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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 1915)
The Monitor A Weekly Newspaper devoted to the civic, social and religious interests of the Colored People of Omaha and vicinity, with the desire to contribute something to the general good and upbuilding of the community. Published Every Saturday. Entered as Second-Class Mail Matter July 2, 1915, at the Post office at Omaha, Neb., under the act of March 3, 1879. THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS. Editor and Publisher. Lucille Skaggs Edwards, William Garnett Haynes and Ellsworth W. Pryor, Associate Editors. Joseph LaCour, Jr., Advertising and Circulation Manager. SUBSCRIPTION RATES, $1.00 per year. Advertising rates, 50 cents an inch per issue. Address, The Monitor, 1119 North Twenty-first street, Omaha. SCHOOLS AS SOCIAL CENTERS. The present members of the Board of Education are taking a decidedly advanced step, not only in striving for greater efficiency in the schools of | the city, but also in a wider and more general use of the school buildings in a wise effort to reach and help whole neighborhoods, including the men anu women, as well as the children. The night school has been long rec ognized as a much-needed and help ful agency and it is peculiarly grati fying to us to note that so many men and women of our race, as well as others, who have either not had or neglected opportunities of getting an education, are availing themselves of this privilege. The eagerness with which so many of our older folk go to school and their anxiety to learn is almost pathetic and should shame the younger folk who do not appreciate their privileges. There is talk of opening a night high school, which would be a good thing to do; and if it should be done we hope that many of our young peo ple will embrace the opportunities which it will afford for intellectual improvement. Wre are particularly pleased to com mend the opening of four of our city schools as social centers under the direction of "the Board of Recreat ion, which is in charge of Mr. Hamilton, who has a corps of competent assist ants. The plan embraces athletics, music-and entertainments. Schools that are to be used as these centers are the Kellom, Central Park, Castl lar and Monmouth Park. Such peo ple as will, in the neighborhood served by these several schools, are invited to attend these schools on designated nights of the week for music, athlet ics and entertainment. Kellom school, which will serve a large district in which there are a great many of our own people, has as the director, Mr. S. Gifford, a son of L)r. Gifford. The nights on which the people are invited to come are Tuesday for athletics, Thursday for music, and Saturday for some form of suitable entertainment, concert, lecture, theatricals or whatever may be deemed best. Other schools have the same plan, with the schedules dif frently arranged. We sincerely hope that the people will heartily co-operate in making these social centers efficient factor! in every community for social uplift. They can be made wonderfully helpful in unifying the various groups in our cosmopolitan life in neighborliness and civic improvement. Omaha is on the right track. The wider use of the schools can and will, we believe, be cordially welcomed by the people. We again desire to thank our pa trons, both subscribers and advertis ers, for their interest in and support of The Monitor. Our subscription list is steadily growing and for this we are indebted to our well-pleased read ers who speak of the paper to their friends. Our advertising patronage is constantly increasing and it is to be noted that our advertisers in the main are remaining with us. They are sat isfied that they are getting results. One way in which our readers can help us with advertisers is by telling them that you saw their ad in Tiie Monitor. -o We are in receipt of a courteous letter from Howard Kennedy, secre tary of the Board of Control, with ref erence to our recent editorial concern ing discrimination at the State Hos pital for Tuberculars at Kearney, ask ing us to lay before them specific in stances of refusal in order that they may be investigated. We are assured that the Board of Control will not countenance such a state of affairs, if it exists. We shall furnish the infor mation desired and are very sure (hat the system of exclusion which has existed in that institution for several months will cease. -n Well, what do you think of the proposition made by us last week that we pay for the Old Folks’ Home by Christmas? Who will start the list? Send in whatever you desire to Rive, from one cent up. We will publish your name in The Monitor and turn over whatever is given to the treas urer of the home and publish a copy of her receipt for whatever sums are paid over to her by us. Will we pay for the home by Christmas? ---o To our commisisoners in general, and the street commissioner in par ticular: We’d hoped that Sunday Billy Would brighten up our town, And see that all streets hilly Would be leveled down; That all unsightly sights Would be made to disappear, And one could travel nights Without a qualm or fear, Because so beautiful each street, And impediments unknown, That even a baby's tender feet Could tread the street alone. But sadly, sadly, must I say, Because, alas! 