t/SjDR. Q B. LENNOX GETS MARRIED
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__ VOL. VII.— _Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, August 26, 1933 Number Twenty-Seven.
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“DIGESTING!
The NEWS”!
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1 By CLIFFORD C. MITCHELL
1 mursnrr (o.'s and Burial Societies
The recent convention of the Inde
pendent National Funeral Directors
Association which convened in Chi
cago has provoked much controversy
m the press and elsewhere on the at
titude of certaia Undertakers against
the practice >f other Undertakers
who also operate Burial Societies.
Always desirous of interpreting the
latest -urrent phase of Negro Busi
ness in keeping with the be3t business
practices I sought and obtained an
opinion from successful insurance
executives on the Burial Society busi
ness and these opinions, boiled down,
and written in my own language con
tain a real news story for our press
and readers.
In the first place the people are
S' .d on the Burial society methods or
they would not prove profitable to
some and obnoxious to others. The
weak point, and perhaps the most
unsound feature of the private bur
ial societies is that such operations
are with out state supervison by the
insurance department; and thua the
element of security, legal reserve pro
visions. etc., are not maintained or at
least guaranteed.
It seems to n>, ywe or less, the
policy «# the protecting Undertakers
to force their fellow-practicioners
who operate Burial Societies to either
participate in a straight out and out
nsurmaee business or to abide by the
assumed strict ethics of the majority
of the conservative Undertaken. And
h» some communities these antagon
istic efforts have brought on much
wordy war-fare between the various
cliques
Son** of these Burial Societies
have grown to unbelievable propor
tions and it was reported to he on
good authority that one such concern
in Chicago, the Metropolitan Funeral
System Association maintain a staff
of nearly one hundred agents and has|
a collectable debit of around seven!
thousand dollars weekly. For s few
cents a week they offer a complete
funeral, in lieu pf cash, including
grave, casket, robe, undertaking ser
vice including the use of the chapel,
and a minister. Many other concerns
have undertaken this same service
with leas success.
Only recently when the National
Negro Insurance Association met in
Chicago this same subject, so I am
told, was hotly discussed. Some mem
bers of the Association were all in
favor of waging a fight on the Bur
ial Societies with a view of driving
them out of business. Other execu
tive*. however, maintained that any
Negro Business that was so success
fully selling itself to the Negro pub
lic contained many germs of good
business that could be adopted by
the successful insurance companies
and vastly improved upon, with a
guarantee of financial safety to the
insured.
As a result of this conference
many of the insurance concerns have
adopted the good and salable points
of the Burial Societies and hacked by
guaranteed reserves ard the added
protection of state-supervision, they)
are offering a much more attractive
policy to the public.
One company, he Supreme Liberty
Life Insurance Company, is offering
policies on five classes of funerals,
ranging from $140 to $500, which in-1
elude, in the larger policies, a bronzed |
finish metallic casket; rough box;
grave in local cemetery; removal;
embalming: hearse; three limousins;
shroud; one head marker and a floral
wreatch, or in lieu of the grave and
box in local cemetery will ship the
body anywhere within a radius of
one thou send miles of Chicago, and
all for Just a few cents a week, thus
pro Tiding everything that a Burial
Society can offer plus the assured
hacking at hundreds of thousands of
dollars sad a supervised protection
that ae burial society can possibly
NEWLYWEDS'
SI
URBAN LEAGUE FIGHTS EVASIUN UF NRA
MRS. G. B. LENNOX
I.L.D. Reiterates De
mands To hAA CP.
Leadership
Calls for Turning Over of Money,
Answer to Questions Raised by I.
L. D.; And Answers Queries by
White and Company
NEW YOR—A further demand that
the national leaders of the National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People not only turn over the
hundreds of dollars collected by them
ostensibly for Scottsboro defense to
the International Labor Defense, the
only organization authorized to col
lect funds for this case, but that it
answer the questions raised in pre
vious letters of the International
Labor Defense, was made in a letter
addressed to them by William L.
Patterson, national secretary of the
I L D , and made public today.
“As a working class defense or
ganization and a defender of the
right of oppressed minorities, it is
our historic task to go ever deeper to
the real masses, drawing them into
the struggle on the basis of a correct
program for the defense of their con
stitutional rights and against nation
al oppression, at the same time des
troying your pernicious influence
among them and as well among the
middle class. These letters afford us
this opportunity to expose you. We
must therefore admit that you are
(Continued on Page 2)
Would Put Study of Ne
gro History In All
Public ScKools
NASHVILLE, Tenn—That “a text-,
book giving a faithful account of the
contribution of the American Negro
to the life of our country” should be
prepared and studied in all public
schools, white and colored, was the
unanimous recommendation of a con
ference representing the state de
partments of education of all the
Southern states, meeting last week at
George Peabody College, this city.
