to show Jackson
businessmen what to expect when
integrationists launch stepped-up
sit-in attemptes here.
The film, narrated by MICS
Chef Huntley, outlined Nashville
sit-ins which led to eventual de-
segregation of lunch counters in
the Tennessee city.
Thompson and Detective Chief
M. B. Pierce arranged the showing
after Pierce received the film from
the Negro field secretary for the
Congress CT Racial Equality here
Friday.
Pierce said James Bowel handed
him the film when he was arrested
on four counts of contributing to
the delinquency of minors.
Bevel, who says his family lives
at Itta Bena, Miss, and Bernard
Lafayette, of Tampa, Fla, also ar
rested, were both active in the
Negro student sit-ins at Nashville.
The film, not shown on Missis-
sippi television stations when orig
inally released, shows how the sit
ins led to violence, then to a BIZ
racial committee named by Mayor
Ben West and finally to an eco
nomic boycott which integrated the
lunch counters.
Pierce said that while police here
have plans to prevent sit-ins on a
mass scale 1--WE thought it might
be a good idea to show our bust
nessmen what happened in Nash
vile so they could see how these
things operate"
The film has been shown to Ne
gro groups in Jackson by the CORE
leaders, Pierce told the audience
of about so, including City Hall
personnel.
1t had been shown in a Negro
church to enlist youngsters for a
bus station sit-in one night recent
ly, he explained. That was the in
cident which led to the arrest of
Bowel and Lafayette.
Phone Strategy
Earlier Monday, Natchez Mayor
Troy Watkins phoned Thompson
for strategy check on a forth
coming Southwide Conference of
Municipal Officials.
Thompson told Watkins that eve
must compromise, but yet not lean
over backwards to appease South
ern mayors who have not yet had
direct association with Indignation
attempts"
Thompson intimated that ne
resistance to Indignation in the
would lead a movement to include
SCMO constitution or bylaws.
Two weeks ago, mayors from 10
Southern states held steering
committee meeting in Baton Rouge
and unanimously endorsed opposi-
ton to increased federal control.
But Thompson said Eve cannot
ignore this racial question. Iii a
very real thing"
Mayor and city managers from
II Southern states will hold an or
ganizatiCnal meeting of the confer