Nebraska Newspapers

    THE WEEKLY REVIEW
Published Weekly and “Devoted In the Interests of the Colored Citizenry of Nebraska.”
VOLUME ONE LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, i IH'ltSDAY. JANUARY 12. 1 \m.__ __ I VIBER [WO
The Urban League
Needed In Lincoln
By M. T. Woods.
The program of the National Urban
League is wide and elastic and with
out a question of a doubt some phases
of its program are both applicable and
needed In Lincoln. It would be a mat
ter of repetition to mention the entire
program, however, it would be well to
cite again those phases of the pro
gram that would best help to better
the social and industrial conditions of
Lincoln, with especial reference to the
Negro.
Industrial problems are not of any
consequence here as In comparison to
what they are in large industrial cen
ters where there Is a large Negro pop
ulation. However, they do exist. Many
Negroes are not employed now who
possibly could be according to a num
ber of employers who have recently
been interviewed. Many employers say
that Negroes never apply to them, and
there not being any centralized place
ment bureau from which qualified help
can be selected and sent- them, they do
not care to risk, the employment of
Negroes alone to personal reference or
the other means that unsatisfactory
help has been sent them. This attitude
particularly applies in cases of man
agers of stores that have been in the
city a short time or those who have
been here a longer time but do not
have an extensive list of colored ac
quaintances. In brief an Urban League
seertary could assist in bringing about
tiie replacement of Negroes In posi
tions that have been lost, helping them
to retain jobs that they do have, and
interceding for work wrongly thought
closed to them.
Briefly from a social point of view
there is but little doubt that a com
munity center program would take
care of the present and immediate fu
ture needs of the group. A community
center would provide a place of whole
some recreational opportunities for
both boys, girls and adults. It would
afford a much needed meeting place
for the ladies clubs. The health pro
rrarn could be elaborated on, with
lectures and practical demonstrations
being given at the community center.
Other public meetings could be held in
which civic pride would be stressed.
This is a program, though briefly stat
ed that deserves the immediate con
sideration and whole-heal'ted support
of the best thinking men and women
of Lincoln.
Opportunities Created by a Race
Newspaper
Many people do not foresee the ad
vantages to the race made available
by a Negro newspaper. Many unthink
ing persons conclude that such a public
organ is merely a source of revenue for
its private promotors. Such individuals
because of their unwarranted pesimis
tic attitude fail to see the great bene
ficial public service that a race paper
gives. The motive behind any newspa
per's activities is not one of selfish pe
cuniary gain. There are many pur
suits of profit that an individual or
group of individuals could engage
themselves in from which they could
realize a greater personal enrichment
than from the newspaper business.
What then is an editor s purpose? To
wiigage in such work he is surely endow
ed with an altruistic spirit. He is try
ing to make a way for those of his
race and its posterity.
One of the primary effects of a race
newspaper is to bring members of the
race into a closer affinity with each
other. It serves as a bond, a tie, and
through its printed pages it creates a
kindred feeling and is effective in
realizing a closer contact between us.
one with the other.
Let us look a little deeper into the
effects of newspaper work in our race.
Have you ever stopped to ponder over
the possibility of employment for our
youth being trained in the nation’s
great institutions of learning? What
will they do when they have finished’
It is an obvious fact that a very small
percentage of them are successful in
getting something to do from members
of the other race. To aid in alleviating
this embarrassing situation the news
paper comes to the front. It estab
lishes avenues of employment, not
only in the coniines of its own under
takings, but also in creating the senti
ment and public opinion because of
which more and more avenues of em
ployment will be constantly opened In
other concerns. For instance, by prop
er approach the newspaper of the race
has been instrumental in obtaining
for us jobs in public service and pub
lic utility concerns. Statistics showing
this to be a fact are astounding.
In tiiis modern day and time, all of
us are anxious to know of the welfare,
accomplishments and activities of each
other. We all know that an attempt
to glean these facts from white news
papers is vain. So as a source of infor
mation, the Negro newspaper satisfies
this desire on the part of the Negro
public.
This brief statement will perhaps
serve as an eye-opener as to what pros
pects lie in the future for a successful
promotion of the Review, th.. Negro
newspaper of the people of Lincoln.
Something Wrong Here— - - - - — ~• »r Alh,'rl r- H,ut
7 BILLION '
DOLLAR ; ;
*
fj
We Thank You
The publishers and cooperating staff
of the Review are taking this oppor
tunity of expressing our thanks and
appreciation to the far-seetng business
'nen of I ■’•'coin who so graciously con
tributed their support in our initial ef
fort to give Lincoln its best weekly
journal. We feel the same appreciation
for these who made possible this cur
rent issue and trust and earnestly so
licit your future patronage. We will
continue to endeavor to merit partici
pation in your advertisiment budget as
the years drift by.
