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A letter to the editor
Dear Sir:
This letter has been sent to
me in the hope that it might help
illuminate the welfare crisis in
our society. I sent It along to
you with the hope that It will do
Just that. For obvious reasons
the child must remain anony
mous.
Yours truly,
Dr. Charles Grossman,
Chairman
From a
w elfa re ch ild
A STATEMENT BY
A WELFARE CHILD
To all the people who don’t
care about me and kids like me.
My Mom cries a lot and I
know she loves me - but I need
ed a pair of shoes for school
and she couldn't get them for
me, so I took a pair from a
store. I didn't want to but I
didn't have any money to buy
them and I want to go to school
so I won't have to go on welfare
like Mom. We don't have enough
to eat all the time either and
I didn't have a coat for a long
time this winter.
Nobody likes welfare and they
don't like us welfare kids, but
nobody wants to do anything to
help us get off of welfare.
I know enough about politics
to know I don't have any rights.
I don't have the right to ask for
more to eat or to be warm or
to even have a house to live in.
I don't vote so I don't count.
Those people in Salem decide
whether I w ill be hungry and
cold or not, and I've been cold
and hungry a long tim e.
But I am told I must respect
the people who do this to me.
I try to - I try very hard.
Save our
children
HELP US SAVE OUR
CHILDRENI
The time has arrived again
when the state government de
cides about welfare, and if chil
dren will be allowed enough
money through the ADC pro
gram to live with any degree of
decency.
The Governor has already de
cided against the children by
submitting only 80% of the low
est living standard. Does your
child deserve only 80% of life??
NOI Our children deserve 100%
of lifel It is only because chil
d r e n have no political power
that they are given so little con
sideration by those in govern
ment that could do better by the
children if they chose to|
So in order to help the plight
of the children, we are sponsor
ing a children's lobby to Salem
to present their case before all
to see. The time will be an
nounced later. We ask only that
you be there to SAVE YOUR
CHILDRENI Let's stop the wel
fare cycle and give the children
a chancel
Transportation will be free.
Just be prepared WITH YOUR
CHILDREN TO GO when the
time comes.
Remember if you don't care,
nobody w lll| But if you show
YOUR concern SO WILL O T H -
ERSI
Firemen
PCC offers civil
service exam classes
E xam s S et
The Portland Civil Service
B o a r d is currently recruiting
able young men Interested in
careers with the Portland Fire
Bureau.
F ire fighters start at $695
p e r month, with periodic in
creases to $903 after five
years. They work a shift of 24
hours on duty and 48 hours off
duty, with 24 paid vacation days
per year. Additional benefits in
clude city paid family health in
surance and a "top" retirement
plan. All higher level positions
are filled by promotional exam
inations.
Applicants must between the
ages of 21 and 25 inclusive (21
and 30 for veterans), at least
five feet seven Inches ta ll, phy
sically and mentally fit, and
have a high school education or
equivalent.
Orientation sessions dealing
with the work of a fire flghtar
and sessions on taking civil
service examinations have been
arranged for the later part of
January.
Applications and are being
taken through January 29, 1971.
For applications and informa
tion about the orientation ses
sions contact the Albina em
ployment service centers.
Four separate o n e - n i g h t
classes, reviewing C ivil Service
e x a m i n a t i o n procedures, de
signed to assist persons who
wish to take the Portland F ire
Department examinations, w i l l
be held by Portland Community
College.
The examination preparatory
class w ill be held in the Cas
cade C e n t e r Student Union
Building, Room 310-A, on Jan
uary 18 and 25, starting at 7
&O
h y
p.m . The Student Union building
is at 5605 North Borthwick.
Another class will be held at
the Fire Department Training
Center, 2915 S. E. 13th Place,
on January 21, at 7 P.m.
The same examination prepa
ratory class w ill be offered on
January 26 at 7 pun., meeting
in Room A7-ST, M t. Sylvania
campus, 12000 S.W. 49th Ave
nue.
I n t e r e s t e d persons should
telephone the Portland Commu
nity College Basic Education
Department at 244-6111 for fur
ther information.
Cash and Maxey's
Barber Shop
4603 N. William* Avenue
Phone 284-5188
A generation ago only about
half of each mature tree har
vested found its way into wood
products.
TURKEYS A N D CHICKEN BARB-QUED TO ORDER
F arm er’s p lea to N ix o n
There is a sardonic twist to
James Farm er's plea asking
P r e s i d e n t Nixon to raise his
voice in behalf of racial Justice.
T h e nationally famous civil
rights leader resigned his post
as A s s is t a n t Secretary of
Health, Education and Welfare
precisely because his efforts to
get the Administration to com
mit Itself to an affirm ative dec
laration on racial adjustment
were embarrassingly fruitless.