This rcommendation was made by the
Committee on Findings and was
adopted by the entire group without
a dissenting word.
Further setting forth its viewpoint,
the conference said: “There should he
taught in both white end colored
schools those things that will build
up in the lives of the people of both 1
races such a knowledge of the factors
involved in a bi-racial civilization and
such mutual understanding as will
promote good will, fair play, and a
spirit of co-operation that will enable,
us all to work together as one for a
safer, a saner, and a more fruitful)
civilization.”
It was further recommended that
each state department of education
(Continued an Page 3)
SEE THE BABIES ON PARADE
Joaisr Musical
at ZION BAPTIST CHURCH
Tkanfay Night, Aagast SI, 1SSS
DR. G. B. LENNOX
Prominent Local
Doctor Marries
N. Y. Girl
Dr. G B Lennox, prominent
Omaha physician and civic leader of
2527 Patrick Avenue will present his
many Omaha friends to a pleasant
surprise when he arrives in the city
Sunday afternoon from Chicago with
the former Miss Viola Richard, but
now Mrs G B Lennox Mrs. Len
nox is a native of New York City
where she is well known both in so
ciety and business circles. She has
been employed in one of New York’s
largest banking institution as private
secretary to one of the banking offi
cials for quite awhile. The happy
couple will be accompanied by the
brides’ mother. The marriage cere
mony was performed in Washington,
D. C. The Mr. and Mrs. Lennox will
reside at 2527 Patrick Avenue.
A Boat Excursion On the
Good Ship, “Valley Queen”
On August 28, 1933 will be spon
sored by the Stamps Brothers. The
boat is equipped with every modern
convenience possible. Card table and
a regular dance Hall is available on
•second deck Every person should
take this opportunity of enjoying
himself. Dancing on the Muddy
Waters of the Missouri to the music
of the Red Hot Dixie Ramblers will
be divine and dining and partaking of
the delicious beer and wine wi'll be
paradise Itself. You can’t aflflord to
miss this very rare treat that comes
once in a lifetime. Smiling waitress
will greet you with a-la carte service.
The Sunset Cab3 and others will
take passengers from any point on
24th Street to and from the bridge
for 10 cents. This arrangement was
made possible by the Stamps boys
for your convenience so let tis all
support them.
Reports Negroes Denied
Home Loan Aid In Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn.—Negroes are
complaining here that the Memphis
appraiser of the Home Owners Loan
corporation is openly prejudiced a
g"?nst colored applicants for aid to
save their homes.
The appraiser, Percy Galbreath, is
quoted by the Memphis Commercial
Appeal as saying in effect that pro
perties owned by 'Negroes were not
eligible for federal aid because Ne
groes owed to much on the principal
whereas white property owners were
eligible to receive aid from the gov
ernment
Galbreath said he found Negroes
who had paid only $200 on the prin
cipal of a $2,000 investment and owed
as much as $300 in taxes. He said
nothing about the white people except
that they were eligible for relief. /
The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People, af
ter receiving a report from its Mem
phis branch, wrote to William F
Stevenson, Washington, D. C , i-hofr
man of the Federal Home Loan Bank
board, pointing out the evident preju
dice of Appraiser Galbreath and ask
ing fairer consideration for Negro
applicants, appointment of Negro ap
praisers or at least of appraisers
whose minds were not made up as
soon as they saw the color of the ap
plicant.
The N A A C P charged Ne
gro home buyers in many sections
had been overcharged on the pur
chase price of their homes and had
had special interest rates applied to
them as well as high premiums for
refinancing. The association also
cited reports that in many cities poor
Negroes had had their homes sold in
foreclosures without their knowledge,
and had continued to pay the monthly
or weekly amounts in the belief they
were still buying their home*. The
association cited the startling revela-:
tiora of trickery, cheating and over
charging after the tornado of Sept,
ember, 1927 swept through the Negro
district of St Louis, Ho.
Some of the Negroes whe tried te
Spaulding to Head Nation-Wide
Organization for Negro Workers
Deluged with bitter complaints
from all sections of the country to
the effect that Negro workers are be
ing systemtieally excluded from the
benefits of the NRA and in many
cases discharged to make room for
white workers. T Arnold Hill, Di
rector of the Department of Indus
trial Relations of the National Urban
League announced upon his return
from the Washington office of the
League, that Emergency Advisory
Councils for Negro Workers, to be
designated by the initials E A C ,
were in the process of formation by
the Urban League throughout the
country
There will be a National Council,
State Councils, and local Councils in
all principal centers. C C Spauld
ing, President of the North Carolina
Mutual Life Insurance Company,
has agreed to serve as the Chairman
of the National Council. He will have
associated with him prominent men
and women from all parts of the
country.
