city^'4 t tSir THE WEATHER
__ _ ¥_¥ ^ ^ _ ^B IM M For Omaha and vicinity: Partly
|^Tj j1 | |ly^y ^B cloudy tonight and Sat.: colder
PRICE FIVE CENTS , ■■■■ —. . .
/JUSTICE/EQUALITY IEW TO THELINE)
LARGEST ACCREDITED NEGRO NEWSPAPER WEST OF CHICAGO AND NORTH OF KANSAS CITY
Entered at 2nd Class Matter at Postoffice, Omaha, Nebr., under Act of March 8, 1874. Omaha, Guide-Jan. 6, 1940-Omaha, Nebl*. Web. 1517 Number 38
NEWS
OF THE WEEK FROM COAST
TO COAST
by Hazel L. Griggs for the
Associated Negro Press
TWO CAA AIR SCHOOLS
TO OPEN JANUARY 15
Washington, D. C.—The Civil
Aeronautics Authority announced
the opening on January 15 of two
schools to train Negro air pilots,
one in New York and one near Chi
cago. The school at Harlem airport
will be headed by Cornelius R. Cof
fey while Col. John Robinson, Ill
inois NYA aviation consultant, will
be in charge of the ground school
at Glenview Illinois.
WAGE AND HOUR BOARD
ASKED TO PROBE OUSTING
OF TEXTILE WORKERS
Durham, N. C.—A complaint,
charging that textile mill owners
are ousting Negro workers and
substituting whites rather than
pay Negroes the minimum of 32
and one-half cents an hour as re
quired by the Fair labor Stan
dards Act, was filed by the local
NAACP with the Wage and Hour
Division of the Department of La
bor.
FATHER DIVINE’S PROTEGE
CHARGED WITH FRAUD
Dallas, Tex.—James Robinson, a
member of Father Divine’s Harlem
Heaven, landed in jail here for at
tempting to cash a fraudulent
check. Robinson, bible in hand,
pleaded guilty.
JfENNY WASHINGTON
NAMED ALL-AMERICAN
/ New York,—Kenny Washington,
UCLA’s great halfback, polled
more than any other player dur
ing the past season to be selected
a member of Liberty magazine’s
All-Player All-American football
team.
$21,000 DAMAGE SUIT
SETTLED BY COMPROMISE
Newport News, Va.—The civil
suit of Mr. and Mrs. Henry N.
Jordan versus the James River
Bridge System and three defen
dants, for $21,000 damages because
of injuries received by the couple
in an automobile accident on the
bridge last July 2, was settled by
mutual consent of the parties.
PAUL ROBINSON NAMED
FOR HONORARY DEGREE
Clinton, N. Y.—Hamilton college
here announced that the degree of
doctor of human letters would be
conferred on Paul Robeson, famous
actor, at the annual mid-winter
convacation. Robeson’s name was
presented by Alexander Woolcott,
well-known writer and a trustee of
the school.
EDITOR HONORED
IN PITTSBURGH
Pittsburgh—Robert L. Vann, edi
tor of the Pittsburgh Courier, was
elected a member of the Pitts
burgh Chamber of Commerce, the
first colored man to be so honored.
Mr. Vann received the appointment
in recognition of dictinguished ser
vice to the city.
BIBLE STUDENT CONFESSES
TO BE THRILL BANDIT
Philadelphia—William Lane, 25,
with a bible in his back pocket, ad
mitted 35 gasoline station rob
beries in the past year. Lane com
mitted the robberies mornings en
route to his job with a mid-town
business firm.
•WINGS OVER JORDAN’ TO
C ELEBRATE 2ND
ANNIVERSARY
Cleveland—“Wings Over Jor
dan,” the popular radio program
heard each Sunday morning over
the Columbus Broadcasting system
will celebrate its second anniver
sary on the air with a special 45
minute program, beginning at 9:15
Eastern Standard Time, Sunday
Jan. 7. Guest spakers will be Har
old H. Burton Mayor of Cleveland
and Judge Armond W. Scott,
Washington.
DC. Citizens Ponder
Negroes Place In
Social Security
Only Four Appointed So Far, To
Administrative Posts
Washington, Jan. 4 (ANP)—
Taking issue with some of the re
cent appointees to the Federal Se
curity Bureau on the Social Se
curity set-up as far as Negroes
are concerned, many citizens here
this week asked the question:
“Where does the Negro stand in
Social Security?”
