Largest Cents
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Paper in
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Entered as Second Class Matterat Postoffice, Omaha, Nebraska- OMAHA, NEBRASKA SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1937 VOL. XI, HO. 8T
4,468 ARE REPRESENTED T CONVENTION
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National Negro Congress Council Formed
1,000 at Organization Meeting:
Temporary Officers Selected
J. Westbrook McPherson, 1712
No. 28th street, was elected tem*
porary chairman of the Omaha
Council of the National Negro
Council which was organized Mon
day night at the Northside YWCA.
S. Bdward Gilbert was named tem
porary executive secretary.
Fifteen others were elected to
the executive board which went in
to session folowing the meeting
and instructed the temporary secre
aiy to apply immediately to the
national headquarters in Washing
ton, D. C. for a charter. Another
meeting will be held next Monday
nigfct when permanent officers will
be elected.
National Chief Talks
Those elected to the executive
board include: Bernard Squires,
Dr. Wesley Jones, Mrs. Viola Tur
ner, Atty. Charles F. Davis, Mrs.
Gladys Pullum, J. H. Reed, Mrs.
Alton Goode, Arthur McCaw, Dr.
A. L. Hawkins, Mrs. Rae Lee Jones,
Saybert C. Hanger, Dr. George B. j
Omaha) Outfitting
Company Invites
Your Patronage
Omaha Outfitting Company now
has a full supply of all kinds of
electrical household appliances such !
as radios, washers, Frigidaires,
Mangles, vacuums, etc. Mr. William
1 avis who is president of the Oma
ha Outfitting Co., is the only re
presentative of Allen Appliance on
the northside. Mr. H. A. Lee, mana
ger for this concern, is a graduate
of the University of Southern
California, and is working hand in
Hand with Mr. Davis to put over
this project. The president also has
as his bookkeeper and office girl,
Mrs. Wm. Davis,, who is a gradu \
ate of the University of Southern |
California and quite efficient in her
work.
Mr. Davis and Mr. Lee invite the
general public to visit this store
before purchasing appliances. They
have all makes of merchandise. Let
us give them a boost.
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A Hallowe’en party will be given
Saturday night, October 30th at
Zion AME church, 2404 Parker
street. Young folks are invited to
conde. A prise to the best masked
bojr or girl.
I.eimox, William Peebles, Mrs.
Lenora Gray and Harry Leland.
Solon C. Bell, president of the
Omaha local of the Protective Or
der of Dining Car Waiters and who
called the meeting, presided until
the temporary chairman was elect
ed.
A. Phillip Randolph of New
York, national president of both
the N. N. C. and the International
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Port
ers, explained the purpose of the
Congress.
To Cor ordinate Groups
Randolph told the group of more
than two hundred persons, which
represented 37 local black Ameri
can organization, that the Congress
expects to coordinate, existing gro
ups, such as the National Urban lea
gue, fraternal orders, church
groups and others, in an effort to
obtain action of probems of vital
interest and to unite our people
around a common, minimum pro
gram.
Some of the items in which the
Congress is now taking an active
interest include the WagnerGava
gan anti lynching bill; securing eq
ual employment opportunities; se
curing the right to vote for Negroi s
in the South, and to organize and
get a fair share of the produce of |
their labor; securing the freedom :
of the Scottsboro boys and other I
problems confronting the race.
1,400 at Meeting
The National Council is compos
ed of 70 councils in 26 states, Mr.
Randolph said, and recently met in I
Philadelphia. Nearly 1,400 dele- I
gates from all over the United
States were present.
I. P. Fory of Oakland and Gilbert
also spoke on the program. The
meeting Monday night was part of |
the national conference of dining
car employees, which opened Mon
day morning at the Masonic Hall,
and which will be continued for
three days in an effort to form a
national organization.
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Drivers’ License
New State Drivers License which
are required of all automobile own
ers may now be secured at the
Community Center, 2213 Lake
street. Applicants ate urged to |
secure their licenses immediately in
order to avoid the last minute stand
ing line.
Randolph Tells Negroes to Unite
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HON. A. PHILLIP RANDOLPH
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At the mass meeting, held at the
Zion Baptist church, Tuesday even
ing, history was made in Omaha
a new awakening, a new spirit, was
upon the horizon as 1,000 black
Americans sat with mouths opened
and eyes fixed upon the greatest
Negro of modem times. The man
that is destined to lead black Amev
ica out of economic bondage. Mr.