The purpose of these Councils will
be to ascertain the facts relative to
the charges being made by local Ne
gro leaders that governmental ma
chinery designed to bring back pro
sperity to the American farmers and
workers is guilty of gross discrim
ination on the basis of race in hand
ling relief, home loans, reforestation,
reemployment, minimum wages and
maximum hours of employment and
other features of the NRA program.
The E A. C will organize public
opinion and inform Negroes as to the
benefits to which they are entitled
under the various acts passed by
Congress for the rehabilitation of in
dustry and agriculture.
Jesse O. Thomas. Southern Field
Director of the Urban League i* now
making personal investigation of com
plaints that by subterfuge and eva
sion the Negro in the South is denied
participation in the plans for recov
ery.
In a statement to the press, Mr.
Hill said:
“The Urban League is deter
mined that the Negro shall re
ceive his rights as a citizen in
the administration of the plans
for natonal recovery. As a matter
of fact, there can be no national
recovery if the twelve million Ne
groes are excluded from the
benefits which the Administration
hopes to obtain by the extraor
dinary measures passed by the
recen^ Congress.”
High officials in the Government
have assured the Urban League that
a Negro will be appointed on the Ad
visory Council of the United States
Employment Service. The League has
also been instrumental in having
Washington authorities recommend
that each State Employment Advisory
Committee of the United States Em
ployment Service give special at
tention to the problems of Negro
workers. The Urban League as an
organization has always maintained
that Negroes should receive the same
pay for the same work as other
workers, and it ha-3 not departed from
that principle.
get their homes refinanced after the
storm found they had no homes. The
Red Cross, handling rehabiliation of
all races found great differences in
the interest rates charged whites and
Negroes.
The N A A C P points out to
the Home Loan Bank board head
that the position of the Negro home
owner may not be always his fault
and therefore his cases should be
carefully studied by officials who
know of his special roubles.
GORDON TRIAL POSTPONED TO
AUGUST 7
NORFOLK, Va. — Trial of Russell
Gordon, 13-year.old Negro boy frame
on a charge of "raping" a woman
MAN SHOT THREE TIMES
Wilbur Taylor, Negro, 2623 North
Twenty-sixth street, was shot three
times, once in a hip and omco in each
leg, early Monday at 2219 Seward
street, where he became involved in
an argument with Mr and Mrs Ar
thur Patterson, Negroes, 1514 North
Twentieth street. Patterson, who
with his wife was arrested for inves
tigation, said he shot Taylor when
Taylor threatened to cut him with a
knife, police said. Taylor is in Coven
ant hospital.
Patterson is said to have shot
three other people at previous times.
twice his size and nearly three times
his age, has been postponed until
August 7 The International Labor
Defense is carrying on a mass and
legal campaign for his release
Colored Youths
Get Operators’
License
After 8 months marked by many
dfissappo»intment^ \3 examinations,
several City Council hearings and
much outside commotion; Paul Bar
nett and Boyd V Galloway were fin
ally awarded license by the Building
Department which gives them the
authority to operate motion picture
machines in the city of Omaha. They
received their license Monday, Aug
ust 21 after passing an examination
which was held in the Building De
partment and Military Theatre. This
is the first time in the history of
Nebraska that a Negro has held sueh
license. The management of the Rita
Theatre ha3 expressed its willingness
te employ colored operators when
ever license could Be procured.
The two young men have made ap
plications to join the local Operators'
Union.
Chest Drive
Warming Up
The eleventh( annual campaign of
the Omaha Community Chest will be
held from October 31st to November
9th, according to an announcement
made by W F Cozad, chairman of
the 1933-34 campaign to raise funds
for the social welfare and relief
needs of Omaha.
Preliminary campaign group meet
ings have already started, Cozad said.
“The needs of the 30 Community
Chest agencies will be as great du
ring the next twelve months as they
have been during the past year,”
said Cozad. “The fact must* be em
phasized that Federal Relief funds
are only available for relief of fam
ilies suffering from unemployment.
These federal funds canr.ot be used
for cases of dependency resulting
from illness, desertion, old age,
children without homes, community
health work, character building and
its importance in keeping up comm
unity morale, and the many other ob
jectives of a community-wide social
welfare program.”
“The regular constructive work of
the Community Chest and its many
agencies that was carried on before
the unemployment situation ever ex
isted must be continued,” Cozad add
ed. “There is a vital need for funds
to carry on this work.”
“The Community Chest funds were
never adequate enough to carry the
great burden of unemployment relief.
That is why Douglas County, through
Joint Emergency Service assisted in
this type of relief work. The Federal
Government is not going to take over
the entire relief load of Omaha. It
will depend, as elaerwher, upon local
resources to aid in family relief
work.
MEET MB ON THE TALLEY
QUEEN* AUGUST WTH.