Seve ty-Third Year
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSrY OF MICHIGAN
UNDER AUTHORTY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PusRLcATION5
"Where OpnlonioAra Pro* STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG., ANN ARBOR, MICH., PHONE NO 2-3241
Truth Will Preval"-
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
ESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1963
NIGHT EDITOR: GERALD STORCH
Protest of Ordinance:
Emotion or Thought?
responsible . .
Justified .. .
THE LEGISLATION passed by Ann Arbor's MONDAY NIGHT the A
City Council Monday night has been justly cii passed a half -hea
called an uncomprehensive compromise. housing ordinance. In pr
But when all the name calling is ended, when 70 people, students and re
the 51 demonstrators stop singing "We Shall in demonstration in counc:
Overcome" and go home, one fact remains: Ann was broken; in action an
Arbor now has a fair housing ordinance and testers violated an Ann Arb
that ordinance is, by its very legislation, better loitering.
than no ordinance at all. It is unfortunate that
No one could logically expect Negroes and protested, undoubtedly th
cause-conscious college students to be satis- did not realize the import
fied with the coverage of the ordinance. But action. These people did:
then, no one could expect conservative Council demonstration protesting w
nembers representing a majority of conserva- an unfair ordinance; they
ive citizens, to do anything more. forming this demonstration
tion for civil disobedience i
THE EMOTIONAL and bitter raillery by Dr. is broken must be sacrifi
Albert Wheeler and others at the conclusion law or principle. If the pr
of other city business was singularly ineffectual. then they were justified;i
Although he was justified and undoubtedly ob- acted rashly, without suff
igated, Dr. Wheeler was out of order and acri- of the meaning of civil dis
nonious. He gave, perhaps, ample proof to some
worried elements that nothing short of a legal WIHEN PEOPLE disagree
word, not a shield, would satisfy the Negro but yet have agreed
itizens of this city. government which made t
Such actions give rise to suspicions that re- are responsible for living
>eated attempts to turn the City Council pro- the case of the fair housin
eedings into a picnic of cheering, booing and ers, they have agreed to liv
hquts of "Resign!" signify that the "cause" in the State of Michigan and
the North might be seriously injured by victory Yet they found that they
--victory that removed the martyrdom and ordinance than the one pa
;lory of fighting, singing, shouting and hissing. However, they did not
One cannot help but compare Ann Arbor to ordinance. Unlike a segreg
>laces like Albany, Ga., where persons are ar- forbidding free speech, the
ested on trumped up charges and beaten in break this law. Thus, to pi
ail. There they don't go home after a demon- they chose to break anot
tration-whether illegal or not. mittedly less important-th
loitering. Yet this act im]
[HE SIT-IN Monday night was unimpressive. of the government-city c
It is difficult to see the people of Ann Arbor the law.
esponding favorably to the clearly illegal act They broke this law
Af trespassing on the part of only four Negroes considered far more impra
nd 48 whites who were mostly college students sde ad resiment wpr
nd initiates to the thrill of arrest. for a principle which they
There is probably no clearer evidence in this in. It is their right to do
ity of conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor are willing to accept the
han the general agreement to disregard the punishment.
easonable warnings of Deputy Chief Krasny p
nd City Administrator Guy Larcom and loiter ANOTHER
n the council chambers after the building is N LEVEL,
losed. And they sang, "We Are Not Afraid:" justified in staging a de
Indeed they are not afraid to break the law of the practical effects it
,nd, basking in the warmth of suffering togeth- they have exhibited a willb
rness, disrupt a council meeting with personal for their beliefs, they ha
nsults and bitter blubberings. political cause for which t
it is fortunate for themt
N SPITE of my endorsement for the peaceful, O'Brien did not make ligb
and not necessarily "Uncle Tom" approach but set bond for each at
o ending racial segregation in Ann Arbor, I demonstrations such as thi
incerely oppose the present manner of seeking on the public conscience,t
t, and suggest that those calling the council seriously by demonstratorsa
irresponsible" are not unlike the pot calling alike.
