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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 1939)
■ " ‘ ' - City Edition - tfvp ^ p ® Mm\ Pfr tt>py __The Weather JJUSTICE/EQUALITY I HEW TO THE LINE\ '£££?£ p"“ ^ Upper Misa. and lower Mo. Valley* —1 ’ ’ •—1—“ and Northern and Central Great i •> ' Plain* generally fair weather tem. LARGEST ACCREDITED NEGRO NEWSPAPER WEST OF CHICAGO AND NORTH OF KANSAS CITY somewhat below normal early in .■ ■ *.- „ _' • •••- - week and near or slightly above Entered as Second-Clasg Matter at Posteffice, Omaha, Saturday, Sept., 2, 1939 , um r normal remainder of week. Nebraska, under Act of March 8, 1874. . .. . --—-fl Housing Authority Jobs for approximately 1.70C men and about $710,000 in wages put into circulation here are two big direct and tangible benefits Omaha already is deriving from participation in the slum-clearance and low-Pent housing program of the United States Housing Au thority, Sam J. Howell, chairman of the Housing Authority of the City of Omaha announced today. Mr. Howell stated that about 1,700 men will be employed on the site of “South Side Terrace Homes" during the work of con struction which i8 now under way. Wages paid to workers on the site will total around $71®,000 he said, which will be added ,to the purchasing power of residents ir. Omaha. In addition, 640 persons will work one year each to produce and transport construction materials. Materials used will cost about $1,085,300. “The money being expended to construct 'South Side Terrace Homes’ will be a big stimulus to all business here,’’ Mr. Howell said. “Most of it will go to in crease the purchasing power of itesidents in our city. (Continued on page 6) Negro Woman Lawyer; Salary $6,000 per year i »_< i Registration for the first semes-4 ter of the Omaha Night School at Central High will be held Thurs day, September seventh at 7:00 P M. in Room MS. Classes will start Monday, Sept 11th, at 7:00 PM. Both grade and high school courses will be % iven. For further information, call At 3140, Vocational Department. .1 % \ /'>' t \t Dewey Appoint . Assistants at $7,500 per Year ;,'yi t / | 1 fX -l Sent Policeman to Jail for Framing Negro New York, Sept. 1 (ANP)— What sort of *person is this Thom- j as E., Dewey, a man whom half a ((ozen years ago scarely anyone *„ T kiiew, but whose name today ie spoken by millions of people of every ttece and creed? Rarely has a personality impressed itself up on the thinking of an entire na tion in so brief a time as has that of th;s fighting district attorn vy of) New' York county. The American public loves a fighter, one who has courage and the brains to battle against great odds. When such a man in addi tion, despite the ties and restrains which a big city political office imposes, has the integrity and “guts” to go up against one of the. most highly organized group of racketeers in the country, back ed by a political machine like Tamimany, with power so great it is legendary, it is but natural that the entire country should regard such an individual as having un usual potentialities for leadership. Penetrating into the interior of the building at 13^ Center Street devoted entirely tojthe\district at torneys offices in New York, one seeking Mr. Dewey passes the numerous police w,ho ^uard its portals; note half a dozen assis tants and a score of aids, steno graphers and messengers hurry ing through the halls before fi nally landing upon the sixth floor where Mr. Dewey’s private office is situated. An alefrt, vigorous, youthful — — "■■■• man rises from behind a desk, and strides forward to greet you. Handsome, even better looking than his pictures, you observe; hut virile with the punch and forcefulness of a go-getter. Rosy crmplex:oned, sharp noxed, brown eyes which are challeng:ng yet friendly, he wears a heavy brown mustache, as much to tr.|ake him appear older as for any other reason you1 suspect. Once he starts talking however arking incisive questions, showing by his comment a wide knowledge of current af fairs, a broad general philosophy and an understanding of the in tricate problems which affect racial minorities, one realizes that here is a man of tremendous force and ability. The question of years is banished. “There is no room for prejudice in a great cosmopolitan city like New York, with its many diverse populations, nor in an office such as this,” Mr Dewey asserted. “I determined when I became district attorney that all elements in the population should be represented. '.“I have more (Jews working in the department than has ever been true before, and for the first time a P|dish assistant is employed. There are more Negroes in out standing positions than has been true of any other administration, as you have observed. In fact, a colored woman lawyer is the head of the largest bureau in this of fice,” he pointed out. She is Mrs. Eunice Hunton Car ter, brilliant young lawyer, tne only woman assistant on Mr. Dewey's staff, graduate of Smith college and in law at Fordham, daughter of adistinguished father and mother. Mrs. Carter’s bureau, which handles misdemeanor's, does a tremendous amount o work, her assistant conducting cases in three courts every day during the year Recent statistics show that her department handles four times as many cases a." any similar division in any district attorney’s office in the country- She earns $6,000 pci' cent. Odd. too,’” Mr. Dewey remarked. “I hired Mrs. Carter the first day I met her. Shortly after I wag appointed, a prominent judge who knew that I was looking for a woman assistant, told