Randolph said that ‘‘fundamental
weakness of the Negro race along
with the lack of organization is
the reason for the fourteenth (ci
tizenship right not to be abridged)
and the fifteenth (equal rights for
all) amendments not being observ
ed.” He further stated, “The pro
blem of the Negro people today is
the problem of organization, the
unity to build trade and industrial
organization to achieve things.
This does not mean that Negro
people should build for themselves
alone.
“The unity of black and white
people of the industrial fields is
necessary,” |said Randolph. “No
Negro is safe while one white work
er is in bondage, and no white
worker is safe while one Negro is
a slave.”
This mass meeting was held to
stimulate organization Interne
among the Negroes in opnnection
with the national conference of
dining car workers in session here,
which began Monday and continued
through Thursday.
Others speakers were Bernard
Squires, executive secretary of the
Urban League, who welcomed in
behalf of the city; Mrs. Gladys
Pullum, executive secretary of the
Northside YWCA; Ishmael Flory,
of Oakland, Calif., Financial secre
tary, Local 456; Clarence Johnson,
general chairman, Local No. 582
and Arthur H. ,Reed, conference
chairman. E. G. Scott was master
of ceremonies.
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To Give Musicale
The Hillside Presbyterian church
30th and Ohio streets will have, on
October 31st what is known as
“Centennial Consecration Day.”
This will conclude a four week cele
bration of 100 years of Presbyter
ian Foreign Missionary Work. Dur
ing the morning servce the Rev.
John S. Williams will preach, and
the choir will sing ‘ The Goria” by
Mozart. The evening service at 8
o’clock will be a “Consecration
Musical.’
This is soimething entirely new
and different and highly spiritual
by Handel concluding the evenings
worship with the immortal "Hallel
ujah Chorus.’ A huge electrified
cross will be lighted during the
‘Consecration Scene.’
Former Omahan
Makes Good
Victoriam (Joronaot Patientiam
(victory crowns patience) and thus
was the motto of Mr. War Forrest
Perkins, formerly of Omaha. Mr.
Perkins attended Howard Kennedy
and Central high school where
aside from making a record as a
student he was an outstanding
music in being a member of/the
school band. The true story of this
young man’s life sound, when told,
like a novel. Starting out with a
borrowed $15.00 he secured a job
as a cosmetic salesman working 1
for a week, he accumulated the
sum of $75.00, thus he launched
out into the sea of business for
himelf, first entering the real es
tate and then into the newspaper
business, working long enough at
this to start a magazine of his
own. However, due to the depres
siom he was crushed against the ,
banks of proverty. However, en
owed with patience he was not
dismayed, but starting again by
creating a system of putting com
binatiou porters on buses which
proved successful.
At the beginning of the Federal
Music project, he was made director
of the Negro division for the state
of California, later he launched out
into the game of promotion and
bought the contract of the radio
act, Four Blackbirds, increasing
this until he had 40 person under
his contract with them appearing
over all the outstanding radio sta
tions throughout the country.
Mr. Perkins connections with the
radio stations became so pemounc
ed that he was employed as an
announcer and could he heard over
the ethereal waves of KOL, KOIN,
EFAX and the Columbia Chain,
holding the distinction of being
the first Neg-ro program director
and announoer to be heard over
the Columbia network.
Mr. Perkins, not satisfied with
the success he has enjoyed, has
now made application for a radio
station which will be the first of
its kind in the state of California.
Mr. Perkins has the backing of
three congressmen and three sena
tors and ten of California’s leading
business mien. One of the senators
is the Hon. William G. McAdoo of
California. While in Omaha, Mr.
Perkins visited Mr. and Mrs. Jess
Carey, 2810 No. 30th street.
Object of Convention Is Unity;
Solon Bell Gives Opening Address
Perfect National Organization
In calling the National Confer
ence of Dining Car Employees to
order, Mr. Solon O. Bell, President
of Local No. 465, who jointly with
466 sponsored the convention, spoke
the keynote of the conference
when he stated that ‘ This is a most
momentous occasion in the lives
of dining car employees. We are
gathered here to form a movement
that will serve to better the entire
political, social, and economic life
of the clash of employees through
pooling our strength for collective
action on a national scale. We are
; hero concerned with unity and
I through unity strength and pro
■ gress. We hope that when we shall
close the sessions of this conference
we shall go forth from here united
and colidified to carry on the great
tasks that are before us.”
Mrs. A. B. Goode welcomes the
delegates and gave remarks of
encouragements to the conference.
Others who spoke at the nearing |
session were l. P. Flory, President |
.if »Lods! No. 456 and Mr. J. H.