he kettle black. But most important, t
Whether the rest of Ann Arbor's Negroes expressed their concern for
those who didn't sit in) will throw down their they believe. Hopefully, th
dmittedly thin shield of the present ordinance, full implications of their
oin the others in snickering at the "good faith obedience. They are to bec
f the council" and look for a broadsword de- rate, for the sincerity they
ends upon their sincerity in seeking relief, no ing according to their belief
natter how small it may be. -MARJOR]
-ROBERT B. ELLERY AssociateI
A New Look for AHC
nn Arbor City Coun-
rted and token fair
otest, approximately
sidents, staged a sit-
il chambers. The law
d in intent, the pro-
bor ordinance against
among those who
ere were those who
or meaning of their
not simply stage a
what they considered
broke a law in per-
n. The only justifica-
s that the law which
ced to some higher
otesters realized this,
if they did not, they.
ficient consideration
obedience.
with a specific law
to live under the
that law, then they
under that law. In
g ordinance protest-
ve under the laws of
City of Ann Arbor.
wanted a stronger
assed Monday night.
wish to break this
gation lawor alaw
ere was no reason to
otest the ordinance,
her one, a law ad-
he ordinance against
plies a repudiation
ouncil-which made
for something they'
tant. In a sense the
e sacrificing legality
, a minority, believe
this as long as they
e consequences, the
the protesters were
monstration because
t has had. Because
ingness to go to jail
ave dramatized the
hey stand. Moreover,
that Judge Francis
;ht of their actions,
t $25. In order for
s to have an impact
they must be taken
and legal authorities
he protesters have
something in which
hey understand the
act of civil dis-
commended, at any
have shown in act-
fs.
IE BRAHMS
Editorial Director
rh
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L ~cs ua~tv.e,
%*-M I D I
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Readers Protest
COREDAC Confusion
iTRY A FEV STU NTS
WITH AT?
TAX RELIEF:
No Help for the Aged
(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the sec-
ond in a series of articles investi-
gating Gov. George Romney's pro-
posed fiscal reform program.)
By STEVEN HALLER
IN CALLING for a homestead tax
deferral for senior citizens, Gov.
George Romney may well have
alienated a large number of the
very people he has sought to aid.
If nothing else, he has surely
alienated the Legislature's chief
champion of the elderly, Rep. Lu-
cille H. McCollough (D-Dear-
born).
Touching off the controversy is
the second specific legislation in
his 12-part plan. This proposal
asks that "each single-family
dwelling unit, owned and occupied
by a person over 65, be eligible
upon application for tax defer-
ment of up to $200 per year."
Included would be any American
citizens who have lived in Michi-
gan for 10 years and owned their
homesteads for at least five years.
ROMNEY'S PLAN has one glar-
ing loophole, however, in that "the
local taxing authority will be paid
by the state and will have first
call on the property, when it be-
comes available through death or
disposal, to recover the total of
the deferred taxes for the benefit
of the state." In effect,' this re-
duces the entire matter to a simple
mortgage which must eventually
be paid off.
Romney further limits the ac-
tual tax relief available under the
terms of the plan by "suggesting
at the outset, the program be lim-
ited to those with family incomes
of $2000 or less and homesteads
having state equalized values of
less than $5000,"
The program will cost the state
$6 million, but Romney notes that
this is only a temporary situation,
saying, "This cost should remain
constant for a few years; but
should then decline as the defer-
red taxes are repaid through ul-
timate disposition of the property,
thus making the program self-
liquidating. Helping those least
able to pay, this is tax justice."
* * *
IF RECENT COMMENTS by two
of Dearborn's key political figures
are any criterion, the fate of this
Privilegfe
THE SPECIAT freedom that we
grant to a college teacher goes
beyond anything guaranteed by
law or constitution.
As a teacher enjoying a special
freedom, however, he has the right
to speak without restraint not only
from government but from almost
any other source including his own
employer.
THUS-although he draws his
salary from a college or univer-
sity, holds his title in a college or
university, and does his work at a
college or university-he has an
independence from his employer
which in most other occupations
would be denied to him.
. The unfettered mind,
searching for truth in science, in
philosophy, in social sciences, in
engineering, in professional areas
-and then teaching the findings
to millions-has produced impres-
sive practical results, whether or
not these were the original ob-
jectives of its search..-
-Michigan Alumnus
kSSEMBLY HOUSE COUNCIL representatives
are currently considering a proposal to vote
hemselves out of office so that the house
residents may take over their positions. Should
kHC become a "Presidents Council," with the
resident or vice-president of each women's
Ling unit holding one vote, Assembly will un-
oubtedly gain in potential influence as re-
ponsible student organization.
