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POR TLA ND
V o lu m « 3, N o . 4 4 P o rtla n d , O re g o n
AN IGUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
THE ONLY
NEWSPAPER IN
THE WHOLE
WIPE
Dump truck belonging to David Daw ion wait» (or P.U.C.
license.
Black dump trucker
meets opposition
David Dawaon haa applied
to the Oregon State Public
Utilities Commissioner for a
dump truck license. Oregon
law requires that in order to
obtain a license an applicant
must prove the need for the
truck anil that other persons
ran contest his application.
At the present time there
is only one Black licensed
dump truck owner in Oregon.
W illia m Jones, who was
awarded his license this last
spring.
Four white truckers have
protested the application, in
eluding Arnold Johnson and
Aaron Hunt.
Daw son purchased his
truck in June and applied
immediately for a license,
lie contacted several ron
tractors and found that there
is work available but that he
needs a license.
He also
found that the white truck
companies will not hire a
Black dump truck driver.
Dawson has been working
for W illiam Jones but is
anxious to begin work on his
own.
When Jones applied for his
license he also met opposi
turn from the white truckers
who claimed there was not
enough work. However, an
other while truck owner had
recently been awarded a
license with no contest.
Dawson has found that
some contractors are willing
to meet their affirm ative
action requirements through
hiring a Black dump truck,
hut that Black companies are
not available. This is one of
the reasons he maintains
that his truck is needed
It
was also verified at Jones'
hearing that there is a need
for additional trucks and that
existing trucks cannot handle
all of the work.
A native of Portland, Daw
son has o|>crated the House
of Sound for the past 6
years. His decision to pur
chase a dump truck was
precipitated by this three
year old son, Che, who asked
for it.
PCC receives grant
for Vet Service*
p
Portland Community Col
lege has been awarded $109.
000 to improve and increase
services for veterans.
M onies w ere
aw ard ed
through the Cranston Amend
inenl. passed by Congress
the spring of 1973, to col
leges and universities who
showed at least a 25% in
crease in veterans over the
previous year on a head
count basis. PCC‘s veterans
enrollment totaled 2,251 in
1972 73, an increase of 121%
in one year.
It is the intention of the
Cranston Amendment to have
one half the allotted funds
designated for improvement
of service for veterans and
one half for the school's gen
eral fund.
However, Port
land C o m m u n ity C ollege
president Amo De Bernardis
has directed that the college's
entire award be expended
for the improvement of ser
vires for veterans.
The PCC veteran's pro
gram, to liegin immediately,
Nate Proby, Chairman of the United Minorite Workers,
discusses intentions to place minority workers in . II publically
funded jobs.
progran^
Al
though the ap p ren tice s
program was revised several
years ago in an effort to
include more minorities, the
program is not functioning
properly because the unions
are still not accepting Blacks
into their apprenticeship pro
grams.
An example is the
E le c tric a l W o rk e rs U n io n ,
which had 243 apprentices on
December 31. 1972, of which
16 were Black, one Oriental,
one Indian, and one Chicano.
placed.
Others have been
placed in apprenticeships and
■Wl er serving two or three
ye ar* successful
are lerm i
nated or .q u it because of
overt disrrimina'ion, so that
few of those who do get into
the apprenticeship program
get journeyman status.
Proby was told by Bill
Schultz. Chairman of the
State Apprenticeship Coun
cil, that he
dissatisfied
with the program but has
been unable to make changes.
Although contractors and
unions state they are look
ing for qualified minority
workers, a large number of
Blacks have passed the ap
prenticeship entry examina
tions and have not been
The total of apprentices
reported by the State Ap
prenticeship Council is 2,037.
Sixty three are Black, 10
Oriental, 15 Indian. 19 Chi
cano. and 2 other.
Farmworkers fill jails
Cesar Chavez, head of the
Unitixf Earm W orkers Union,
has called on s u p p o rte rs
across the nation to "stand
with us and be arrested".
