ALBANY LIBERATOR 10:
ae New York
Vol. F No.
June 30-July 6
City BeginsTrial Trash Rec
Mayor Corning made an apparent
concession to groups who have been de-
manding regular city-sponsored trash
removal. Corning called a meeting in
his office with leaders from several
South End community action groups.
Letters which the mayor sent the groups
in advance mentioned an ''experiment of
regular city trash collection" to begin
this Saturday in Arbor Hill and im-
mediately after a several week series
of "Saturday clean-ups'' in the South
End.
Mr. John Rollins, who represented
the South End Community Action Pro-
ject (SENCAP) at the meeting, said
that the mayor's new program is a
i "step in the right direction", but added
| =—ss that "this should have been done long
ago.'' Mr. Rollins also expressed a
hope that the men who presently col-
lect trash willbe hired as collectors in
the City's new program.»
O°" ailing
last American cities ofany importance
to provide free trash collection for its
citizens. Mayor Corning has opposed
such a program for years and is now
agreeing to one only after intense pres-
sure from several organizations in-
cluding the Better Homes and Com-
munity Organization, the Catherine
Street Civic Association, the Brothers,
and Albany Citizens Against Poverty.
These groups had charged thataccumu-
latedtrash in empty lots and back yards
is a serious fire hazard.
“Some observers, including the may-
or at one time, have expressed a fear
that if the City begins trash collection,
Ford, 17, (second left),
(second right),
;
“Until now Albany has oe one of me~
As Mayor Concedes to Civic Pressures
.Albany's small private collectors will
be put out of jobs. A rubbish man on
Clinton Avenue told the Liberator that he
would welcome City trash collection
since he thinks ''there are more head-
aches that it's worth'' in running his
own rubbish business and he would ''be
glad to get another job."
Mr. Ben Gaddy, an Arbor Hill trash
collector, felt, that losing
their routes would "hurt the majority of,
rubbish collectors.'' On the other hand,
he felt that a city-sponsored program
would be goodif present collectors were.
hired and given a good salary.
Another trash man, Mr. Jordan of.
North Pearl Street, felt that working for:
the City ''might or might not" be as pro-
fitable as private collecting ''depending
on how much they paid. "'
Both Mr. Gaddy and Mr. Jordan do
most of their business with factories
however,
rather than homes and wouldnot be af-
fected by Mayor “Corning! s new propo- ‘*
sal. Both are worried, however, about
other rubbish men who depend on door-
to-door collections for a large part of
._ their income.
(to Page 8)
Warning
TO THOSE IT CONCERNS...
Any property taken from the Albany
Liberator office is property taken from
q
The Brothers. Stand warned.
Leon Van Dyke
Coordinator,
The Brothers
JOBS FOR YOUTHS DISCUSSED--William Gibson, left,
‘cusses The Brothers training program for young men with Michael
James Tune,
and Harvey Trotter, 18,
dis-
(center),
Larry West, 14,
(right).
oh Swan
this past week,
tory details.
Mrs. Rosalie Oliver, standing in the
doorway of her home on Swan Street,
recently received help from the Albany
County Welfare Union.
Welfare Error Brings
Heartbreak to Family
Meg. Rosalie OW rer ae
: Stre< Neat
the Albany County ,
convenience.
Earlier in the week, Mrs. Oliver
had requested a small item entirely due
her. She was treated quite rudely bythe
welfare supervisor who refused to give
her any assistance.
Mrs. Oliver, a member of the ars.
bany County Welfare Union, then re-
quested aid from welfare union ste-
wards, Mose Thomas and Leon Van
Dyke.
After Mr. Thomasand Mr. VanDyke
checked into the case, Mrs. Oliver's
request was granted. ''She need only
have asked, '' she was told by the same
supervisor she had spoken to earlier.
Two days later, Mrs. Oliver re-
ceived an unsigned letter in the mail
from the Welfare Department saying
that her welfare check would be sizeably
reducedto a budget for four people from
one for eight. Mrs. Oliver was very
distressed and immediately contacted
The Brothers.
After discussing the matter an the
stewards of the Welfare Union, Mrs.
Oliver learned that seldom was aletter
of.this type sent without an earlier,
more complete explanation from the
Welfare Department, explaining why the
check was being reduced. |
Mrs. Oliver received no such noti-
fication and the letter gaveno explana-
(to Page 6)-
sean EAS cae ae hasnt tC
“ es ae ts
“causing fen and ok
family a great deal of worry and in- ~
PF AOR =
The Albany Liberator is
published weekly by the
Brothers' Coordinating
Committee, at 261 Clinton
Ave., Albany, New York
12210. [465-0719] Sub-
scriptions for residents of
Arbor Hill or the South End
or students, $5.00 a year.
