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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1947)
/JUSTICE/EQUALITY HEWTOTHE LINE\ EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PHONE HA.0800 Q q. o o- —o & o—g.—o— * —o—*—o—* O— O —o—*—o—, —o—*—o—*——o— LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS J ^ y Per Copy AND WORTH IT— “To Sell It, ADVERTISE” SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1947—OUR 20TH YEAR—NO.15, Church Celebrates 5th Anniversary Sunday May 18th the Mt. Moriah Baptist church will celebrate the fifth anniversary of their pastor, Rev. Da vid St Clair. Each of these years have been suc cessful ones. The membership has in creased through the baptism of many candidates as well as those who have united with the church by Christian experience. Through the effective preaching and teaching and example by the pastor the church has been able to stay in a state of revival. The organizations of the church are growing and some new ones have been added. There is a place for all ages to work. The Church has also been able to keep up in all her denominational work. Also an active and tireless worker in the Church is Mrs. St. Clair. She enjoys working in the Sunday school and B. T. U. department and the mission. Always ready and willing to do whatever she acn for the Master., OMAHA URBAN LEAGUE An enthusiastic crowd of 150 youths and young married couples attended the First Annual Youths’ Health Con ference held in the Urban League Building last Friday evening. After a short introduction of the panel speaker by Mr. M. Leo Bohanon, Executive Secretary of The Omaha Urban League, the Conference got immedi ately underway. Dr. Wesly Jones assisted by Miss Mary Ellen O’Neal of the Visiting Nurses Association, gave a simple but cogent lecture on the basic require ments for good health and longevity. Mrs. Mary Fredericks, Counsellor Omaha Public Schools discussed “Moral Goals for Modem Youth.’ This group was concerned with every phase of youth social life which are determining factors for successful | adulthood. Mrs. Lucyle Avant, former I Red Cross worker analyzed the factors | which make up happy and successful ! marriages to forty young people. All the sessions were very well at tended and the question and answer period extended over an hour. At the close of the panel discussion dancing and refreshments were served. The Conference was planned by a sub-committee of the Omaha Na tional Negro Health Week Steering Committee of which Mrs. W. W. Solo mon is chairman. Sponsoring organiza tions were, The Omaha Urban League, Near Northside YMCA, North Branch YWCA, Woodson Center, Epsilon chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Soror ity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Phi Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternities, The Midwest Athletic Association, Star-Rite, Ebony, Groseicks and Sharks clubs. THE WEEK By H. W. Smith William .1. McCombridge has an nounced on May 2nd his retirement a: vice president and general manager o! the press association in N. Y. A two thousand five hundred lb steer broke loose in N. \. near 39tl street. On Thursday May 1st it brok< loose from a herd in the 11th Ave stock yards, police brought it dowi with fifteen- shots. * General William G. Linsay*of For Jackson, S. C. regrets to leave Omah; as he found the people very sociabl and friendly in every wTay. President Truman drove to the sta tion Thursday evening to bid Presi dent Aleman °f Mexico goodbye after he had completed a three day visit in Washington before going to N. Y. The Nebraska legislature eliminated , tobacco and cigarettes from the tax i bill after a 2 hour debate. ■ Five persons were killed when . steel plates from a passing freight 11 slashed a passenger coach on the Penn. R. R. Thursday May 1st. t Newburyport, Mass, will continue i ten percent slash in prices it was re ■! ported on May 1st. Buddy McCrea temporarly released To clear up the thoughts of our civic minded citizens of the commun ity, we want the public to know the real reason why Buddy McCrea is not with the city recreational depart ment. Following you will see recent state ment from the superintendent of the City Recreational Dept. Buddy as you know has helped in the community by showing free movies, teaching boxing lessons, and tumbling, etc. to help curb juvenile delinquency. Another one of these cases where the Negro is first to be fired and the last one to be hired. This is the sec ond case where a Negro has been dropped from the city pay roll in thirty days. Negroes are entitled to their poratle in employment, in ac cording to the tax they pay and their ability to serve. This is a matter that the Civic organizations, such as the Urban League and the NAACP should concern themselves with. Mr. John H. McCrea 1302 North 26th Street Omaha, Nebr. Dear Mr. McCrea, This is to notify you that, due to a reduction in Department funds, we are forced to terminate your employ ment with this department as of May 3rd, 1947. However, you will be paid for an nual leave up to and including the 17th of May, 1947. We regret sincerely the necessity for taking this action, but conditions allow us no other alternative. Respectfully, William J. Meyers ( Superintendent of Rec. Among those who attended tne na tional Council of Community Church es were Rev. E. F. Ridley, pastor, Mrs. Gertrude Lucas Craig, and Mrs. Eva Ray, delegates. With the dele gation were Mrs. Crouch and Mrs. Wmfl Perkins. They reported having a wonderful time and were well treated by the mixed group in Chi cago. i giawiUig &<£« ^_:___ Entered as 2nd Class matter at Post-Office. Omaha. Nehraska, Under Act of March.8.