A p p ro x im a te ly 2500 farm
workers and their supporters
have been arrested in the
The arrests result from an
injunction that restricts pic
keting of the struck fields to
one picket for every 100 feet
and restrictions on the use of
bullhorns. Chavez says the
restrictions violate constitu
tional rights of free speech
and assembly.
Fresno of
ficials have avoided a court
test of the constitutionality
of the injunction by charging
pickets with refusal to dis
perse.
I Please turn to pg. 6, col. 21
Bike offer extended
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r id e f o r
h e a lt h
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those who save now!
FOLDING BICYCLES
With $5,000 deposit - $25
With $2,500 deposit — $35
With $250 deposit — $45
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With $2,500 deposit - $60
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Franklin
Hobart H Hazan. Praa • 22 Ottica» • Phona 248-1234
Homi Ottica Franklin Bldg , Portland. Oragon 97204
San Joaquin Valley during
two weeks of mass demon
strations.
About 300 persons remain
in jail, including a group of
59 priests and nuns held in
the Fresno County Jail who
have been on a hunger strike
for eight days.
Chavez
blasted the arrests as "a dis
graceful misuse of justice . . .
truly a blot on America."
John Beck, Plumbing Contractor, Eugene Jackson, Busi
ness Manager of the Albina Contractors Association, and
Tom Holcraft of Holcraft Homes discuss need for minority
employment.
Contractors agree
Tom H olrraft of Holcraft
Homes agreed Monday to
sub contract work to minoirty
contracts.
Holcraft Homes
builds a number of houses in
the ,*'hina area.
Holcraft
was approached by John
Beck re g a rd in g p lum bing
work on a group of houses on
N.E. Stafford Beck said he
was unable to make contact
with Holcraft so he showed up
at the job with his crew,
4
I
I
demanding work. A fter dis
cussing the m atter with the
representative of the Albina
Contractors Association, Hoi
craft agreed to ask his plumb
ing contractor to give a
portion of the plumbing work
to Beck.
Holcraft also agreed to
notify ACA of future build
ing plans so minority con
tractors can bid on the jobs.
Approximately 50 ranches
are being picketed, including
those whose contracts with
the U F W U ex p ired tw o
weeks ago. The strike has
spread from the grape and
lettuce fields into melons.
The Union began as a
m ovem ent
among
farm
w o rke rs to organize for
better wages; fringe benefits
such as social security and
unemployment compensation;
sanitary working conditions
such as having toilet facilities
and running water available
to workers; and improved
safety conditions such as safe
pesticides.
Many of the
contracts signed three years
ago, after years of pickets,
strikes and boycotts, have
expired and negotiations be
tween the growers and the
union are at a standstill.
PEOPLE
Homeowners complain -- poor work
The Observer continues to
receive complaints from com
munity residents on federally
funded rehabilitation done on
their homes.
Most of the
complaints are regarding the
quality of the work produced
by the companies contracted
to do the work and the
seeming lack of concern on
on the part of Portland De
velopment Commission cm
ployees who oversee the
work.
prenticeship
T h u rs d ay, August 9, 197 3 10< p er copy
WORLD THAT REALLY CARES ABOUT
Minority Workers sue unions
Nalhun Proby, chairman of
the United M inority Workers,
announced that his orgariiza
tion will immediately file
suits in federal court against
four local unions, charging
racial discrimination.
Unions named in the suit
are the Plumbers Union.
Sheet Metal W orkers Ix»cal
16. International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers I area I
46. and the International
Brotherhood of O p e ra tin g
Engineers.
The U M W also intends to
see that minority employees
are hired in all federally
funded co n stru ctio n jobs.
They are currently meeting
with Hoffman Construction
Company to negotiate jobs
on the federal building being
constructed in downtown.
Proby said the U M W does
not want to shut down jobs,
because e v e ry o n e needs
work, but that they will close
jobs 11 necessary to obtain
minority employment.
The four unions are charged
with discriminating against
minorities in union member
ship and in the apprentice
ship program.
Proby ex
plained that the Operating
Engineers have about tiOfM)
members and say they have
17 minority member*.
Mr.
Proby took five Blacks and
five Indians to the Operating
Engineer* to apply for mem
bership, but they were re
fused membership.