One of the “debators” said: “So
cial Security, when viewed from
the whole program as arranged
and designed for the United States
is a wonderful thing, and must be
considered in the light of how much
good it will do the majority of
the people.”
On the other hand, he continued,
considering it from the minority
standpoint, the theory is good, IF
it is actually put into effect ac
cording to the regulations as laid
down by the government.
N. C. GOVERNOR HOEY
REPRIEVES ONE, DOOMS
TWO CONDEMNED TO DIE
Raleigh, N. C. Jan. 4 (ANP)—
Governor Clyde Hoey last Wed
nesday granted a 30-day reprieve
to Sheprose Holland, scheduled to
die on Friday for the murder of
his stepson. The Governor, how
ever refused to halt the execution
of two other condemned men—Na
thaniel Bryant and William Young.
They were put to death Friday.
Bryant and Young were con
victed of enterting the room of
John Maultsby, stealing some
money, and then killing Thomas
Moore. Although the Governor
made no official statement, he
said: “the men deliberately broke
into a filling station, got some
money and when the boy woke up,
they shot him.”
Parole Commissioner Edwin Gill
said the stay was granted Holland
. to permit further investigation of
his case. The new death date was
set for Feb. 16th.
CONGRESS ASKED TO HOLD
UP DIES COMMITTEE FUNDS
FOR FAILURE TO PROBE
LYNCHING
New York, Jan. 4—Because the
House Committee investigating un
American activities, under the
chairmanship o f Representative
Martin Dies, of Texas has been
conducting hearings for “more than
a year, but has willfully failed to
investigate the Ku Klux Klan, the
Black Legion, or the question of
lynching and mob violence by or
ganized groups,” the National As
sociation for the Advancement of
Colored People has asked Congress
to consider this phase of the Com
mittee’s laxity before determing
whether to vote funds for its con
tinuance for another year.
158 CONGRESSMEN BACK
ANTI-LYNCHING BILL;
NEGRO VOTE WILL BE
FACTOR. WRITERS SAY
New York, Jan. 4—With Con
gressmen from seven states adding
their names to the roster this week,
the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People an
nounced today that a total of 158
members of the House have indi
cated that they will be on the floor
when the Gavagan-Fish federal
Anti-lynching bill comes up for a
vote January 8.
The total to date including the
names of Gavagan and Fish co
sponsors of the bill, includes 84
Republicans, 73 democrats, and 1
member of the American Labor
Party. The list of additional Con
gressmen is as follows:
DISEASE, INSANITY, SUICIDE
MENACE CLEVELAND
HUNGRY
Cleveland, O. Jan. 4 (CNA)—
Stark hunger, widespread disease,
mental breakdowns and attempted
suicide were reported haunting
Cleveland’s Negro and white job
less according to a study made
public this week by the Cleveland
Chapter of the American Asso- J
ciation of Social Workers, assisted
by twenty-nine other social agen
cies.
Covering 374 cases selected at
random the survey, undertaken at
the request of City Welfare Di
rector Fred W. Ramsey, found that
since November 5, when the city
callously slashed 8,000 persons
from the relief rolls and reduced
40,000 others to a starvation sub
sistence, hundreds have gone with
out food for days. Others were
reported to have rooted out meals
from garbage cans, and serious
illnesses have increased.
While the illnesses covered a
wide field, it was found that pneu
monia, influenia and pleurisy cases
are most numerous, and that tuber
cular, diabetic and heart conditions
were aggravated seriously.
The study revealed that among
the 374 persons examined, ten
had threatened suicide and sixteen
have approached mental break
i downs.
UNEMPLOYMENT
COMPENSATION
By Judge Lawrence Welch
In the last article the term ac
cident was explained and as set
forth it mean an event which hap
pened suddenly and violently.
Likewise the term occupational di
sease was explained.
There are certain class of cases
which from all the appearances
are occupational diseases in nature
but which the courts have held to
be accidents within the meaning of
the law if certain other condi
tions are present. These cases are
freezing cases, heat stroke or sun
stroke cases and pneumonia cases.
In 1931 a man was working on
a county road fore an outstate
county. Suddenly he was overcome
by the heat and died that same day
from a heat stroke. He was work
ing a slight depression and there
were obstacles such as piles of
sand, bricks, etc., piled all around
the place where he was working
so that the breeze which was blow
ing, was cut off from him. The
Supreme Court, in holding that
this was an accident within the
meaning of the law, said, “Heat
prostration may be a compensable
accident under the workmen's
compensation law, if the workman
is subjected to a greater hazard
from the heat than that to which
the public generally in that locali
ty is subject.”