^1874. PUBLISHING OFFICES AT 2120 GBANT ST., Omaha, Nebr. UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND The fourth annual nationwide ap peal of the United Negro College Fund was again highlighted on the air last Tuesday night when these ar tists gathered before the microphones of the American Broadcasting Com pany network in a “Carnival of Stars.” The Fund seeks $1,300,000 to help meet current operating expenses of 33 Negro private colleges. The artists are, left to right, top row, Eddie Mat thews, baritone; Robert “Believe It or Not” Ripley; Cy Walter, piano styl ist; Tony Ruffner, Master of Ceremon ies. Bottom row, left to right, Carol Brice, contralto; Three Flames, in strumentalists, Erskine Hawkins, trumpeter. DRAMATICS LITERARY VARIETY CLUB of the City B.T.U. lne club met at the usual time Monday night to make future plans for more programs. This club is trying to help young people to be more pro gressive in tlie future spiritually and educationally. Some of the programs that you can expect from these groups of young people this month are: Dramatics: The club is putting on a Mother s day jilay at Morning Star Friday May 9, at 8:00 p. m. Please come out and back these young people up. I am sure you will enjoy the play, “Pilgrims Passage.” Literary: Some of the young people of the club are putting on an open forum, What can the child expect from its present environment,” at Sa lem Sunday, May 4th, be sure and come out to hear and to participate in this forum, and to see what these young people are doing to develop a more progerssive education. Variety: In the spare time after the business is over the members settle back to enjoy themselves in good clean recreation. If you could attend one of these meetings you will be as sured that these young people are in deed the future leaders of our race. With the fair month of May ap proaching remember “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of may.”— Shakespeare. New Loan Association It lias always been the policy ol your Omaha Guide to recognize and welcome and encourage new business enterprises in our community. There fore we take pleasure in passing along to the public the operation of youi Guide roving reporter, whose atten tion was attracted to an unusual sign at 24th and Burdette Sts. We have known for some time that this comer was one of much activ ity being headquarters of the Omaha Di vision of the B. S. C. P. but when your reporter observed a sign reading Porters Loan” he sought to satisfy his curiosity by entering and ques tioning the man in charge. He was met by a very pleasant man in the person of Mr. Taylor Murrell, who is Secretary-Treasurer of the Brother hood and who explained in detail the nature of the business. We found a Hall suitable for small groups, which is available to the pub lic. In the same building is a licensed Loan Business” that will courteously serve the public. When we sought to determine the financial soundness of the porters loan we learned that Mr. Murrell had already been checked on by someone in authority, which served to make us still more safe in welcoming this unusual type of busi ness in our community that it will grow and flourish to the credit of our groups as a whole. In conjunction with those features is also a nice line of notions and refreshments which means quite a convenience to gomps when using the hall, as well as to any individual, or the public. You will | leam more about this unusual business in succeeding issues of The Guide. Read the Guide and keep abreast of the news in your community. I Now that the strike is over, telephone men and women every \ where throughout our territory are being welcomed back to their jobs. We assure you that we will work as hard as wc i to get back to regular day-to-day operations as quickly as possible . . . and to carry forward our plans for constantly improving and expanding your service. RUBY SMITH, NIECE OF THE FAMOUS BESSIE, DEBUTS ON RCA VICTOR Although the great, one and only Bessie Smith now may be just a legend, that legend is being perpetu ated in the person of her niece, Ruby Smith. Well schooled in the tradition of the immortal blues singer, Ruby is carving out a career on her own, in spired in no small measure by her famous aunt. With her newest RCA Victor recording, “Hot Sauce