The Review offers its advertising
patrons the exclusive coverage of a
well organized group of liberal spend
ers. For this group this publication is
the sole source of local news. The col
ored people of Lincoln earn and spend
three and a half million ($3,500,000)
dollars annually. This sum of money is
not negligible to the well organized
business men of this city. By regular
use of the Review the smallest mer
chant might increase his business two
fold through the medium of this peo
ple. •
Editorially we are sponsoring re
forms that will help Lincoln. We feel
that by assisting Negroes we are help
ing to better the conditions of the city
in general. We are continually trying
to help ourselvse even in the face of
the most adverse conditions of mod- 1
ern history. This is largely possible be
cause of the low percentage of illiter
acy among our people.
It is the policy of this paper to at
all times furnish accurate information
to our citizenry, hence we invite pe
rusal of our columns and ask sugges
tions for our advancement.
Again we thank you for your initial
encouragement and assistance, and re
peat our request for your future coop
eration.
_n__ .
End the Delay
Action for protecting the lives of
those who travel the east O street
highway should not be longer delayed.
The O street crossing, in fact, all the
crossings over the Rock Island should
be of the under-pass type. The tracks
should be elevated from a point near
Holdrege street to the southern limits
oi tile city.
The Missouri Pacific could easily put
some of the R. F. C. funds into a safe
crossing on the O St. rood. Eastbound
traffic must now make a safety stop.
Several of the progressive business
men of Lincoln should block the plan
for the hap-hazard repair of the O St.
viaduct. This structure should be re
built and the time is now while R- F.
C. funds can be secured and labor is
demanding employment.
Since the Review, and any Negro
newspaper for that matter, is a paper
of and for the race, its success depends
upon the support given it by the Negro
populace. The greatest efficiency in
any promoter will be futile in satisfy
ing the public’s need for a newspaper
unless there is a cooperation with the
management, the good will and mater
ial assistance of the patrons.
Merchandise Bill
In the Legislature
A bill to forbid the selling of mer
chandise by the public utilities will be
Introduced in the legislature in a s', irt
time. In Lincoln the matter will be
in an issue In the spring campaign, it
being claimed that the local public
utilities franchise does not include
merchandising and that present condi
tions are maintained solely through in
action of the city officials.
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My Business In Life
My business in life is not to get
ahead of the other men, but rather to
get ahead of myself. To break my own
record, to outstrip my yesterday by to
day. To do my work with more force
and finer finish than ever before,
That is, I believe, the true idea of real
Service. To get ahead of myself.
My business in life is net to let well
enough alone, but rather to force my
self into the maelstrom of human en
deavor. To do niy allotted task in such
a way that its glaring success will hold
the attention of my ambition, and be
a spur to4 greater and nobler service
each tecurring day.
My business in life is not to envy
those who lie down in green pastures,
beside the brook of plenty, but rather
to teach myself that through the field
of enterprise in which I now labor,
there is a pathway winding onward
and upward, which will lead me to the
attainment of my noblest ambitions,
if I prove myself Worthy of them.
My business in life is not to consid
er myself superior to my present sta
tion, but rather to know that I, my
self, have chosen it of my own free
will and accord. To understand my lim
itations; to confine my efforts to
fields I best know how to cultivate; to
look neither to the right nor to the
left with eyes on envy nor thoughts of
malice, but rather to perfect my hand
iwork. thnt those who in later years
may follow in ny footsteps, will call
me’ MASTER-CRAFTSMAN.
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Interesting Events
Tile Semper Fidelis Club will soon
sponsor a program • in recognition ot
Negro History Week at the Mt. Zion
Baptist church. Watch the Review for
the date.
The Lincoln Urban League will hold
a meeting In the near future, the date
I to be announced later.
Members of the Kappa Alpha Psi
fraternity are already making plans
for their annual "Guide Right" week
program.
The Home Benevolent-Charity Club
cordially invites the public to a musical
tea to be held from three to six o'clock
Sunday afternoon, January 15th, at
the exquisite home of Mr. and Mrs
James Dean, 1028 Rose street. A pro
gram will be given in which Lincoln's
most talented musicians will be pre
sented, Two or three short talks have
also been planned. The tea is to be
given In the interests of the Lincoln
Urban League to cover the deficit of
the expenses of making the recent so
cialogical survey. Every one come out!
Remember the Urban League will help
you and the Race.
Chairmen Oppose
The Jensen Deal
York. Nebraska.—John L. Riddell,
chairman of the York county republi
can central committee, has joined the
insurgents in demanding a voice in
party patronage matters. He has writ
ten Everett Sanders, chainnan of the
republican national committee, that he
supports the protest of Barton Green
in regard to the naming of Prof. A. C.