The move is an indication that Assembly is
lot content with the slight progress it has
nade in securing the Office of Student Af-
airs acceptance of the "spirit and structure"
f its "definition of authority."
The progress it will achieve with the imple-
ientation of its definition of authority can
post effectively be supplemented by the con-
ensus of house presidents on dormitory and
ampus issues.
WHILE THE DUTY of attending weekly AHC
meetings is yet another burden for presi-
ents, undoubtedly they are the people who
now the most about house activities, needs
,nd the general attitudes of dormitory resi-
ents. Moreover, since the house president
olds the position of the most responsibility, her
ewpoint both in AHC and in the dormitory
ouse council will generally be more influential.
In addition, a necessary outgrowth of a
Presidents Council" would be a substantial
nprovement in the effectiveness of Assem-
ly's committees. Since AHC's members will
ave other responsibilities to meet, Assembly
ill not longer be able to insist that each AHC
epresentative serve on one of its standing com-
tittees. Instead, committee members would be
elected through petitioning and interviewing.,
N THIS WAY, Assembly can be sure of ob-
tainino nnlv thn ewho are enninely inter-
section of the governor's tax plan
is far from a foregone conclusion.
While Mrs. McCollough has flatly
decried the legislation as "an in-
sult to our senior citizens," Mayor
Orville Hubbard has praised it
effusively. "We particularly like
(this provision). Something has to
give somewhere and the governor's
proposed program seems to provide
for relief where it is needed most,"
he notes.
Mrs. McCollough has vowed to
"fight to the death" against Rom-
ney's plan, and it just so happens
that she has an alternative pro-
posal of her own. Whereas Rom-
ney's plan refers to people over 65
with a family income of less than
$2000 and with a home assessed
at no more than $500, Mrs. M-
Collough asks instead that exemp-
tions be allowed on the first $3000
of assessed valuation of homes of
people over 65 whose yearly in-
come is less than $3000.
WHAT IS more important is the
fact that her plan does not insist
upon what she has termed "a
pauper's oath and a lien clause."
However well-meaning Romney
might have been in asking for
property tax relief for senior citi-
zens,' it is this unfortunate ap-
pendix to the proposal which will
spell the difference between suc-
cess and failure for the bill's pas-
sage in the Legislature.
What makes the stipulation still
more regrettable, as Mrs. Mc-
Collough points out, is the fact
that the state has been giving
similar homestead tax exemptions
to war widows and disabled vet-
erans for some time now without
imposing such a lien upon them.
"We have many retired persons
in Dearborn who. haven't gotten
their citizenship papers and are
too old to do so now. They would
get nothing from the governor's
plan," she adds.
* * *
THE IDEA of property tax ex-
emptions for persons over 65, with
or without a built-in mandatory
mortgage, is not acceptable to
many Republicans, On the other
hand, the lien is not acceptable
to most Democrats, so that finding
some middle ground this fall
promises to be rather difficult. Yet
no one should decry such legisla-
tion, as has been done, merely on
the grounds that it is of direct
benefit to a comparatively small
segment of the population. Such
an objection is totally reprehen-
sible: the fact that Romney's plan
benefits a large number of people
who might have trouble making
ends meet is ample justification
for legislation in this area.
Our senior citizens, many of
whom have been paying for -state-
supported services since they were
old enough to hold a job, have
earned the right to be able to sit
back and enjoy life. Reducing
their property tax rate by a siz-
able amount would surely be a
welcome move. On the other hand,
the state should not hand out its
exemptions only to deprive the
legal heirs of their rightful in-
heritance by seizing the property
for back taxes.
Romney's proposal is a good be-
ginning, but it is only a beginning.
Unless the proviso that such de-
To the Editor:
BOTH the news article on the
first page (entitled "Arrest
Five 'U' Students in Local Demon-
strations") and the "Cityscope"
article (Daily, Sat., Sept. 14, 1963)
are inaccurate. The sit-ins, stand-
ins and picketing at the city hall
are sponsored by the Ann Arbor
Area Fair Housing Association-
CORE in an effort to block any
measure short of an ordinance
which would ensure equal property
rights for members of minority
groups.