Editorial Staff |
Editor - Peter G. Pollak
Managing Editor - Earl Thorpe
Advertising Manager - Peter Jones
‘Business Manager - Arthur Morning
Who ’s Cleaning Up?
‘One of the mayor's arguments against city
-rash pick-up was thatit would hurt the approxi-
mately 100 families that were involved in the
private trash business.
After questioning some of these rubbish col-
lectors (see Page 1) we found that some of them
dealt mainly with industries and others collect-
-ed only on week-ends for extra cash. One trash
“man evendeclared that he would ''throw akiss to
'-. heaven if the city took over."
4 Yet when the mayor agreed toan experimen-
tal program of city sponsored trash collection,
he only contracted to one business, forgetting the
little guys he had originally claimed to be look-
ing out for.
A city the size of Albany should take care of
trash, not only in Arbor Hill and the South End,
but in Pine Hills as well. If the mayoris sincere
- is assuming the responsibility. he should have
rae taken years ago, he will also concern himself
with the minor problems of the. job. s
The cleanups “scheduled in the South End Yor
ee the next few Saturdays shouldbe contracted over
to some of the: smaller trash collectors.
TRASH COLLECTION-myth or reality?
The residents of Arbor Hill and fie
South End await the answer.
fpf
a
Negro History
Civil Rights Figlter
Spoke For All Men
This Black American never
knew the exactdate ofhisbirth...
1818, or 1819
in Talbot County on the eastern
shore of Maryland.
sometime in 1817,
Who werehis people? ''Genea-
logical trees,'' he wrote in his
autobiography, did not flourish
among slaves. His first years
spent in a breeding pen,
where, with dogs and pigs and
other young ofthe plantation,
black children were raised for the
fields.
his mother once.
Were.
He remembered touching
After he was
four or five years old he never
heard of her again
From out of this breeding pen
a. mans. Hes
Frederick Douglas. He became an
agent of the Massachusetts Anti-
came name. was
slave Society doing active work to
outlaw slavery in the nation.
He became one of the greatest
orators of his day. ‘
On December 3, 1847, he
started a newspaper, the North
Star, whose object was to attack
slavery in all its forms.
He also. became a member of
7 the rce Soil” Party, ‘which had a
platform opposing slave states
and slave territories. Ata Free
Soil Party convention in August,
1852, Douglas made one of his
greatest speeches:
"Americans! O your republi-
can politics, not less than your
republican religion, are flagrant-
ly inconsistent.
"You hurl your anathemas at
the crowned headed tyrants of
Russia and Austria and pride
yourself on your democratic in-
stitutions, while you yourself
consent to be the mere tools and-
bodyguards of the tyrants of Vir-
ginia and Carolina.
"You invite to your shores fu-
of oppression from a-
broad. ..and pour out your money
to them like water; but the fugi-
tives from your own land you ad-
hunt, shoot and
gitives
vertise, arrest,
ee § gees
"You shed tears over fallen
Hungary, and make the sad story
of her wrongs the theme of your
poets, statesmen and orators...
"Your gallant sons are ready to
fly toarms to vindicate her cause
against the oppressor; but in re-
gard to the ten thousand wrongs
of the American slave, you would
enforce the strictest silence.
"You are all on fire atthe men-
tion of liberty for France or for
Ireland; but areas coldas an.ice-
berg at the thought of liberty for
‘election time,
Election Blues
Not For Me
U.T. Hippie
m...are those shades
you hide behind like a
curtain
cross your
mind?'"'
It's toobad about the Brothers
losing that election...I mean,
they really socked it to them
Jim. Me and some of the other
cats were thinking about making
itup to vote forSam and mymain
man what's his name, but thenwe
got into something at the pool
room that was just too good to
split. .
I think they coud 've brought
the people out though, if they'd
down cat like
. like, I dig
run some _ real
Stokely or even King.
the Brothers, evenifthey do wear
thosenappy Afros, and I might
even join, man, ifI can doit with-
outmy wife or nobody knowing...
But they're not strong enough for
me--Baby, I'm a man of action!
Why, ‘I'dbe outin the street fight-
ing now, except it don't seem
worth losing my _ check for,
exactly.
But getting back to the point I
; wanted to run down for you, I was
intendin' to vote for the Brothers,
even with the man knowing how you
vote and all, being I'm an excep-
tional dude.
nitty gritty could you expect to
pickthose guys over Homer Per-
kins?