Susie” and “I’m Scared of That Woman*” Ruby shows that she has much of the same tlusty singing talent as Bessie with styling of her own that gives additional vocal color. Ruby’s vivid personality, which has instantaneous appeal, both in person and on her RCA Victor records, has been featured at Cafe Society Down town and at Camegie Hall, where she starred in the Spiritualist to Swing programs a while back. She also has been a popular favorite in Harlem’s Small’s Paradise and Elks’ Rendez vous. Her voice is rich, strong and ex pressive with a wonderful feeling for rhythm. Ruby first met her aunt Bessie when she was twelve.. Later, in her ’teens, she toured with her and the “Midnight Steppers” revue on vaude ville circuit and in tent shows. Al though she started out in the chorus, Ruby soon was doubling as a soubrette and finally, when Bessie was ill, she often stepped in at the last minute and took her place. Audiences were im mediately won over by Ruby and soon were applauding her renditions of “Thinking Blues,” “Back Water Blues” and “He’s Mine.” With that early indoctrination into greasepaint, Ruby has one-nighters and the footlights in her blood. She is planning *a new tour this coming season. Meanwhile, she is spending a few weeks planning her repertoire in her attractive Harlem apartment, which she shares with an invalid I mother. A graduate of Junior High School P.S. 136, Ruby has many friends uptown, who love to gather for her chicken dinners and listen to Ruby sing the blues like her Aunt Bessie. Ruby’s rendition of “Port Wine Blues” and “You Satisfy” on her re cent RCA Victor debut, has won ac claim from such an outstanding music credit as George Frazier, of Variety, who stated that Ruby was “a fine blues exponent” and sings with “feel ing, humor, and, what is very impor tant, very good enunciation.” HOUSEHOLD WORKERS FACE BRIGHTER FUTURE There is going to be a better day for household workers when new plans now in the making materialize. A survey on household employment has just been completed by the women’s Bureau, of the U. S. Department of Labor. The survey was conducted in 19 cities, such as Chicago, St. Louis, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Syracuse, Cin cinnati and others. A complete report of this highly interesting survey has not been published as yet but a par tial report is out and I believe it will have far reaching effect. It is known that standards of do mestic work as proposed by agencies in these 19 cities will be raised much higher and the pattern will probably spread throughout the country. While studying this report fresh off the press, I was reminded of a significant state ment ensuing from the Women’s Bu reau annual report for the year end ing June 30, 1946. It was to the effect that — “historically-determined social and economic factors have assigned to women increasingly important roles in the wage earning world.” Chief factors the Bureau reported are, (1) The Na tion’s need for the goods and services made and performed by women; and (2) the need of millions of women to support themselves or supplement the family income. It occurred to the writer that if this was a significant and important fact with regards to women as a whole, how much more important and factual it is as regards Negro women, who’s husbands and fathers get only small and inadequate incomes. In the over-all program of improve ment for household employment, there will be added considerable dignity and security to the occupation. It was spe cified that forms of contracts be exe cuted with provisions for holidays, paid vacations and even sick leave. | uoO nued on page TlWO MRS. MAUDE RAY CROWN ST JOHN’S MOTHER OF 1947 In a beautiful after service Sunday morning May 11 Mrs. Maude Ray was crowned by Mrs. Hattie the retir ing Mother of St. John’s of 1946. St. John’s Mother of 1947. Mrs. Ray has been a member of the St. John’s church since early childhood. She has probably worked in and worked with more auxiliaries and departments of St. John’s than any living member to day. She is a member of the St. John’s Senior Choir, serving as assistant di rectress to her daughter, Mrs. Pearl Gibson. She has assisted in all pro gressive movements of the church. She succeeds Mrs. Hattie Adams, retiring Mother of 1947 who is an other ardent and faithful worker in St. John’s church. Mrs. Ray is like her predecessor, a true symbol of Motherhood and her reign as Mother of St. John’s of 1947 will be one filled with the good things of life. YWCA WILL HOLD REPORT MEETING The public is cordially invited to attend the Annual Report Meeting at the Northside Building, Y. W. C. A. on Sunday, May 18, 1947 at 4:00 p.m. The theme of this Report Meet ing will be the “Responsibility of the Lamplighters in the Community.” The service is planned to be impressive as well as interesting an dafter its com pletion, there will be a Coffee Hour. Also at this meeting, there will be the final report of the Northside YWCA Nominating Committee and election