The five students arrested Fri-
day are members of AAAFHA-
CORE, and they were arrested as
part of a CORE drive to support
the "Clergymen's Ordinance." This
drive includes the Friday stand-
in, picketing city hall from 7:30 to
9 Saturday morning during a clos-
ed planning meeting of the City
Council and a possible sit-in in
the council chambers Monday
night if no ordinance or the weak
proposed ordinance is passed.
IT IS UNFORTUNATE that the
Direct Action Committee is men-
tioned in the same news article
with Friday's arrests. It is also
unfortunate that the "Cityscope"
article links AAAFHA-CORE and
Direct Action Committee in the
manning of city hall protests. DAC
and CORE are separate groups
with different members and pro-
jects.
At this time it is most important
to have clear press coverage. Any-
thing less than factual reporting
is unfair to Daily readers and the
civil rights groups. Self-righteous,
and on top of that, inaccurate sup-
port, is much less helpful than
complete coverage. May I suggest
that the Daily refocus its "City-
scope?"
-Peter Jensen, '64
No Connection...
To the Editor:
A NUMBER of phone calls in-
dicate that some confusion has
resulted from the front page story
concerning the sit-in demonstra-
tions. The article failed to identify
the sponsoring organization and,
further, included an account of
another organization's activities in
the same article.
The five demonstrators who
were arrested were representing
the Ann Arbor Area Fair Housing
Association, the local affiliate of
the Congress of Racial Equality
(CORE); they were protesting the
weakness of the proposed fair
housing ordinance and urging the
City Council to pass instead the
provisions of the "Clergymen's Or-
dinance," written and backed by
the leadership of all the major
religious and civil rights groups in
Ann Arbor.
A fourth sit-in planned for
Monday night following the coun-
cil meeting in the event that ef-
fective housing legislation is not
passed.
* * *
THE ANN ARBOR Direct Action
Committee, whose statements con-
cerning the police department
were also printed in the front page
article, has no connection with
the Ann Arbor Area Fair Housing
Association-CORE.
-Daryl J. Bem, Grad
Corresponding Secy.
AAAFHA-CORE
Dignity...
To the Editor:
A MAN'S-a black man's search
for dignity in a white racist
democracy is one in which dignity
doesn't exist for black or white,
and will not exist for as long as
the system "oppress the oppress-
ed" sub-consciously remains lodg-
ed in the minds of the white
masses. I think I have reasonable
convictions if not substantial proof
that this is the atmosphere which
contributes to this, a mounting
irony and bitterness, an emerging
race consciousness that burns in
the minds of the Negroes and
stirs his passion and feeds his
angry distress and hate for those
who callously and indifferently in-
flict indignities on him.
Therefore, as a Negro, I keenly
feel the degradation, rejection and
downgrading effects of the white
liberals, and the white power sruc-
ture of this country. Although
they identify themselves as my
comrades, they are my foes in my
fight for freedom.
-Roy Shields,Jr.
Mislab el.. .
To the Editor:
TgHE IRRESPONSIBLE and in-
corrrect coverage by IThe Daily
of Friday's stand-in demonstration
is nothing less than appalling.
Failing to promptly correct its
misstatements about the demon-
stration is unforgivable.
Daily reporters at the stand-in
took no notes. The news story that
was written was incorrect. It mis-
labelled the AAFHA-CORE dem-
onstration by attributing it to the
Direct'Action Committee.
These organizations differ: AA-
FHA-CORE is a non-violent direct
action organization composed of
whites and Negroes working to-
gether to create asoiety in which
equal opportunity for white and
Negro will be realized in respect
to housing, public accommodations
and human dignity.
The DAC, on the other hand, is a
militant organization dedicated to
creating black supremacy. The
means and ends of the two orga-
nizations are greatly different,
ywhich Jean Tenander's editorial
clearly elucidates.
* * *
THE FAILURE to report accur-
ately the story behind the large
photo on Saturday's daily is gross-
ly irresponsible. With two letters
of correction submitted to The
Daily Saturday morning, it is in-,
comprehensible why no correction
has yet appeared.
-Regina Rosenfeld, '64
Dearborn.. .
To the Editor:
THE CURRENT struggle of Ne-
groes and other racial minori-
ties for equal treatment in Ann
Arbor seems to have obscured an-
other issue in which the University
is deeply involved: I am referring
to the situation in Dearborn, where
the University is maintaining an
extension center.