Jensen to the radio commission. Chair
man Riddell wrote Mr. Sanders as fol
lows:
"Mr. Barton Green, chainnan of the
republican central committee of Lan
caster county, has sent me a copy of
hts letter to you, protesting against the
appointment of Mr. Jensen.
"I heartily endorse the idea he ex
pressed in his letter to you. I happen
to know the hard work that Mr. Green
and his committee put in the last
campaign in Lancaster county. The
results speak emphatically for that la
bor.
"We all want to cooperate for the
success of the republican party, not
only in this state for the next two
years, but nationally during the next
four. This letter is written in the most
kindly attitude of spirit, but we fel
lows who are out here on the firing
line not only v/ant to see cooperation
all the way back to the general head
quarters, but we feel it is absolutely
necessary' to insure success in the
years to come."
Mr. Riddell is chairman in the home J
county of National Committeeman, i
Charles McCloud.
Chaim-;.n George W. Wertz of j
Schuyler has written Green that he j
supports the idea of endorsements by ,
the different counties in the state.
\ Chairman F. H. Me Carthy of Union j
insists that ht wants to see the repub- :
lican party represent the people in- j
stead of a bunch of politicians.
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Modern Religious Trend
The fart that the old Christian
church served not merely as a place
where the inexpediency of wrong do
ing was emphasized, by instilling fear
into the hearts and minds of the peo
ple, but providing a place of meeting
for wholesome social purposes were
sufficient justifications for its exis
tence at one time. But the church
has lost ground in later days and still
another reason is that too many cc
chastlcttl misfits and religious rac
keteers have sprung up to disgust the
worshippers. To be sure, the Christian
church and the Negro have had asso
ciated with them some well known and
greatly respected thinkers, and largely
through their influence the chu.ch as
an institution has survived through
all the ages and still stands today
With all, it seems that one is safe
in saying that religion itself will con
tinue to find response in the hearts of
our people after the confusions of
some psuedo ministers of the gospel
have done their worst for our advance
j ment and for human happiness gen
| erally.
Stage Reveals Plot
To Burden Taxpayers
Lincoln Kindness Man Ditteloxe* Nome
Detail* of (ity Management.
Several months ago Ernest O. Stage
aroused sentiment against buying sup
plies away from home. Last week, Mr
Stage protested against sending money
to St. Louis, the county commissioners
having placed these orders. This week
Mr Stage offers suggestions about the
Muny station In Lincoln. He says:
Notwithstanding the fact that the
people ol’ Lincoln have, on two recent
occasions, declared by a two to one
vote, that they desired the municipal
coal yard and the municipal gasoline
station to be operated by the city, the
present city commissioners have dou
ble-crossed the voters and attempted
to wreck these municipal activities and
at the present time they are not func
tioning In the Interest of the customers.
When the city government asked
authority to Issue bonds to build the
ERNEST G. STAGE
city buildings on Hayraarket Square, it
was indicated that this building would
be built facing 10th Street, but it was
never Intimated tliat the construction
ot this building fuetrng 10*.h St. world
require the destruction of the gasoline
station and coal yard on the west half
of the block, which had been built at a
cost of approximately $30,000.
When the gasoline station was moved
to 18th and Q street, it was generally
understood by the people that the sup
ply of gasoline would be stored in a
tank under the ground at the new loca
tion. the same as it had been at the
old location. Instead of this the city
commissioners placed the supply tanks
away over near the railroad tracks
many blocks from the present station
and they haul the gasoline this distance
in trucks. The cost of handling the
gasoline by truck is approximately one
cent per gallon. The municipal station
regulates the pricn of gasoline charged
by all the stations in the city of Lin
coln. In other words, the fact that the
refusal of the city commissioners to
locate the storage tank under ground
at the municipal filling station, cans- j
In^' the gasoline to be trucked to the :
station instead of being unloaded di- j
reet irom the railway cars from the
Rock Island track, makes the munici- |
pal charge one cent more for gasoline |
than would otherwise be necessary; I
since an extra one cent charge at the ,
muny station causes an extra chart,
at all other stations it costs the gaso
line consumers in Lincoln one hundred 1
and fifty thousand dollars a year.
When you ask the commissioner
why they refused to place the bulk
supply under ground at the municipal
filling station, their answer is that the
city engineer refused to grant permis
sion to run a pipe line about 150 fee'
from the Rock Island track to where
the municipal station is located, a part
of It to be under the street. It is pret
ty hard to understand how intelligent
men would put a burden of $150,000
a year on the public.