. Notto put anyone down, but
I mean, Homer Perkin's so re-
spectable looking and all. The
cat's always dressed, Jim, anc.
‘I see pictufes inthe paper of him
and the Mayor talking and grin-
ning just like something out-of one
of them Ebony -magazines...I
hear he's jive, and maybe he
can't read or write--but he pre-
sents himself good, you know?
He seems older and exper-
ienced, sort of, like a real poli-
tician should. ..and lalways know
if I want to get me a pint ‘round
Pecan hit Mr -Peér-
kins. And what have those Broth-
ersdone so far but try tolose me
five dollars I can use?
.. Well, it's about time 1 cut
out. I might catch the Brothers'
Welfare Union meeting if old man
Kittle's jam session ain't too
cool. These rats and roaches are
about to blow my mind, Jim!.
I just wanted to hip you to my
views on the election. I hope I
made things a little clearer.
But how many of the:
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Man on the Street
Question of the Week
We have had a favorable response from our
readers to the Man in the Street feature. Some
readers even offered questions that they would
like to have asked in the community. The Al-
bany Liberator is willing touse questions for the
Man inthe Streetif they are submitted in writing
to.our office at 261 Clinton Avenue.
Should Albany have citywide trash removal?
y bv
James Pesce 75 Wilson’
Street: "I think it's a good
idea. It's a wonder that we
don't have it already. Uti-.
-ca has it."
Shealy, 93 B
'™We should
Gene
‘Church Road:
have had it along time ago.
If asmall city like Troy can
have it there's no reason
why Albany can't have it."
Community
Bulletin Board
SILENT VIGIL FOR PEACE
IN VIETNAM.
Every Wednesday from 12 Noon to 1 pm
at State and Eagle Streets in frontof |
the Capitol. Nowinits 17th week. Come
and join us. Standup for peace - for an!
end to the killing and suffering and for
a new beginning in Vietnam and here at
home. You may stay at the vigil for 6
minutes or 60.
“ALL ARE WELCOME
Initiated by the Albany Friends Meeting”
"Letters to the Editor
Dear Sir:
This week while buying hamburger |
meat for my family of six ata small |
grocery store in the Arbor Hill area “
SA a2 ® was alarmed at. being charged Ss
ee pound for ground meat. I knew 1 if
Thad a carI could gotoa supermarket
across town and get it for nearly half. as
that!
price, he told me I was paying nearly
a dollar a pound because it was ground
"stew'' meat.
Now that's where he confused me.
If he had said ground '"'sirloin, ''I would
es
MUHAMMAD SPEAKS_
GEwALD 2,
1 thought I'd never get out of debt!’
‘No, thanks! The last time | signed a paper,
ar
have said my mistake, just give me
plain old ground beef... but ground
''stew'' meat ata dollara pound? I have
never heard of. such a thing! Where I
come from, stew meat just isn't that
much of a delicacy.
Which brings me to the point of my
letter: Why are areas like ours always
sprinkled with these little stores ''serv-
ing the people''’ by robbing them blind?
I know it's difficult for the small stores
to compete with the larger markets, but
is it right that poor people who can't
afford to pay much should put up with
such high prices and often poor quality?
Housewife
- Joe's Coffee Shop
96 Northern Boulevard
|-famous for its
home-made chili and
hot Italien sausage
open daily
except Sunday
_10 - 10:30
phone
465-9108
When I asked the grocer about the fae
Oe
: 3 {
sorties’: Om oe
sl TT
DOO eS oe
/
!
t
eee ee, el
co isiaee
ef
PPI
Carmichael Speaks Out
F fom a speech by Stokely Carmichael
to the students of Morgan State
Colfoge, Baltimore, Md.
Good afternoon. It is good to be back
here at Morgan. I used to party here
when F was at school ~- after we sat in
in Baltimore on:Route 40,
I would think that at a black univer-
sity it would be. absurd for me to talk
about Black Power,. but rather to talk
to black students about what their role
is to be in the coming struggle. And so
my: remarks today would-be addressed
to you, black students of Morgan.
To give you a°chance to hear some of
the things that you never hear about,
your need to stop being ashamed of being
black and come on home,
Now we ought to then outline the points
we want to discuss. We want to talk
about what this country has been able to
do to black people. What it has been able
to do is to maké us ashamed of being
black.
And that-is one of the-first recognitions
of a free people. That we recognize that
we must be united as a people; that we
understand the concept of peoplehood and
not be ashamed of ourselves.