Harold
Pippins, President of the
U nion,
said
th ey
w ere
not accepting app licatio n s
for members and that mem
hers have to be journeymen,
hut they might establish an
a p p r e n t ic e s h ip p ro g ram .
Business manager Bus* Joy
said there will be no ap
prenticeship program and no
changing of requirements.
One of the ways the unions
retain their all white mem
bership is through the ap
OBSERVER
Mrs. Ernestine Greer com
plained about the work done
on her home in the Wood
lawn area by Morris Con
struction Company.
Mrs.
Greer's complaints include:
the paint around the win
dows on the front of the
house is peeling off; the
bathroom sink leaks; metal
edging on the bark roof is
bent; the downspouts on the
garage are coming off and
the splash box is missing.
Mrs. Greer was referred ori
ginally to Morris Construe
tion Company by her re
habilitation counselor. Bobbie
Jackson. When she talked to
Mr. Jackson after the work
had been completed, he said
he would do what he could.
M r. Morris promised to re
pair the work, which was
done during the summer of
1972. but has not done so.
Mrs. Bosie Davis' home was
re p a ired by E a rl D r y e r
through the Portland De
velopment Commission.
Mrs. Davis reports that
when she contacted the elec
trician about her fuse box he
told her to call the general
contractor. M r. D ryer, be
cause if he came he would
have to charge her $15 per
hour. She called M r. Dryer,
who told her that he would
also have to charge $15 per
hour. PDC guidelines state
that the work is guaranteed
for a year. Mrs. Davis gave
up and did not call Mr.
D ryer again.
Mrs. Davis' complaints are
that no sealant was put
around the bathtub, allowing
the w ater to run under the
linoleum. The pipes leading
to the toilet leak. The win
dows were to have been
made to open, but when the
worker broke a window pane
of glass in one, he did not try
to loosen the others.
Mrs. Davis did not see her
PDC Behabilitation specialist,
W arren Hansen, after the
work was completed, and did
not tell him about her dis
satisfaction. Mrs Davis, an
elderly lady, said she did not
know where to find him
when he did not contact her
She decided to give up and
accept what was done, but
wonders why the contractors
will not do a good job when
they are paid with federal
grants.
A lady who prefers to
remain anonymous at this
time complains that she re
ceived nothing for her $750
grant. She was to have had
a new sink, a new front door
and repairs to porch and step
railings
Her sink leaks and
the area where the pipes
come into the house was not
covered, so one can look
outside from in the kitchen.
The front door does not fit.
has no weather stripping,
and the door knob keeps
coming loose. The rails were
not repaired.
The lady has complained to
her rehabilitation counselor
but he told her she should
sign the contractor's check
because "we need to live,
too". She has been waiting
since January for the work
to be completed, but now
plans to pursue the matter
w ith H U D .
Warren Hansen, the Be
habilitation Counselor, said
the lady had refused weather
stripping around the door,
but he would look into the
matter and have the work
done if she so desires.
Ben G ant purchased a
home that he said had been
rehabilitated by H U D .
He
bought the home for $10,950
through Plummer Beal Es
tate with a loan from First
National Bank.
When he
moved in he found there
were 6 violations of city code
which must be re p a ire d .
There were also 5 violations
of the Property Behabilita
tion Standards for the King
V ernon Sabin Neighborhood
Development Program.
Gant applied for a home
repair grant from PDC to
make the repairs required
by the city.
He was first
told that he was ineligible
because he had no income.
He was advised to apply for
his unemployment compen
nation so he would have an
income.
He then contacted
PDC again and was told by
Vern Smith that PDC could
(Please turn to pg. 6. col. 3)
PPS increase voluntary busing
P o rtlan d Public Schools
administrative transfer pro
gram. designed to alleviate
over crowding and racial im
balance in the school system,
expects some 2.000 students
in the program during the
school vear beginning this
fall.
The voluntary transfer pro
gram was initiated by the
Board of Education in 1965
to help reduce racial isolation
and o vercro w d in g in the
neighborhood schools, parti
cularly in the Model Cities
area.