me he knew a wonderful colored woman lawyer. I told him to send her over, was impressed, and retained her. She has made g'ood, and com mands the respect of the bench of the city. You perhaps know that she has been awarded an hon orary LCD degree by Smith col lege, her alma mater. I learned from the dean of her college the other day that the school is very proud of her accomplishments. “Francis1 Ellis Rivers, another member of the staff,’’ he continu ed, “is one of the principal assis tants in the office, and regarded among the two or three ablest Negro lawyers at the New lod bar.” Mr. Dewey recounted that the (Continued on pa;;e 10) Webster . Dictionary Free I HERE is the most sensational sub scription offer you have ever seen! This big 900 page New Universities Webster Dictionary is yours—ABSO LUTELY FREE—with your new or renewal subscription to this paper at the regular rate, $2.50 per year. YOU MUST ACT QUICKLY! This amazing SPECIAL SUBSCRIP TION OFFER is limited. —Call WE. 1517 today— -M •elks end biggest conven tion IN 15 YEARS POLITICS FIZZLE OUT New York, Sept. 1 <By Tre** vant W. Anderson for ANP>— The 40th Annual Grand Lodge Session of the Improved Bene volent and Protective Order of Elk* of the World came to u cloee here Saturday, after a one-week session filled with pai’ades and entertainment. J. Finley Wilson, giand exalted l-uler, and thousands of Elks from all parts of the country gave Han lem the biggest Elks paiade in the history of the order when 14,586 persons took part in a huge rnai-ch which saw 214 units, ranging from mai’ching clubs to bands, showing “tho city of seven million’ a dis play they had never before seen the like of. On Tuesday when the parade started, for five. solid hours unit ■afte^.unit paraded by the great reviewing stands at Seventh ave nue and 138th street, the Mecca of Harlemites and their like. From eroijvdeiji .balconies, and from roofs, 600,00 people of/all races hung like bats- w,hile the biggest mass parade in New York’s Negro his tory went by. Newsreel cameras ground, talkies clicked, still shots were made, photo flashes flickered and Harlem got a taste of what Negro Elkdom was really like “be fore the depression!’’ That was only one incident, for the main thing was the report of Grand Treasurer Edward W. Heniy of Philadelphia. His report shjwpd to an anxiously awaiting group of delegates the exact fi nancial condition of the grand lodge. And in these turbulent periods of snrcst, that was what the grand lodge and the rest of those here wanted to know. His re port showed that Negro Elkdom had come through by the skin of its teeth for there was a balance above disbursements of only $3, 376.40 for the last year. The figures given by Judge Henry showed: total receipts, general fund: -30,941.01; educa tional fund: $9,493; official or gan (The Eagle) fund: $5,249.37; junior Elk fund: $462.01; and Shrine fund: $78.17, a total of -55,223.66. Disbursements rated thus: general fund, $38,667.09; educational fund, $7,841.94; offi cial organ fund, $5,038.43; Junior Elks, $299.80, a total of $61,847.16. This left a balance above expenses for the year, as against the re ceipts of $3,376.40. This sum how ever is augmented by $12,525 03 brought over from 1938, which gives a treasury of $16,901.43 with which the grand lodge must be operated until 1940. However, under the astute gen eralship of J. Finley himself, who acted as chairman of the New York entertainment committee, the grand lodge was able to clear over given under grand lodge auspices all of which was turned ov*r to the treasury. Thus, the grand lodge was not in the financial “red” as it was some year* ago, and used this convention as a turning point in its fight to recu perate its ailing financed ¥ % The outstanding public feature, exclusive of the parade, was the national oratorical conteat which was won by Mias Alberta Lawson 19, Washington who delivered a stirring oration on "The Negro and the Constitution.” Young Miss Lawson captivated a spellbound audience at the Abyssinia Baptist church with an address which was so poignant that, uport its conclu sion Mrs. Mary Mceod Bethune, herself some orator, took the little miss into her arms and hugged her like a child of her own. At the civil liberties meeting In the afternoon of Monday, Sam Leibowitz, Scottsboro lawyer and a Jew', electrified his hearers with a ringing call for unity on the part of the Negro and the Ameri can Jew. Mr. Lefbpwitz indicted} Father Coughlin, the I Michigan priest, and told the body that ‘-‘the Negro in American and the Jew in Germany have been in the same boat, and for their own common good they should unite in their purpose*-” It was at this same meeting that Mrs. Bethune told the Elks that “I have but one life to give, and I give that life unselfishly and for the good of my people.” Earlier in the same day, Edu cational Commissioner William C. Houston had held the exercises of his department. The Rev. Porter Norcum of this city was the speaker. The educational depart ment showed that it had spent $160,000 for Negro education, via the scholarship route for deserv ing youths of the country, over a period of 14 years, and that 125 students have been graduated from colleges and universities during that time, with 42 being in college now under the current appropriation fund. i • i The Tap and gown ceremony of this department honored Bill “Bo ! jangles" Robinson, great tap dan cer, who modestly told the audi ence that “I didn’t get any edu cation when I was cornin’ up, and it's too late now to try to get it at 61, but I promise you that I will do everything in my power to help all those of my race to get an education while they are young, and through the Elks.’’ And that night he played to the biggest crowd in the history of “The Hot Mikado” at the World’s fair! Mr. Robinson revealed that he had donated $9,800 to Negroes in charities and aid during the last year President H. Council Tren holm of Alabama State; John Bruce of the D. C. School system; James A. “Billboard” Jackson of Standard Oil; Basil J. Byrant of Steele, New Yojfc mai-sall, am * Dr. W. L. Davenport graced the platform as director of the de pai-tment of education during the service. Miss Crystal Byrd Fausett, member of the Pennsylvania legis lature, was also a speaker on the civil liberties program, under Hobson J. Reynolds of Philadel phia- . - , . . . At a session Thumday morning, following a presentation of a lucky gold piece to Mr. Wilson from the daughter Elks, the Rev. Lorenzo King, pastor i of the St. Marks CME church, indicted the present day Christian church with the re marks that “The church can no longer go ulong in the old anti quated, out-model and inefficient way it has gone, without giving practical attention to the practi cal manner of thinking and every day living, if it expects tq carhy on in a progressive' n-ianrtcr for the mdVafieement of those in ft. If niust cojhe to its senses' it expects to 'keep pace.” » ^Jr.'King declared to a cheering audience of (both men and women, thar-tho church would lo.se ground it it failed to do this, saying that failure to pay attention to these things will cause people to turn away from it. He also pointed out a noticeable change on the part of certain types of Negroes toward the Elks, citing the fact that “there are many people who belong to other organizations out side the Elks who like Elks milk as much as the Elies do.” His ob servations w'ere caused by remarks made by Miss I-ou-Swartz, dra matic actress of St. Louis, a daughter Elk who told the bodies that she had found that she had the wrong “slant on the Elks" until about four years, and that when she had become cognizant of what Elkdom really stood for, she had become a member and had been a real active member for four years. The parade was the real out standing feature of the conven tion, for in it were many kalei doscopic varieties of color, designs costumes and novelties Prom Memphis came the 60 piece all girl orchestra of the Booker T. Washington High school, the larg est in the South, with ‘ Miss Beale Street,” a bronzed venus, leading the march to the appluuse of thousands who lined the avenues of the parade from St. Nicholas avenue and 135th street back to the reviewing stand in front of the Renassance casino on Seventh avenue. Unique in this parade was William Washington of Cam den and Newark, N. J., a leader of a contingent of paraders who had no legs, both being cut off at the thighs, and yet with the vigor of a 20 year old he pro pelled himself along the entire long route wjtihk>ut seeming to tire, although sweat poured from 1 contributed a float filled with lovely sepian beauties who gav% everyone a smile. From as far awsy as La, Mm | geles came marching groups, as* from down South, Atlanta was ia for the first time in many years. Raleigh, NT. C., the Midwest, Ohio. Akron, Cleveland, Columbus. Youngstown, the North from Ben ton, New Haven, StsmfMk Springfield, from Pennsylvania, frsgn Kentucky, from everywhere they came. 214 units of band^ marching clubs, drum and bugis corps Boy Scouts, nursing units, girls, men, boys, children, youny and old, from near and far they came to pay tribute to Finley Wilson, the man who stood at the head of the army and gave- to . theip thy orders, whidh made this thej.-byfcghst Elksi, ' convention 'n 'over 15 years, rf not longer The political angle fiazled out, ' due" to ' f^t that Governor Lehmfcrf, District Attorney Dewey and Rep'. Hamilton Fish of New York, and State Chairman Ken neth Simpson did not show up. How-ever, those who did come made their bids, including Mayor Fiorellio H. LaGuardia. who toll the Elks: “Don’t decide to support someone what they are going to do. Base your judgement on what as already been accomplished.” The mayor told them, “Next year this t>me you axe going, to be. veYy impoytant '.people in Indiana.. Jllinojs,, I^etw Jersey and Pennsyl vania1*-. You ^are’always important ; when it gets. Ur'be election time.’' Ife urged Negroes not to expect jdjis simply because they are col ored, but because of what brains they have, adding that: “We havi opened the tiodr to every civil service job in the government of New York to all men and women, i*egardless of race, color or creed, because we are interested m what’s in the head and not what I color the face it.” Congressran 1 Bruce Barton also spoke, briefly I on ducatUmal advancement. Ex Governor Hoffman of New Jer sey was introducd by Mr- Wilson as the last and next governor of j New' Jersey. Among the incidental angles on crosswise politics, Dr. Adolphens W. Anderson, president of the Pennsylvania State association, vvas the revealer of the fact that one of the two major political parties had endorsed for district attorney of Beaver county, Pa., some 13 years ago, and that this same man who had caused the wholesale “shanghai-ing” of Ne groes from that county in trucks over the Ohio line, and that this same D.A. was engaged in efforts to secure the colored vote by a house-to-house canvass but has been defeated by the Pennsylvania department of civil liberties whieh took the (matter in hand under its state President, Dr. Anderson.