STOP IMITATING WHITES
That means that we must stop imi-
tating white society and begin tocreate
for ourselves and our own and begin to
embody our own cultural patterns.so that
we will be holding dear to those things
which we have created,
For example: It is nonsensical for
black people to have debutante balls. It
is nonsensical becalse you are imitating
that which white society has given to you
and which you know nothing about. Wouldn’t
it be better to take that $500 and give
it to Morgan so that you could begin to
develop a good black institution? «++
And so it is with white America as a
whole community. White America is in-
capable of condemning that which it has
done to black people as.a total community
inside this country. Therefore we must
do it, we must condemn,
‘And after having condemned we do not
try to imitate, but begin to create. And
you must understand that very, very
clearly in your mind,
DEFINITIONS
Now then we come to the question of
definitions. We will talk about that for
a while, It is very, very important because
I believe that people who can define are
masters... «
WHAT BLACK POWER MEANS
Now then, that is very, very important
because the same things happen. Now, I
Say black power and someone says you
mean violence, And they expect metosay,
ho, no. I don’t mean violence, I don’t
mean that.
Later, for you, Iam master of my own
term, If black power means violence to
you, that is your problem, as is marrying
your daughter.
I know what it means in my mind. I
will stand clear. And you must understand
that, because the first need of a free
People is to be able to define their own
terms and have those terms recognized
by their oppressors. It is also the first
need that all oppressors must suspend.
Camus says that when a slave says
NOhe begins to exist. You see you define
to contain. That’s all you d0.e +
VIETNAM .
Now we want to talk a little about Viet-
nam. We think it is drastically important.
You must begin to understand the nature
of this country called America, which
exploits all other nonwhite countries. Now
you know we are fighting for freedom,
democracy, for peace, Nobody questions
it. Yes, we are going to kill for freedom,
democracy and peace. Those little
Chinese, Vietnamese yellow people ain’t
got sense enough to know they want their
democracy; we are going to fight for
them, give it to them because Santa Claus
As still alive.
I want to read a quote made August
4, 1954, before the U.S, State governors
in Seattle, Incidentally, I highly recom-
mend this book. It is called ‘Vietnam,
Vietnam,’’ by Felix Green.
**Now let us assume,’ the quote says,
**that we lost Indo-China.’’ Now that is
in 1953; we were not fighting the war,
the French were fighting it for us. We
were just giving them the money.
*‘Now let us assume we lost Indo-
China, The tin and other items we so
greatly value (from that area) would
cease coming.’’ So that when the United
States votes four hundred million dollars
to help that war we are not voting a
give-away program,
‘*We are:after thé eheapest way.to pre-
vent the occurrentt.of something terrible
- the loss of our: ability to get what we
want from the riches of the Indo-Chinese
territory and from Southeast Asia.’?
That quote was made by President
Dwight D, Eisenhower...
He is absolutely right, Because that’s
what that war is all about. And that’s
why we are not going. -
Those, then, are the soe ef the
ambassador to Saigon. They are not my
words. And he outlines very clearly what
the war is being fought for.
NECESSITY OF WAR.
ff you understood anything about this
country, you would khow that 75 percent
of this budget is spent on war materials.
That means that for this country to sur-
-vive it must always be at war.
You: will not get a victory for’ this
country if you win in: Vietnam. - That’s
no victory. The country must keep fight-
ing. You do not invent that have
‘no .use. You invent them so that they have
a use. And every time you invent a better
bomb you fust drop it.
So you invent another bomb, That is
correct and that is why this country keeps
goingatthebreakneck speed it is going in
terms of its military might. And we have
to understand that. Because we are told
in this country that we are civilized --
another word to define.
Indeed what is civilization? To be able
to drop bombs on Hiroshima?
Is that civilization? To be able to drop
bombs on Hanoi? Is that civilization? Is
it? Do we want to be civilized too?
This country has said that civilization
is at stake and there is no other solution
So what they do js, they train us in
ROTC. You dig it? All they do in ROTC
is teach you how to kill. You may try
to justify it all you want, but your job
is to kill. The job of the Army ts to kill.
That is the reason why it is there, Not
to teach you how to become anything. Ff
you want to be taught something, build
a school in my neighborhood and let me
go there. Don’t tell me about going to
Vietnam to learn nothing.
everytime there is a riot. ‘*We deplore
violence, we avoid use of violence, it is
very, very bad, there is only a small
group of vagabonds, they don’t represent
our community,’ and violence never
accomplishes anything. Yes, we aretrain-
ing our boys to go to Vietnam. We think
it is a good thing to send them to Vietnam
but violence never accomplishes anything
at all.’?