One major part of the
program is the suburban
transfer plan which began in
1967.
Under this program
stu d en ts from schools in
which racial imbalance exists
can transfer to certain co
operating suburban school
districts.
During the 1972*73'school
year a total o fi(J 5 students
participated in the suburban
transfer program.
School
officials expect that number
to climb to about 150 this
year.
Under the suburban trans
fer program Portland stu
d e n ts fro m e le m e n t a r y
schools such as King, Wood
lawn, Humboldt, Boise, V e r
non, Sabin and Irvington
were transferred to elemen
tarv schools in Beaverton,
David Douglas. Lake Oswego
and Parkrose school districts.
Jobs,
training
on agenda
The Oregon .Administrative
District I I Manpower Area
Planning Council, chaired by
Mayor Neil Goldschmidt, will
hold its monthly meeting on
Friday. August 10. at 9:3t>
a.m. in the W ater Services
Building Auditorium. 1600 S.
W. Sixth Avenue.
The
agenda will include the AGC
Hometown Plan, the Portland
OIC program proposal, and
NYC In School proposals. All
interested persons are invited
to attend.
The M A PC is responsible
for making funding and pro-
gra nt ma t ic recom menu a t ions
to the Department of Labor
on manpower programs oper
ating in the four county
metropolitan area.
Those districts entered into
agreements with the Portland
School district with Portland
p ro vid in g t r a n s p o r t a t io n
through state and federal
funding.
An expanded administra
live transfer program will be
in operation in the Portland
schools in 1973-74. Teams of
specialists w o rkin g under
T itle IV of the Civil Rights
Act during the summer and
last spring have been assist
ing students and parents in
becoming involved in the
program.
Expectations are
that nearly 500 new transfer
students will be added to the
program.
Last year 53 Portland ele
m e n ta ry schools received
nearly 1,600 student trans
fers.
Actors James Phillips and Rod Smith portray a scene depicting another version of how the
West was really won.
I Photo by Rosemary Allen)
Street Theatre entertains crowds
For the first time in Ore
gon an Acting Company of
ten actors will not only per
form free of charge before
the public, but they will also
bring the show to the public.
This unique company is ap
p ro p ria te ly e n title d " T h e
Oregon Free Street Theatre".
During August the Free
Street Theatre will perform
within a 100 mile radius of
Portland.
All performances
are presented outdoors in
cordoned off s tre e ts , play
grounds, parks, campgrounds,
shopping center parking lots,
ball fields, etc.
The theme. Man and Land,
structures the outline of a
ninety minute presentation
packed with music, comedy,
dance and drama. Much of
the program is devoted to
wards generating creative
thought and dialogue between
the cast and an adult audi
ence.
The Company is headed by
L e w is and C la rk faculty
members James Ostholthoff,
assistant professor of Thea
tre, and Allan K ittell, pro
fessor of History.
James
O sth o lth o ff w orked in a
street theatre workshop in
Chicago as a coordinator.
The Chicago Theatre, which
was located in the Black area
on the west side, was made
jp of 30 youngsters.
The Oregon Free Street
Theatre project is sponsored
by Lewis and Clark College
and funded by grants from
Joint Committee for the Hu
manities in Oregon and the
Rockfeller Foundation of New
York.
Most of the material used
in the performances are writ
ten by members of the cast.
The "theme" song, which
asks a question to the public,
was written by cast member
Jim Studer, while all dance
choreography was originated
by cast member Eric McGill.
In each performance 2 or 3
actual O regon co u rtro o m
trials are portrayed. One in
volves Indians and their being
alienated from the land; Jap
anese and land alienation as
a result of imprisonment in
concentration camps; and city
dweller's alienation from land
as a result of urban renewal
and the like.
The performance by no
means seeks to serve as a
spokesman for minorities or
civil rights. But, likewise, it
portrays a clear concise pic
ture of man and his relation
ship to the land; sometimes
positive and sometimes nega
tive.
So, for pleasurable, in
formative and soul searching
evening or afternoon enter
tainment, check the schedule
below for an Oregon Free
Street Theatre performance
in your neighborhood.