In 1936 a workman was em
ployed by the state to shovel snow
off of a highway and in doing so
he froze one of his hands. His em
ployer failed to provide a place for
him to warm himself when he got
cold and he was shoveling this
snow on the top of the hill where
the cold wind hit him. The court
held, “that the employee’s exposure
to cold was special, peculiar danger,
greater than that of the general
public in the same locality, so
that freezing of his hand consti
tuted an accident arising out of
and in the course of his employ
ment.
Pneumonia cases may be consid- j
ered compensable if an employee
received an accident and by reason
of lowered resistance from the ac
cident he contracted pneumonia.
COAST EDITOR PUTS GOV.
OLSON ON SPOT WHEN
K. WASHINGTON IGNORED
Los Angeles, Jan. 4 (ANP)—
While Kenny Washington was pre
paring to go professional in a game
at Gilmore field Sunday, labor
unions, student organizations and
public figures renewed their criti
cism of the committee and the
coaches responsible for barring the
great All-American from the East
West football game in San Fran
cisco on New Year's Day.
Forthright in his denunciation
of the injustice was Lieut. Gover
nor Ellis E. Patterson who as an
“old football player” said in a ^
letter to the Sentinel, a local week
ly, that failure to name Washing
ton was “not the sentiment of the
majority of people. Such prejudice
is un-American. If we believe in
Democracy there must be equal
justice to all people irrespective of
color or creed.”
Less direct and a little evasive
was Governor Culbert L. Olson who
in response to an appeal for his
aid by the Sentinel hedged by say
ing through his son and secretary,
Richard Olson, that he lacked all
of the facts and that he had been
advised that “Kenny Washington,
probably would not have accepted”
because of a desire to play colle
giate baseball this spring. This
statement by the governor is at
odds with the fact that Washing
ton declared openly before the in
vitation was denied him that he
would not play collegiate baseball.
While the governor’s secretary
did say that “the reaction of the
governor, to the failure to appoint
Kfcnny Washington as one to parti
cipate in the East-West football
game was that the outstanding
football player on the Pacific
Coast has been eliminated," he
claimed that the fact that the two
coaches, Babe Hollinberry and
Percy Locey, reside out of the
state prevented the governor from
criticising the committee for its
action.
In concision the governor’s sec
retary said he did not feel that he
could “honestly question the mo
tives of the committee, but in
vites presentation of additional
facts before passing judgment up
on the committee’s action.”
Far less doubtful that the com
mittee making the selection de
served criticism were thousands of
fans and sports writers everywhere
as well as the student council at
UCLA the Maiitime Federation of
the Pacific and various student or
ganizations who branded the fail
ure to name Washington as a dis
grace and a travesty on fair play
and good sportsmanship.
55 INVOLVED IN ALABAMA
ILLICIT LIQUOR RING
Anniston, Ala., Jan. 4 (ANP)—.
Agents of the Federal Alcohol Tax
Unit here, this week renewed their
efforts to break up an illicit liquor
ring involving 56 Negroes. Inves
tigation of the alleged syndicate
began in 1936, when a colored man
was arrested with a carload of
whiskey. His arrest ‘broke open’
the ring’s activities, involving both
whites and Negroes and the fed
eral investigation widened.
Ten members of the reputed ring
have been sentenced by Federal
Judge T. A. Murphree. Fourteen
new arrests were made over last
weekend and operatives said they
expected to have the remaining 31
suspects under arrest within a few
days.
---
VIRGINIA UNION PROFESSOR
ADDRESS CIVIC GROUP IN
MOTOR CITY
Detroit, Jan. 4 (ANP)—Dr. Gor
don B. Hancock, widely known
lecturer and writer, and head of
the department of economics and
sociology at Richmond’s Virginia
Union university, was the Emanci
pation Day speaker here on Jan.
1. He appeared under auspices of
the Detroit Civic Association and
federated organizations. His sub
ject: “The New Emancipation for
the New Slavery.”
FOUR NEGROES WIN IN DOWN
BEAT’S BAND POLL
Harry James Trumpet Winner,
Says Satehmo, Nosed Out
Far Greater
Chicago, Jan. 4 (By Harold Jo
vien for ANP)—Four internation
ally known swing music stars were
elected to positions on Down Beat
magazine’s 1939 A11-American
swing band this week. In the select
list, chosen by nearly 14,000 musi
cians, are Ella Fitzgerald, Fletcher
Henderson, Coleman Hawkins, and
Charlie Christian.