It has been known for a long
time that the prohibiton against
Negroes in Dearborn is absolute;'
moreover, _there' exists. an over-
whelming pressure against the in-
flux of other minorities, such as
Jews, Chinese, etc. This became
clear again last week when a mob
of racists, with the acquiescence,
if not gudance, of the police, was
permitted to wreck an apartment
which was believed to have been
rented to a Negro.
The rumor proved false, and the
purity of this unlovely citadel of
white supremacy has once again
' been preserved.
On other occasions Negro exten-
sion students have been roughed
up by local police. Negroes and
other minority members are denied
restaurant service on a regular
basis.
* * .*
SHOULD the University main-
tain, and currently expand, an ex-
tension center under such condi-
tons? I believe not. If the city of
Dearborn is not prepared to pro-
tect the right of any student or
faculty member to live or eat there
in safety and dignity, then this
operation should be terminated.
The University owes as much to
its students and faculty; what is
more, it owes it to its position of
moral and intellectual leadership.
-Mrs. Eva Masur
(Letters to the Editor should be
typewritten, doublespaced and lim-
ited to 300 words. Only signed let-
ters will be printed. The Daily re-
serves the right to edit or with-
hold any letter.)
(
f
'
3
halls, is probably the single most important
force behind the habitability of the Oxford
housing this fall. This committee also deserves
credit for laying the groundwork for co-ed
housing.
A great deal of time and effort were put into
these projects last year, with the result that
University women now have a wider range of
housing to choose from than ever before. While
there were many AHC representatives serving
on the committee, the ultimate success in plan-
ning for Oxford and co-ed housing is due to
the cooperation of women who volunteered
their services solely because they wanted to
contribute to the implementation of a new facet
of University living.
THE PROPOSAL to change the composition of
AHC is not an attempt to alter the entire
structure and operation of the group. Stock-
well Hall, for instance, which due to its size-
now has two elected Assembly representatives,
will continue to have two votes-its president's
and probably one newly-elected representa-
tive's.
The Oxford project will also retain its pres-
ent voting privileges with a vote being held by
each of the three presidents elected by the
women living in apartments, co-ops and suites.
Future Assembly presidents will still be elect-
ed by the members of AHC. Executive board
positions will still be selected through petition
and interviewing.
SUBSTANTIALLY, THEN, Assembly will func-
tion as usual. However, no longer will there
be the danger of poor communication between
Assembly representatives and house presidents.
No longer will dormitory residents be unaware
of the woman who speaks for them in AHC. No
longer will nresidents be unknown to nne an-
SELF-DETERMINATION:
The Voiceless A frican
IN AFRICA the paramount prob-
lem of today and tomorrow is
that there are still millions of
people denied the right of self-
determination and of adequate
means of achieving that right.,
This problem is still acute over
the entire southern portion of the
continent, an area larger than
two-thirds of the United States-
or 35 times larger than our New
England states-with a population
of 38 million people. More than
34 million of these people. . . have
little or no voice in their own
government.
Within this area, the situation
in the Portugese territories and
the situation of the non-whites in
the Republic of South Africa pre-
sent particularly urgent problems.
* * *
... THE ATTAINMENT of self-
government and independence on
the part of so many states in so
short a time makes the situation
of Southern Africa more of an
anomaly. The recent moves toward
African unity on the part of most
of the independent states of Af-
rica are impressive. One of the
focal points around which they
can unite is this matter of self-
OUR POSITIONS on both of
these subjects are matters of
record. With regard to the Portu-'
gese territories we have for some
years urged Portugal to accept the,
principle of self-determination and
give it practical effect for the
peoples in its territories. With re-
gard to apartheid, this is what
our ambassador to the United Na-
tions said before the Security
Council just a few weeks ago:
"All of us sitting here today
know the melancholy truth about
the racial policies of the govern-
ment of South Africa. Our task is.
to induce that government to re-
move the evil business of apar-
theid not only from our agenda,
but from the continent of Africa."
... In dwelling at such length
upon the most urgent political
problems that face Africa-espe-
cially the politicians of Africa-I
have unwittingly painted a false
picture of that vast continent and
its people.
THERE ARE, indeed, danger-
ous tensions in Africa. But for
the ordinary Africans, for the mil-
lions who are engaged in trying
to get along and improve their
own lot a little, there is more hope
"We've Decided Against The Test-Ban Treaty-
We Want The Right To Develop
Our Own Bomb"
- I I M~h I L''VleAI