GHETTO VIOLENCE
Now you have got to understand this
very clearly. If you know anything about
the ghetto, you would know that on any
given Friday or Saturday night there is
more violence inside the ghetto than any
place else in any given city.
Photo: Bob Gill
You know that we cut and butcher and
shoot each other. And do you also know
that in any given ghetto there is more
police power, that is, in terms of num-
bers, there are more police per block,
per square inch than in any other area
of the city? . :
What does that mean to you? It means
that on Friday night while there are
more police there is more violence among
black people. So obviously they don’t give
a damn about the violence among black
people eee
Let one black boy throw one rock at
some filthy grocery store and the whole
damned National Guard comes into our
ghetto. Why is that?
Because property rights means more
than human rights and in the ghetto we
do not own the property. If we get robbed,
you can call the policemen. ‘til you
turn white. He ain’t coming. But just hit
a grocery store. Just throw a molotov
cocktail through a window and see how
quick they come in.
And what can you tell a black man in
Baltimore who lives in the ghettos. about
killing? Hasn’t he been subjected to it all
of his life? What. is your analysis about
the rebellions that have been occurring
all around the state?
Are you like everybody else? Are you
against violence? Do you analyze? Do you
recognize what it means? Let me explain.
The reason why they say we expound
violence isn’t because we expound violence
but because we refuse to condemn black
people who throw rocks and bottles at
policemen.
“That is why, and I say that is the only
reason’ why. ‘Because ‘I look -at--aill the’
other Negroleaders -- socalledleaders --
from The Movement
Now what happens then is that the people
who have power in our ghettos are the
property owners. So that when their stores
are touched they call the National Guard,
But analyze that one step further, every-
body in our ghettos knows that we are
charged higher prices for rotten meat.
Everybody knows that, but nobody says
we deplore the high prices they charge
the Negro for rotten meat,
They don’t say that. Nobody moves to
readjust the problems black people are
facing in the ghetto --~the slumlord,
machinery set up.
And if they try to, they find out that the
people who own the property are the people
who make the laws.
I want to finish with two quotes. The
first is by Bertrand Russell. You know
about the war tribunal. You should,
Bertram Russell is calling the war tri-
bunals to judge people of this country.
I want to read from what -he calls
**An Appeal to My Conscience.’’ You ought
to try to understand it very clearly be-
cause what you ought to understand
the war in Vietnam is that it has interest
to you not only personally, that is during
your student days, but it is very political
for black people. When McNamarasays he
is going to draft 30 percent black people
out of the ghettos, baby that is nothing
but urban removal, that’s all it is. And if
you don’t begin to understand that, you are
going to be the fellows leading the charges
of your 30 percent black people. You don’t
understand that. Do you have the guts to
stand up now and say I will not follow
law and order, I will follow my own
conscience? ;
That’s what they sent Eichman to jail
for, you know, because he followed law
and order. And they said that there is
a higher law than the law of government.
There is the law of each of us and they
are absolutely right. And that is my law,
and I will not go to Vietnam, I will not
serve in the army. I will say hell now
The choices are very clear. They are
crystal clear. You either suffer or you
inflict suffering. Either you go to Leaven-
worth or you become a killer. I will not
become 2 killer. I will choose to suffer.
I will go to jail. To hell with this country.
Now then the quote by Mr. Russell:
**Just as in the case of Spain, Viet-
nam is a barbarous rehearsal. It is our
intention that neither, the bona fides nor
the authenticity of this tribunal will be
susceptible to challenge from those who
have so much to hide.
‘*President Johnson, Dean Rusk, Robert
McNamara, Henry Cabot Lodge, General
Westmoreland and their fellow criminals
will be brought before a wider justice
than they recognize and a more profound
condemnation than they are equipped to
understand.’’
That is a profound statement.
IT NOT YOU, WHO?
Now the last statement that I want to
leave you with is by John Donne. You
khow John Donne is my favorite philo-
sophical poet of the 17th centruy. He
Said ‘‘the death of any man diminishes
me because I am involved in mankind,’?
Now what this generation has allowed
to happen is that we are not involved in
mankind. Now when we began to crawl
they sent six million people to an oven
and we blinked our eyes. And when we
walked they sent our uncles to Ko
And we grew up in a cold war to continue
their head-wrecking period so that we are
immune to humanity and we, this genera-
tion, must save the world. We must be-
come involved in mankind,
We must not allow them to stage the
killing of every and anything that gets in
their way.
We .must not become part of that,’
machinery. Now I want toread my favorife
quote:
‘elf I am not for myself, who will be?
ff I am for myself alone, | who am [2-
Tf not now,. when? And-if not you, who?”