Those who know, say that at least
three railroad companies offered the
city the use of land on which to locate
the municipal coal yard at only a nom
inal cost of $5.00 a year lor rental. In
stead of accepting this generous prop
osition, the commissioners elected to
locate the coal yard on a privately
owned piece of ground at a rental of
$150.00 a year, and this, in tuni, re
quired the railroad companies who de
liver coal and gasoline in Lincoln to
pay a switching charge of $5 00 a car
for moving every car into this private
ground.
Our very efficient t?> city commis
sioners erected a garage at a co6t of
some $35,000 In the middle of ihe west
side of Haymarket Square and facing
the railroad track After the building
was completed, they awoke to the fact
that they could not get into the build
ing at the front door when there hap
pened to be cars on the switch track,
In order to make the building available
| they were compelled to go to the enor
mous expense of building a drive thru
- the middle of the block so that this
[ garage must be entered from the rear.
I and incidentally, to make room for
Robert W Bagnell to
Speak Here—Plan to
Revive N. A. A. C. P.
It was announced recently by
11am Woods, the president of the L n-^-j
coin branch of the N. A. A. C. P. tl .agj
the members of the local branch wo1 il£~i
hold a meeting In the near future. 7 he
organisation which has been lnact vC *
for some time as far as local matters
are concerned, has kept regularly ,ln,
touch with the national office, accorid- ,
Ing to Mr. Woods,
A waning Interest nnd poor atteni
ance of meetings necessitated the pi st •
lull In participation of local activltl is.
7’he fact remains however that the n|i
tlonul orgonlzatlon cannot carry on
splendid work for the Race unless the
is financial as well ns moral guppet
from the constituent branches Mai
brunches that heretofore have bej
considered banner branches have beiif““
apparently dormant at Intervals, fre -
doubt another til effect of this inter
national depression. I
Mr. Robert V-’. Raynell, director oic^.
branchcfi from the National office, is
planning to visit Lincoln on or adopt
March 8th, Mr Bagnell who lias been ~
connected with the N. A. A. C. P. hr
this capacity for nine years, was for
merly an Episcopal minister, and a well
known public speaker. This may be the
last opportunity for Lincoln public to
hear Mr. Bagnell. as he recently made
a request to resign from his present po- i
sitiou.
The date of the afore mentioned t
meeting will be announced In the Re
view In the next Issue, Everyone should
avail themselves of their opportunity
to be at this meeting as this organiza
tion is doing more from a civil rights _
point of view to help the Negro than J
any other contemporary unit. All old |
members should renew their member- /•
ships arid each serve as an agent to j
bring in new members. The Review as j»
of yore will support the policies and J ,
program of the N. A. A. C. P. It
A United Race j1
The beginning of the year 1933 finds j "
the colored people of Lincoln more l C
united into one intelligent race than/ k.
ever before in the history of our fair/ u
city
The colored people have awakenee ^
to the fact that in unity there 14 —«
strength and power for the making
a great program.
The Review, owned and controle^
not by one individual, but by a grou
of colored citizens for the advancementcb
of the race. It will be the mouthpiecer_'„
through which we hope to complete
this program. My connection with it is"
paper and my part In the program is
for the unity and betterment of Jit
race, J, being In the civil service, tak
ing no part in any political contro
versy whatsoever.
Every colored man and woman should
be a subscriber to this paper and
watch the advertisements of the mer
chant1 in this paper. Re member, by
advertising in this paper they show
you the)*- respect for the race. They
deserve and merit your trade. PAT
RONIZE THEM.
Lore tie P. Rwanigan.
Baseball News
Fvrn before the appearance of the
first robin, the hot stove league lo
cated on North Seventeenth street,
is taking spring practice, and of course
Johnnie Williams is ail pepped up
v, ith prospects of a classy bunch of
ball tossers for 1933. The demands
from the smaller towns for colored
bail teams is renter each year, and
this year Johnnie expects to start the
works earlier than usual.
-o
Mr Perry J. Stepney, who has been
on the sick l; it for the pus: month, is
very mw h improved.
this driveway, it was necessary to wreck
a perfectly good brick building which
was erected or.ly about six years ago.
Notwithstanding the fact that two
former city attorneys, both recognized
as unusually competent lawyers, de
clared that the city commissioners had
no authority to use the funds from
the city coal yard and gasoline plant
for other purposes, the present city
commissioners have done this very
thing
That the present commissioners have
deliberately attempted to wreck the
coal yard and diunicipal gasoline sta
tion is evidenced by the following
facts:
1. Destroying the $30,000 dollar
plant.
2. Refusing to accept rent-free lo
cation for the coal yard
3. Refusing to place the bulk gaso
line supply under ground at the gaso
line station.
4. Unlawfully taking money from
the gasoline and coal fund
5. 13y permitting coal dealers to des
ignate the price at which the city shall
sell coal
6. Permitting outside gasoline deal
ers to dictate the price at which the
city shall sell gasoline