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 i " *~a-;j nL4 zx .47a r ! y f~,,,{ : 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