T wast to thank you, _—
ee
rt
=
' BBs
Negro Hisry
= On Paras 15,
man, orator, writer, politician, free-.
Smythe to Stand Trial
The Reverend James U. Smythe,
pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church on
Schuyler Street in the South End, will
_ standtrial July 180n an allegedmorals
charge being brought by Mr.
Curtis of Ellenville, New York
James
Mr. Curtis charges that Rev. Smythe
lived with Mrs. Curtis and the Curtis'
daughters, aged 10 and 12, in his home
on Schuyler Street for two months be-
tween March and June, 1966. It isal-
leged that this situation impaired the
morals of the two children.
Mrs. Curtis, whonow resides at 53l
Clinton Avenue claims that she lived in
‘the Smythe home with Rev.
‘wife and seven children,
Smythe's
and that the
Smythes were helping her out while she
was looking fora home. Mr.
abandonment filed by Mrs. Curtis.
Curtis charges that Rev. Smythe and
his wife were separated during the
months his wife lived at the Schuyler
_ Street address.
a prominent civil rights activist in Al-
_. bany and an outspoken critic of the O'
oe. - Connell Democratic machine.
Rev. Smythe has been
/
- (from Page 2)
1895, this great
m fighter, statesman and Black Man
lied. ae
in bronz and marble. But stone and
wood are dead, and only we can_ make
words come alive. Frederick Douglas'
- words reach us across the years:
'ThoughI am more closely connect-
_ ed and identified with one class of out-
‘raged, oppressed andenslaved people,
- I can not allow myself to be insensible
to the wrongs and suffering of any part
of the great family of man.
TI am not only an American slave,
but aman-_and as such, am boundto use
_ my powers for the welfare of the whole
human brotherhood.
"IT believe that the sooner the wrongs
of the whole human family are made
_ known, the sooner those wrongs will be
~¢. epighted. "
The Albany Liberator is offering as
-afree community service notices on
the Community Bulletin Board. Any.
organization or individual wishing to
place a notice in the Liberator should
bring the notice in writing to the Lib-.
erator office at 261 Clinton Avenue by
5 pm Wednesday in order to be placed
in Friday's paper. For further infor-
mation call 465-0719. s
The Albany Liberator is offering
another community service in the form
of classified ads. Classified Ads for
employment, items for sale or to buy,
will be run weekly at a service charge
of only $. 50.
Curtis was.
arrestedlast monthon acharge of child’
: There have been many memorials to
taken against Mrs.
cative and unfair for the following rea-:
the letter did not follow the nor-.
mal procedure taken when the Depart-
ment reduceda recipients's check; she.
TRASH AND HOUSING are twoof Arbor
Hill's most serious problems. This is
the backyard of a condemned house,
waiting for a match to set it ablaze.
Welfare Error | :
(from Page 1)
In addition to this obvious lack of
fair procedure, the letter to Mrs.
Oliver was mailed so that she would
receive it on Saturday, a day when she:
“could not contact the Department and
_ demand the explanation for the change.
- She and her family were forced to wait
until Monday to question this action.
"I just don't know what we'll do,'' Mrs.
Oliver said on Sunday.
The Welfare Union felt thatthe action
Oliver was vindi-
sons:
received the letter on Saturday and could
not contact the Department until Mon-
day; and most importantly, the action
followed immediately after the encount-
er betweenthe Welfare Department and
the Welfare Union acting in Mrs.
Oliver's behalf. 3
On Monday morning, June 26, wel-
fare stewards, Mr. Van Dyke and Mr.
Thomas accompanied Mrs. Oliver to
the Welfare Department to demand an
explanation. After a great dealof wait-
ing, as no one would take any respon-
sibility for sending the letter, Mrs. and
the stewards were told that there must
have been some mistake. They assured
Mrs.
Oliver that she would receive the
amount due her in her coming check.
The stewards and Mrs. Oliver are
awaiting the check. Until then Mrs.
Oliver must continue the unnecessary
worry caused her.
Patronize
Our Advertisers
Thorpe,
lings.
Brotlers Seek Solution
To Housing Problems
A family on North Pearl Street re-
cently came to The Brothers' office to
complain abouthousing. Theyhad asked
the landlordto paint the hallway and fix
the lighting and the stairs. He said he
would buy the paint, but they would have
to do the work themselves. ;
One of The Brothers accompdnied
this family to their house to look over
the conditions. Inside the apartment,
he found things clean and well kept up.