of new members to the Com mittee of Management. Electorals are urged to cast their ballots so that a full democratic report can be had of the election. . ” - SUCCESS STCT.V ■i ... rnnuramin^^W .1 7P\. PwW . k- meet BRICE DIXON f He is a successful Chicago business man. A former student »t Commerce Tennessee Sute College. Nashville, j Tennessee, Dixon owns and operates The Rhythm Record Shop and is credited with having the most com* plete swing and jazz collection in the | y. s< i * Because of his business contacts he is popular and well known with many prominent folk in and out of the en« tertainment world and is also a sue* 1 cessful salesman associated with the I Apollo Records Distributing Company, c i 719 S. State Street, Chicago, Illinois.; A Navy yet Dixon is considered the best dressed man on Garfield Boulevard., SINGING SENSATION OF. 1947/ I- .■■■■ I^MHI IIII ill i in I iiliwn - -— The Ravens are the newest quartet to burst upon tho theatrical horizons. The Ravens who made a spectacular* J debut at the Apollo Theatre a month ago, bow into the New York Strand Theatre April 4th with Cab Calloway’s revue* The Ravens are being hailed as the best new harmony bet ia the past 10 years. _ , •-Wages and Price By GEORGE S BENSON President of Harding College Searcy. Arkansas .is-' »i - ABOUT fifteen months ago Mr. HenTy Wallace, then Secretary of Commerce under President Tru man, asserted that wages in the automobile industry pould go up 30% without prices of cars go ing up at all. It wasn’t true, as all informed people knew at the time. But the statement tended to gain public support.^ At least the statement helped gain public toleration for a long strike, which ended with about a 20% raise in wages. But even then the OPA was immediately convinced that increases in prices were made necessary. Little by little OPA raised the prices on cars until it had granted an av erage increase of 22%. In short, for a 20% increase in wages for auto workers the public was re quired, by OPA,_to pay_22% more for cars. N Identical NOW THE auto work Reaction ers are asking for an i~»w other raise : f about 25% in wages. Some labor lead ers are maintaining that wages in general can go up about 25% without increasing prices. Mr. C. E. Wilson, president of General Motors, asserts that such a raise will put prices of cars up by 25%. Mr. Alfred P. Sloan, chair man of the board of General Mo tors, also declares that. wages cannot be raised_withcut raising prices, .». , ^ | |T From last year’s~experiehce the public will quite readily under stand that if wages go up again, prices must also go up.\ This leaves just one real issue.' Is it to the interest of workers and the rest of the public for prices to i-—:— The Friendly Sixteen Bridge Clul net at the home of C. Laster, 261! Blondo street. The meeting was open ed by the president. Business of im portanee was discussed. Three four hand changes of hndgi •vere played. Brookshire won higl ■ v. keep going up and up? If an* other raise in wages is grantedi only to be followed by a still greater boost in prices, workers will be no better off. 1n fact theyj and all the rest of us, will bo worse off. Higher prices will fin* ally cause buying to drop off* Then jobs will begin to decrease, leading to unemployment and fin* ally to depression. ( A Sound THERE IS a way for Method everybody to gain — ip both workers and the general public. That way is for nanagemcnt and workers to co* operate to increase production sa effectively that goods will be come plentiful and prices will go down. Then the workers will have the equivalent of a real raise in wages because their present wages will buy more food and clothing. All of the public will benefit in the same way. This is sound econo mics. But for wages to keep go« ing up and up, only to be foN lowed by prices going up and up; is unfortunate for workers and everybody else.' *“~ we want^to^ destroy the American economic order and force our country into state so* 'cialism, that is the way to do it! Fifteen months ago many won dered seriously if Henry Wallace believed that wages could go up> 30% in any industry without prices going up. Many now won-} der if any informed people real ly think wages can go up 25%) l without raising prices. If we try it we will again learn the hard * way. ^ _ score. A delicious repast was served by the host. The meeting adjourned to 'meet at the home of T. R. Turner, 2724 Blondo street. Brookshire, host. Emmet Avant, Pres. Otto Pruite, Repr. On Air for United Negro Colleges Radio Stations throughout the country are playing tran scriptions for the 1947 appeal ! of the United Negro College Fund, which seeks $1,300,000 for 33 private colleges. Upper photograph shows Cecil, Duke | of Iron, center, with Gregory Felix, Clarinet King, and Mo , desto Calderon. They play an i original Calypso song dedicated to the Fund, “Teach Hppe to / All—Despair to None.” Lower right is Maxine Sullivan, bal lad singer. Lower left is Tiny Ruffner, Master of Ceremonies.