Miss Fitzgerald, who is one of
the world’s youngest band leaders,
swept the girl vocalist competition
and defeated Mildred Bailey, Billie
Holiday, Bea Wain and a host of
others. Henderson, arranger for
Benny Goodman, had it easy win
ning over Glen Miller, Duke El
lington, Will Hudson and Larry
Clinton. Duke garnered third place.
But the sensational Hawkins and
young Charlie Christian of Okla
homa provided the biggest upsets
of the contest. Down Beat readers,
95 per cent of them musicians,
chose Hawkins as the greatest
tenor sax player in the world to
day. He is a St. Joseph, Mo., boy
who worker with Mamie Smith
and Fletcher Henderson before go
ing to Europe five weeks ago to
work solo. He arrived back in the
States last Agust and organized a
small jam combination, and still
is in New York, recording for Vic
tor and playing ballrooms and
night spots.
Christian, a guitarist, was un
known six months ago. Then John
Hammond discovered him and plac
ed him with the Goodman band
and sextet. Now Charlie rates as
the greatest exponent of the swing
guitar. He defeated such greats as
Carmen Mastren, Freddy Green,
Allan Reuss, Django Reinhardt,
and A1 Avola.
SOUTHERNER STABBED TO
DEATH IN QUARREL
WITH WOMAN
Columbia, S. C. Jan. 4 (ANP)—
Henry Rabb, 24-year-old laborer,
was fatally stabbed last Wednes
day afternoon in front of his home
during an altercation with a wom
an and police named Mary Holliday
also 24, as his assailant.
Rabb was stabbed in the heart
and was rushed to Columbia hospi
tal, but pronounced dead on ar
rival. It was not immediately learn
ed whether his alleged assailant
had been apprehended, but the
testimony of witnesses agreed that
the woman had been slapped by
Rabb prior to the stabbing. Acting
Coroner Knox said police had re
covered the knife used in the slay
ing several hours later under a
matress in the woman’s home.
LOAN SHARKS EXACT
BLOOD MONEY TRIBUTE
New York, Jan. 4-—The manner
in which illegal money lenders prey
on as many as a fourth of the
families in states which lack ade
quate protective legislation, is re
vealed in a pamphlet “Loan Sharks
and Their Victims,” published to
day by the Public Affairs Com
mittee, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New
York City.
The pamphlet is written by Wil
liam Trufant Foster, director of
the Poliak Foundation for Econo
mic Research.
FARLEY TO SPEAK
AT TUSKEGEE
Tuskegee, Jan. 4 (ANP)—Dr. F.
D. Patterson, president of Tuske
gee institute, announced last week
of formal notice from the United
States Post Office department in
Washington that April 7, will be
the official date for the first day’s
issue of the Booker T. Washington
Commemorative stamp and that
the Tuskegee institute post office
will be the official office for the
first day’s sale. The stamps will
go on sale in all other post offices
on April 8.
Randolph, Webster
Condemn Discrim
ination
COOPERATE IN TAKING CEN
SUS. PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS
LEAGUE ADVISES NEGRO
TRADESMEN
Memphis, Tenn. Jan. 4—The vit
al importance, socially and econo
mically, of obtaining a new and up
to-date measurement of the ex
tent and importance of the distri
bution industries was emphasized
in an appeal issued this week by
Dr. J. E. Walker, President of the
National Negro Business League
and of the Universal Life Insur
ance Company. Dr. Walker called
upon all Negro wholesalers, re
tailers, and other service groups
to cooperate with the Business
Census beginning January 2.
—
HARLEM LEADERS ASSAIL
‘GONE WITH THE WIND’
New York, Jan. 4 (CNA)—Har
lem leaders this week joined in
condemning the Hollywood produc
tion “Gone With the Wind” as a
subtle attempt to revive the ter
ror campaigns of the Ku Klux
Klan and to fan the flames of
racial hatred as a screen for the
growing drive of reactionary
forces to shove America into the
European war and to throttle de
mocracy at home.
James H. Hubert, head of the
New York Urban League charact
erized the film as “a distortion of
the truth. It justifies the acts of
the Southern Confederacy and
makes heroes out of rebels who
are still fighting to win the war."
“The South," he continued, “has
been re-winning the war all along
through subtle anti-Negro propa
ganda which is noto being brought
out more openly. It has done this
so effectively that in States like
Connecticut and others, the Negro
is treated just as bad as in the
South.”