The landlord certainly couldn't have any
complaint with this family.
Yet the hallways to the apartment
building were in terrible condition. The
stairs were weak, the walls were cover-
ed with an oldand faded wallpaper, and
cracks were evident in several places.
Is this typical for Albany? It might
be true for many other residents of the
South End and Arbor Hill - because the
-buildings in these areas are generally
in terrible condition. Even if one fami-
ly tries to keep its own place clean,
many landlords would rather let the
-building collapse than spend a dime on
it;
Statistics prove that housing is a
problem for black people in Albany...
as in the black ghettos all over this
country. However, The Brothers'
Housing Committee, headed by Earl
is taking an unusual approach
to the housing problem: one ofthe goals
of their Tenant Association is to pres-
sure the government to provide low-
interest, long range loans to landlords
to fix up slum housing. 3
Another goal of The Brothers' Hous-
ing Committee is to fulfill the role they
think the Building Commission and the
Rent Control Commission should be
playing.
According to information obtained
from the Human Rights Commission,
two-thirds of the Negro families living
in Arbor Hill andthe South End are liv-'
ing in substandard, overcrowded dwel-
As one of The Brothers on the
Housing Committee remarked, ''I don't
think I've been ina house in either Ar-
bor Hill and the South End that didn't
_have a housing code violation. ''
Both the Housing Commission and
the Rent Control Commission act only
on complaints, and then they act slowly
and leniently. "Even if these agencies
acted on the complaints they now re-
ceive,'' one of The Brothers stated,
"the conditions would get worse and not
better. 4 (to Page 7)
Mac Gamwell’s
Liquor Store
135 North Pearl
Who Me Subscribe?
Welcome to The Albany Liberator
The Albany Liberator promises more nitty-gritty reading
is on the scene in Albany.
In addition,
country,
However,
porting'’ subscription.
NAME
ADDRESS
Cire
17 ZIP
per page than any newspaper in the area.
paign for city trash pick-up to U.T. Hippie's satire on the
cats who didn't vote in the recent primary, The Liberator
From our cam-
our coverage reaches the national scene.
Since this summer promises tobe hot in ghettosall over the
The Liberator will be reprinting stories from
other nitty-gritty papers from Harlem to Watts.
The Albany Liberator cannot carry on without
your support. You can receive weekly thenews ''from where
it's happening" by taking out either a ''sustaining"' or ''sup-
STATE
Su staining Subscription ($25)
Supporting Subscription ($1 ee
Re esidents of Arbor Hill and he. So
South End and students ($5)
Checks may be made payable tee
"The Albany Liberator.'' [Any help |
at all is appreciated]
otter eee erie
Housing Problems
(from Page 6)
The Brothers feel thatthese agencies
should have investigators to report
existing violations instead of letting
conditions deteriorate until they receive
a complaint.
The Tenant Association plans to act
as the investigators. "If the Building
Commission and the Rent Control Com-
mission were truly interested inbetter
housing in Albany,'! a Brother hypothe-
sized, ''they would cooperate with
groups like us.'"
That isa very big if - one the Tenant
Association will have to solve when it
brings its firstreport ofhousing viola-
tions to Commissioner Gailagher.
~
, sgn
Classifieds
SECRETARY: Freetimethis summer?
The Brothers need a volunteer to work
in their office. The Brothers Head-
quarters, 170 North Pearl Street. 465-°
3347,
WANTED TO SELL: TYPEWRITER,
Hermes portable, good condition, good
carrying case - $40. Phone 465-0719.
1959 PONTIAC,
AUTOMOBILES FOR SALE
8 cylinder, 4 door
hardtop, green and white, $295 or best
offer.
1959 PLYMOUTH FURY, 8 cylinder, 4
door hardtop, white, $175.
1960 CHEVROLET, 8 cylinder,
sedan, black and white, $300.
4 door
‘1962 CORVAIR MONZA, 2 door sedan,
4 speed, $495.
1957 OLDSMOBILE CONVERTIBLE, 8
cylinder, white, needs minor repair,
$100.
1961 CHEVROLET, 9 passenger wagon,
8 cylinder, brown, $395.
1961 CHEVROLET, 8 cylinder, 2 door
sedan, red and white, $350.
THREE TWO-BARRELL CARBURE-
TORS with manifold, fits any 98 Olds-
mobile, $100 or best offer.
COME TO 8 Hall Place or 143 South
Knox Street after 6 pm daily.