Reed.
The following delegates repre
senting 4,458 waiters, 14 locals and
26 roads were as follows: Messrs.
George E. Brown, New York City
R. N. Thompson, Boston, Mass.;
Leo Mctzel, Chicago, 111.; McGill
Simmons, Chicago, 111.; Chas. H.
Mitchell, Chicago, 111.; Joseph E.
Easley, Oakland, Calif.; Bernard
Groveil, Oakland, Calif.; Ishmael
P. Florey,, Oakland, Calif.; Clar
ence R. Johnson, Los Angeles,
Calif.; S. E. Griggs, Fort Worth,
Texas; Henry L. McCain, Denver;
Robert L. Singletory, Texarkana,
Texas; John E. Hargroves, Los
Angeles, Calif.; Charles F. McMur
ray, Berkeley, Calif.; L. W. Staf
ford, Seattle, Wash.; George W.
Community! Chies*
Campaign Nov. 16-27
The annual Community Chest
drive this year on November 16th
with the Early Bird breakfast. The
Negro community at large is look
ing forward to contributing its bit
to this worthy endeavor. Mrs. Rob
bie Turner Davis has been selected
as chairman of the colored division,
with Mesdames D. W. Gooden and
Herbert Wiggins working in the
capacity of Majors.
Captains and lieutenants are
being enlisted. Any one desiring
to participate in the soliciting
please call WEbster 2864.
Holsey, Denver; John C. Baker,
Portland, Ore.; Solon C. Bell,
Omaha; Maceo V. Littlejohn, St.
Paul, Minn.; and Ercil Orme, Den
ver.
Committees of Convention
Mr. Solon C. Bell, was elected
chairman of the convention ap
pointed the following committee*:
Committee on Rules, Messrs. Geo.
E. Brown, chairman, E. E. Griggs
and George W. Holsey; Committee
or. Credentials, Messrs. R. N.
Thompson, chairman, I!filbert L.
Singletory and H. L. McCain;
Committee on Resolutions, Messrs.
Bernard Grovelle, chairman, Me
Gill Simmons, H. L. McCain, Maceo
V. Littlejohn and Robert L. Single
tory; Committee on Ways and
Means, Messrs. Geo. E. Brown,
chairman, George W. Holsey, Chaa.
F. McMurray, S. E. Griggs, Geo.
Metre!, Clarence Johnson; Commit
tee on National Wage Contract,
, Messrs. Maceo V. Littlejohn, Geo.
|E. Brown, Clarence Johnson, Leo
Metre! and Bernard Grovelle.
The Randolph Plan
Mr. A. Phillip Rpridolph who
was the principle speaker Monday
afternoon out live a very difinite
plan which if followed will
lead to a national body of Dining
Car employees, in beginning his
address Mr. Randolph pointed out
three pertinent problems that were
confronting the Negro and white
workers alike, they were as follows
(1) Organization of the workers,
j (2) Recognition of the workers or
j ganization, that is, bonafide organ
iaations by \the employers. (3)
Wage rates, hours of work and
rules governing working conditions.
He stated that a solution of these
problems will provide (a) A stand
ard of living commenurate with
dectancy. comfort, health and a
finer cultural life, (b) Economic
security and a measurable removal
of fear of unemipoyment and old
age. (b) Industrial democracy and
freedom on the job, under which
the worker has a voice in the deter
mination of the vital conditions
of the job and his general economic
life. After having stated the plan
whereby a national organization
might be set up be closed by say
ing “Forward to a National organ
ization of dining car waiters, for
ward to the solidarity dining car
.workers future belongs to you.”
His address was received with on
outburst of applause that lasted
fully ten minutes after he had con
eluded^
The sessions were held at the
Masonic Temple.
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Officers and Delegates at Dining Car Waiters Convention—Omaha, Nebr. Oct. 25-8, 1937
*_ * * * * *
SOGON C. BELL
General President, Local No. 465
Omaha, Nebraska
a - i i ■ i ■ i. ■ i . ■ . ... . ■ -
GEORGE HORSLEY
2nd Vice President, Local No. 465
Denver Colorado
ELDER G. SCOTT
First Vice President, Local No. 465
Omaha, Nebraska
JOHN BAKER
5th Vice President Local No. 465
Portland, Oregon j
R. C. LONG
Treasurer, Local No. 465
Omaha, Nebraska
E. R. WEST
Treasurer Local No. 465
Omaha, Nebraska
ARTHUR H. REED
General Chairman of Conrentioi
Omaha, Nebraska