'tis true, There’s no improvement out our way, And we are thinking blue, Because that rubbish still doth lie On street the Twenty-first, And ous patience still doth try, And soon our ire will burst. Commissioners, take warning, Before our patience fail; Street rubbish is not adorning, Come out and make it "hit the trail.’’ We like you fellows pretty well, But want you please to note That this street looks like -! Do you expect to get our vote? PRESS COMMENT. A New Solution. (The New York Age) A writer in the Evening Mail seta forth a new solution of the Negro problem. His plan, to himself, is very simple. He claims that the whole question “can be solved at one stroke by the compulsory enlistment of ev ery able-bodied male Negro between the ages of eighteen and forty in a huge standing army." He calculates that such an enlistment would pro vide the United States with an excel lent army of one million men. The writer in The Mail pays a fine tribute to the loyalty and fighting rec ord of colored men in all the wars of the United States, but he feels that all the officers of his million-men army should be white. He figures his plan out in detail; for example, he shows that this army could be maintained at very small cost; because in times of peace it could be employed in straightening out the Mississippi river, building dikes and levees, irri gating and reclaiming the American desert, building railroads and work ing mines in Alaska, and on other such odd jobs. Then, when war came along, they could be used as breast works. Not a bad plan, if the Negro himself is not considered. Yet, as good a business deal as it would be to have a million able-bod ied men engaged on the national pub lic works at $15 per month each, and ready to fight whenever needed, we are sure that the proposition would not appeal to the American people. In the first place, in spite of the Ne gro’s superb loyalty, it would only be natural for the white people to hesi tate about placing their safety in the hands of a million armed men of a race which is treated as they treat the Negro. Their own consciences would make them hesitate. If the writer in The Mail is most concerned nbout military preparedness for this country, we say to him that no compulsory enlistment will be nec essary for the Negro. In times past when he did not have so much to fight for, he has freely and bravely risked his life for the flag; he will do the same today, if it is required. If the writer in The Mail is most concerned about solving the Negro I problem, we say to him there is only one solution, and that is to treat the Negro justly and give him a fair show. St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 13, 1915. Dfar Father Williams: Have received The Monitor weekl>, I suppose, since you first began its publication; have read it carefully with interest, and have found it all around one of the liveliest and best edited of the journals published by our people that come to my table. If I am late in making this acknowledge ment, it is not for want of apprecia tion, but the exacting claims upon my time of my work. I enclose $1.00 in payment of subscription for the paper. With best wishes, Very faithfully, CASSIUS M. CLAY MASON. Abel Incident Explained. When their first son was born, Adam is thought by some critics to have remarked, not without much acerbity: “Red hair! Wouldn’t that jar you?” “Well, I am not presenting you with any gold-headed Cains, if I know my self!” retorted Eve, affecting indif ference, albeit secretly mortified to death.—Puck. SUBSCRIBE FOR THE MONITOR. "Johnny,” said the teacher, "if coal is selling at $6 a ton and you pay your dealer $25, how many tons will he bring you?” "A little over three tons, ma’am,” returned Johnny, promptly. "Why, Johnny, that isn’t right,” cor rected the teacher. “No, ma’am, I know it ain’t,” said Johnny, “but they all do it.”—Harper’s Magazine. —»■« ■ « I , i ' There’s One Coffee Sold in Omaha II 11 that never fails to satisfy. It pos sesses full strength, and is there fore economical. It has a most delicious flavor, therefore pleasing the most particular taste. Aik your grocer today lor Bird Brand Coffee It's cost is 36c per ponnd, or $1.00 per three pound can. It will not disappoint you. German-American Coffee Company I BRAND j |C@FFEE j AsHHAS | II '1 I appreciate the patronage of the colored people 11 TJai/or S/Sec/c 1512% Dodge St. ' 1 When in Need of Shirts Try I BURGESS j He Can Fit You | Doug. 4113 318 So. 18th St. | .. .. .. ........ . .. .... Phone South 701 Phone Webster 48201 Floral Designs for All Occasions J F. H. SWANSON FLORIST Cut Flowers and Potted Plants " Off lea, (32 H. 24th II. Srunhnit, 1411N. Illh SI. I Soulh Oraihi Ornlhi J ........ ., . . COAL From L. N. BUNCE A CO. 2609 No. 24th Strut Til. Wibsfir 7802 i ' i l—.« •.. - | GET NEXT TO THESE PRICES Plain Shins ioc • Pleated Shirts . 12c t Collars. 2 He ! OMAHA LAUNDRY CO. 1 ■.. ■ ■ ■ . 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