Quontity °
Rights
Reserved,
CONVENIENT
LOCATIONS
111 NO. PEARL ST.
93 HUDSON AVE.
484 CENTRAL AVE.
1207 CENTRAL AVE.
1207 CENTRAL AVE. OPEN SUNDAYS
9:30 A.M. TO 6 P.M. FOR YOUR SHOPPING CONVENIENCE —
i
ACAP Plans
Summer Activities
The ACAP program for teenagers
will start July 5. The activities being
offered include athletics--swimming,
basketball, baseball, volleyball,
nis, boxing, judo, horseback riding
and tips on fishing tackle--and arts and
crafts: painting, ceramics, jewelry
making, knitting and sewing, music,
and drama. If there is enough interest
they may start a newspaper.
Buses will arrive at 6:30 PM at the
First Church in the North End and at
200 Green Street and will pickup along
a shuttle route. Facilities being used
include the YMCA, YWCA, Jewish
Community Center,
University, Trinity Institute, »and Ar-
bor Hill Community Center.
Informal activities suchas pingpong,
playing cards and dancing to records
will be held from 9 till 11 PM at St.
John's, Trinity, and the Catherine
Street youth center in the South End,
and St. Luke's Methodist Church, the
Arbor Hill Community Center, and
‘Christ Reformed Church in the North
End. :
Schedules of planned activities will
be posted every few days in the ACAP
office at 103 North Pearl Street and at
Providence House. Those who partici-
pate will be able to help plan the acti-
vities and the program is very flexible.
Tenteenagers will be hired from the
Arbor Hilland South End area toact as
aids to the four adult staff members.
‘Oné of these will work inthe office and
nine in the field. About ten more volun-
teers are also needed.
cd o
If you are interested inthis program,
you can sign up at Providence House,
231 North Pearl Street, the youth cen-
ter at 38 Catherine Street, Arbor Hill
Community Center, or Clinton Square
Neighborhood House.
Weekly Tips
For Welfare Recipients
sponsored by the
Albany County Welfare Union
Do you know that if you are on wel-
fare and donothavea washing machine,
the Welfare Department should either
pay for the purchase of a machine or
pay for you to go to a laundermat? For
additional information about what you
are entitled to under State Welfare law,
call the central headquarters of the
Welfare Union, 465-3347 and ask for 4
welfare steward.
ten-—
Boys' Club, State -
Trash
Whatever disadvantages may be in-
volved, most of Albany's civic action
groups have decided that some kind of
City trash collection should be avail-
able to residents.
Two questions remain-whether the
City will continue trash collection on a
permanent basis and whether it will
provide for the employment needs ofthe
(from Page 1)
present collectors.
Subscribe Now
for Next Week’s Issue
Next Week's Issue will feature:
A report on the Projects--Albany's
Public Housing.
The Brothers' Training Program
See Page 7 for more information
Attention
Anyone living inthe Arbor Hill area
who wants to help in bringing about a
change...The Brothers need freedom
workers, men and women. For infor-
mation as to what you can do, contact
Leon Van Dyke, coordinator of The
Brothers at 465-3347 or stopby the of-
fice at 170 North Pearl Street.
‘took place at the Divis
Gibson Faces Clurges
William Gibson, Liberal candidate
for alderman in the 7th Ward, was ar-
rested and released on bail Sunday even-
ing, June 25, on charges of speeding,
resisting arrest, and disorderly con-
duct. Mr. Gibson pleaded innocent to
all three charges when arraigned Mon-
day morning. The trialdate was set for
July 5th.
The incidenttook place on Lexington :
Avenue when Gibson turned from Clin-
ton Onto First Street. Gibson claims
that a policeman on foot jumped out in
front of his car about half waydown the
block and told him to pull around the 2
corner. The officer charged Mr. Gib- _
son with speeding, and according to
Gibson, pushed him with his night stick 4
and twice turned his flashlight direct- #
ly into his eyes. When the policeman
took an extremely long time to write out
the summons, Gibson claims he-told the
officerhe was returningto his*house to
call his lawyer. : oe i
The officer, with two patrol cars, ei
arrested Mr. Gibson at hishouse while
the latter was speaking to his lawyer on-
the telephone. The charge was re-
sisting arrest. Gibson claims that he
was not placed under arrest by the pa-
trolman and therefore had left the scen
legally. | ss re
Later a disorderly conduct char
was levied against Mr. Gibson. Thi:
. sion 1 headq
ers, Gibson says, when he refused t
answer the questions of the lieutenant
Gibson also claims that the lieutenant
threatened ''to break his jaw." °
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TRASH IS A PROBLEM inthe South End
as well as in Arbor Hill.
trash is located in a backyard near a-
bandoned School #15.
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