JANITOR CONFESS TO
"GANGSTER” MURDER
OVER NEGRO GIRL
New York, Jan. 4 (ANP)—
Bloodstains noticed on a suspects
clothing by an alert detectice while
questioning him, led to the solving
this week of a murder which police
had termed a "gangster” slaying.
Major Greenfield, 34 year old a
partment house superintendent,
I made a full confession to police af
ter being confronted with evidence
found near his basement apart
ment.
The slain man was Vincent Can
gro, white, 45, ex-convict and policy
runner whose record dated back to
1917. Greenfield told police that
he killed the ex-con after they
quarrelled over a colored girl who
was in his apartment.
LA GUARDIA ANNOUNCES
ELEVATION OF MAGISTRATE
PAIGE AT OMEGA CONCLAVE
TO JUSTICE
First Negro to Sit in Special Ses
sions Court; Salary Upped
Eunice Carter Already
Prosecutor
New York, Jan. 4 (ANP)—Myles
A. Paige, New York’s first Negro
magistrate, has been elevated to
the court of special sessions ef
fective Jan. 1 and is the first mem
ber of his race to sit in any part
of special sessions in this city.
Announcement of the appoint
ment was made by Mayor La Guar
dia during an address of welcome
Wednesday at the Harlem YMGA
where the Omega Psi Phi frater
nity is holding its 28th annual
conclave attended by 150 delegates
from 37 states.
Condemnation of discrimination
barring any persons of civil and
political rights because of their
race or color wks expressed by the
1939 convention of the American
Federation of Labor at Cincinnati,
Ohio.
The subject of racial discrimin
ation was brought to the attention
of the convention in a resolution
introduced by Delegates A. Philip
Randolph and Milton P. Webster of
the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
Porters. The resolution said:
“The Negro people are the
victims of varied forms of dis
crimination which result in
limiting their rights in the
purchase and use of Property.
“Race discrimination serves to
deny their rights to certain types
of employment, thereby creating
the unfair and un-American prac
tice known as ‘white man’s jobs’
regardless of merit and ability,
which makes for the economic Im
poverishment of the Negro people.
SOCIAL SECURITY BOARD
PAMPHLET EXPLAINS
INSURANCE BENEFITS
» -
Chicago, Jan. 4 (ANP)— The
yieisi^svc-jr’ty Vxk&rd. Ut'.rf ise'ied a t
pamphlet, ^'Monthly Benefits fee- |
gin in 1940,” explaining payments
to be made to wage earners reach
ing the age of 65 and to certain
surviving members of familes of
workers who die after Dec. 31,
1939. H. L. McCarthy, regional
director of the social security board
for the State of Illinois, Indiana,
and Wisconsin, announced that
copies of the new pamphlet may
be obtained free at any of the board
offices.
>
SIX MEN HURT AS I. C. TRAIN
DERAILS IN LOUISIANA
Shreveport, La. Jan. 4 (ANP)—
Six colored men, not immediately
identified, were slightly injured
last Thursday when six coaches of
an Illinois Central passenger train
were derailed at Bedcaw station,
six miles east of Shreveport. Offi
cials said the coaches tore up the
track for 1000 feet but did not
overturn.
SCHOOL BOARD DISMISSES
PRINCIPAL AFTER ARREST
Chattanooga, Tenn., Jan. 4 (AN
] P)—John P. Greer, principal of the
Park City school, last week was
dismissed from his position by
action of the school board, upheld
by city commissioners, because of
conviction on a charge of public
drunkeness.
—
ST. LOUIS YOUTH ADMITS 4
HOLDUPS, 3 OF SAME FIRM
St. Louis, Jan. 4 (ANP)—A
youth who identified himself as
Theodore Washington, 19 years old
admitted to police after his arrest
last Wednesday that he has staged
four holdups, netting him a total
of $108 in cash.
Police said their attention was
attracted to the youth when they
observed him spending money free
ly in the colored district. Arrested
for questioning, he was booked as
suspected of armed robbery after
his victims had identified him.
Officers said Washington’s hold
ups included three of the same
firm. Last March, they said, he
held up Herman Schaefer, liquor
store proprietor, and took $19. A
month later he returned and took
$38 from Schaefer; then on Dec. 11
he held up Schaefer’s wife at their
new Jefferson avenue store, took
$30. Last Tuesday night, according
to police, Washington held up Wal
ter Street, clerk in a drug store
and took $21.
