St. Paul recorder., 1963-10-17
Over 300 Affend
Meeting caIIed BY
Community Group

Spokesman.
Ray Wells, boys worker and
Minneapolis Honeywell employee
gave a digest Of the recomenda-
tons being made by the North
side Committee on Community
Action.
Printed copies Of the recon-
mendattons were handed out at the
door as persons arrived at the
meeting.
Committee Chairman Arthur
Cunningham, a Remington Rand
employe presided at the meeting
and introduced the city, and federal
officials who were on hand to re-
spond to the community speakers
suggestions and remarks. Cunning
ham said: 1--WE Just want the law
enforced in our section of the
city"
Speakers in the group were Ray
Peterson, Minneapolis police in
spector who represented Police
Chief E. I. Walling who was out
of the city attending a convention
in Houston, Texas; Paul Keve Of
the Hennepin county probation Of
flee; Alderman Joseph Greenstein
of the Fifth Ward; assistant us.
district attorney Sidney Abram-
son, representing us. district at
torney Miles Lord; assistant city
attorney Milton Gershin, and
Mayor Arthur Naftalin.
Mrs. Clyde Scroggins, 1914 Oak
Park Av., speaking for area par
ents, made perhaps the most point
ed and specific talk of the meet
ing when she charged that 1--WE
have prostitution in our neighbor-
hood "a hours a day. It's where
our children can see its ugly face
as they go to school.
Mrs. ScrOggins claimed that
prostitution is spreading In the
area and not abating. She said
there had been an influx Of Sauk
Centre (HOme For Girls) who
came into the district expressly
for prostitution.
Mrs. Scrogg1ns claimed another
mother had complained to the po-
lice about the use of her front
steps by prostitutes for pick-ups
and she claimed nothing was done
about the situation by law en-
forcement officials.
Alderman Greenstein called the
Minneapolis Northside the best ex-
ample of integrated living in the
country. He said that the area had
people Of all ethnic and religious
groups.
He told of the heavy respon-
sibihty of public officials and of
the police department. His asser-
ton that the city had good po-
lice department was booed by a
group which had apparently been
organized for that purpose.
Greenstein replied to criticism
of council license severity on
Henry's a driven restaurant at
Fremont & Plymouth Av. NJ, which
the committee has threatened to
close because disorderly conduct
of some patrons in and near the
cafe.
Gerald Frederick, a represent
ative of the firm had explained
that 1t had hired off duty pO-
Iicemen to patrol the area but
that a small minority of the
customers had continued to har-
ass patrons and engage in
"rowdy" troubIemaldng."
Alderman Greenstein's position
was that the restaurant was not
doing enough on its own. The po-
lice department has reported it
gets a disproportionate number Of
police calls from the establish
ments because of the disorders,
caused mostly by teen-agers.
Mayor Arthur Naftalin described
the complexities facing the city
government and police department
in policing the area. He pointed
out that the police department does
not hire its staff but that the Of
ficers are appointed by the Civil
Service Commission.
Naftalin felt the area had more
problems than some others because
of race discrimination in employ
ment. He said such problems was
the basic reason why he had ad-
vocated the establishment of a
city-wide Commission on Human
Relations. The mayor stated also
he had asked the city council to
increase the size of the police de-
partment to cope with increased
crime in all parts of the city.
Cecil Newman, newspaper editor
praised the Committee for its ac-
tion in calling a meeting and form
ulating a set of recommendations.
All sections of the city need the
same program Of town hall meet
ings," where existing unfavorable
conditions can be discussed by the
people Of the area, he said.
Newman told the audience that
1t was his impression that the
people of the Northside want the
laws enforced and protection from
that small minority who engage in
illegal activity.