What makes him think that
now that he is out of govern
ment, M r. Nixon would be more
amenable to his counsel than
ever before. Though the resig
n a t io n
has heightened M r.
Farm er's
image as a civil
rights advocate, his semi-apo
logetic stance for the Adminis
tration gives the impression
that he is unable to cast off the
Nixon hypnotic spell on him.
Though he admitted his disap
pointment over the Administra
tion's failure to give financial
support to minority-owned busi
nesses, and expressed his anx
ieties over the GOP campaign
strategy in the off-year Con
gressional elections, Farm er
w as
uncharacteristically re
strained in voicing these stric
tures.
Farm er possesses one of the
keenest minds on the American
socio-political scene, yet in the
i n t e r v i e w on CBS television's
FACE THE NATION, he exhibit
ed neither depth of perception
nor critical introspection when
he expressed doubt about M r.
Nixon's decision to w rite off the
black vote. For, there is ample
and palpable evidence in support
of that contention. The Adminis
tration's refusal to take Farm
er's advice and the manifest in
difference to his departure from
HEW are in themselves indel
ible proofs of the contempt for
the black electorate.
THE RIB PIT
“REAL EAR B QUE”
ATTHE LOCAL teletype
machine relaying informa
tion to Guilds Lake yard.
RIBS -
BEEF -
HOT LINKS -
CHICKEN
GL 4-6153
GENE A MARY YOUNG
Farm er is a cautious and
prudent man, but one who never
bites his tongue when major in
terests of the Negro race are
at stake. We didn't expect him
to come out blasting away at the
Administration as others have
done. What was expected of him
was an unemotional, factual de
lineation of the Administration's
rationale on civil rights and the
collateral issues that revolved
around them.
10301 N E 10th St
vaa>
M llT V U * w*«M
i M f l TO H f w tIO u O *
PORTLAND
CLEANING WORKS
NORTH & N.E. PORTLAND
ONE DAY SERVICE
We Give
KNIT BLOCKING
OUR SPECIALTY
We Give
M IN O R REPAIRS—N O CHARGE
PICK-UR & DELIVERY
It is as plain as day that the
Administration is pursuing a
PART OF THE business is
strategy designed to bag the
relaying information over the
Southern vote at whatever costs.
direct communication system.
The mathematics of this polar
ization w ill in due tim e deter
mine its wisdom and effective
ness. The interlude, of course,
has already deaccelerated the
civil rights movement which
three previous Administrations
A new note of better days to
had set to motion. It may also
come was sounded when Gov-
spell disaster for the Republi
e l e c t John C. West of South
can Party.
Carolina named a black man as
James Farm er could have
assistant to the Governor tor
served that notice to the GOP
human resources. In that capac
leadership in words that only he
ity, James E. Clyburn w ill co
could utter with relevant rheto
ordinate programs in the area
ric and reasonance. We are dis
of human resources develop
appointed but not disgusted.
m e n t and handle liaison with
agencies administering human
resource programs.
M r. West, a Democrat who
defeated Representative Albert
W. Watson, a conservative Re
publican who believes in segre
gation of the races, by 29,OCX)
votes. Solid Negro support for
M r. West provided the winning
margin.
He has pledged an adminis
tration dedicated to "unity and
reconciliation." Two days after
PORTLAND/OBSERVER Jan. 21, 1971
his election, he announced plans
to establish an official state
human relations commission.
The Northwest’s Best Weekly
This was an objective on which
A Black Owned Publication
all the civil rights groups of
South Carolina had established
Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2726 N.E. Union
an urgent p rio rity .
Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97212.
This is the firs t tim e in mod
Subscription rates: 60 cents per month by carrier, $5.00 per year;
ern history that a major staff
$6.00 per year by mail in Tri-County area; $6.25 per year by mail outside
position in the Governor's office
Tri-County area. Phone 2 S 2 -O 9 2 0
has been given to a black mafl.
This is one more convincing ev
ALFRED LEE HENDERSON, Publisher and Editor
idence that consolidated black
vote is prying open doors that
were heretofore closed to Ne
groes.
o r iin
«TAM
B la ck v o te
sh o w s fru it
282-8361
3968 N. William«
O R C I
STAM I
“ You’ve Tried The Rest, N ow Try The Best’’
N. Alexander, Proprietor
FIRE FIGHTERS WANTED
Serve your community as a fire
fighter with the City of Portland
Fire Bureau. No prior experience
necessary. Salary starts at $695
with periodic increases to $903
after five years. Many benefits in
cluding “top” retirement plan, sick
leave, and city paid family health
insurance.
Candidates must be a high school
or GED graduate, age 21 through
25, (21 through 30 for veterans) and
be at least 5’7” tall.
For applications and information
about orientation programs on fire
fighting and taking civil service
tests, contact the Albina employ
ment service centers. Last day to
file is January 29, 1971.
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