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rrUMj, Sapt. », INI
THE SOUTHFRN ISRAELITE
Tag* Ibi
New Year
Greetings •
Melton & McKinney
Incorporated
Plumbing and Heating
DRake 3-4622 DRake 7-2638
Mwsxwaaswex******
Your Investment
Program
deserves serious thought and careful
study. It should be planned in accord
ance with definite objectives. It should
have diversification and flexibility. Most
important, all investment decisions
should be based on the best information
available.
Our experience, our research, our fa
cilities. and our sources of information
can be of real help to you.
Call on us.
t*»obli.hod 1925
Investment Bankers
Mem bars New York S»pck Exchange and Other
National Exchanges
Downtown Oflce
II Marietta Street
Tot JA. I-093a
Fo, Market suwtnortat J Hmm Dtal JA. 2-3991
Lenox Square OMce
3393 Pooditroo Hood
Tot CE. 3*1*1
Tale of Frustration
Indifference and General Prejudice Stall
A One-Man Campaign for Democracy
Reprinted from ADL Bulletin
Starlight Tower in St. Peters
burg Beach, Fla.—in the words
of its sponsor, John K. Ruff—is
“one of the finest cooperatives
on the West Coast of Florida.
Many fine, outstanding and well-
to-do people, both Jewish and
Gentile, have bought and are
living there and are happy. . ”
In truth, at least on* person
who had bought a Starlight
Tower apartment was not hap
py there. Sidney Weinman, a
Baltimore manufacturer, father
and grandfather — a successful
and contented man by most
standards—found life at Starlight
Tower unbearable. His reason: he
concluded, on the basis of much
questioning and investigation,
that Starlight Tower had insti
tuted a 10% quota for Jews. ■
Mr. Weinman is concerned
with good living. After he
bought stock in the Starlight
Tower Corporation, he spent
much time and effort furnishing
his apartment to his taste. He is
also dedicated to democratic
principle. He learned that per
mission to sub-lease an apart
ment had been denied a couple
because they are Jewish. He
quickly wrote to the president
and board of directors of Star
light Tower, Inc. asking for a
clear statement of policy. He
offered some suggested wording:
"... all applicants for occu
pancy of apartments in Starlight
Towers, Inc., whether purchasers
or as sub-lessees, shall be re
quired to be of good moral
character . . or sufficient finan
cial resources to promptly dis
charge their obligation . . . and
their religious affiliations or
racial backgrounds shall not, in
any case, be considered a (actor
in the acceptance or rejection. .”
Mr. Weinman thought that
such a policy statement would
help build a “cordial and har
monious relationship among the
tenants” by ridding all suspicion
of religious intolerance in Star
light Tower.
Mr. Weinman was aolne in his
request for a statement of demo
cratic princple. W. H. Steed, a
lawyer from Thomasville, N.C.,
had tried to sublet his Starlight
Tower apartment to a Jewish
couple. He wrote to the directors
and officers of the corporation
that the couple were “of excel
lent character and reputation, ac
ceptable in any and all social
groups . . at Elkins Park, Pa.,
Philadelphia, St. Petersburg and
vicinity, or any other place
where they are known. But they
were arbitrarily rejected at Star
light Tower, Inc. for no other
reason than the fact that they
were of Jewish ancestry . . (this
action, is contrary to all prin
ciples of morality and Christain-
ity) . . . If Starlight Tower, Inc.
is now being operated by bigots,
I want to know it now.”
Neither Mr. Steed nor Mr.
Weinman received satisfactory
answers to their letters. Mr.
Weinman took another course of
action. He wrote to all of the
stockholder-tenants, telling them
that he believed that a quota had
been imposed on Jews, that he
considered this unfair and un
democratic. He asked them all
to give their views on the sub
ject to the board of directors. ‘T
cannot help but feel that this
policy is not the wish nor does
it reflect the attitude of the
majority of the owners . . ” he
concluded.
Mr. Weinman’s high hopes
were soon demolished. The ans
wers he received were frustrat
ing, non-comprehending:
—The president emeritus of a
midwestern university replied:
“Relax and enjoy your neighbors
without pushing constantly fbr a
personal principle which will
avail you nothing."
—From Canada came the ad
monition: “We have agreed to
abide by the decisions of the
Starlight Tower board of direc
tors. If you do not feel that the
corporation is supervised proper
ly, perhaps you are not in the
proper atmosphere. It is not my
business to question the board’s
decisions.”
—Another stockholder gave
the most typical answer: “We
all have a personal investment
in our holdings and sincerely
hope that any disagreement can
be settled to our mutual satis
faction.” Period.
A local minister had another
point of view: “I think the issue
is clearly this. Do private insti
tutions have a right to male*
their own rules? If thay dis
allowed Jews altogether, I think
there would be discrimination.
But since they don't, I cannot
feel that you are justified In your
position.”
There were other answers too,
from Jewish as well as Chris
tian stockholders. Almost all of
them had the same tone: “For*
get your principles—don’t stir up
trouble.”
Mr. Weinman’s one-man cam*
paign has, to date, gained him.
nothing but fruiatration—and 0
reputation as being “trouble-!
some.” Because he is a man of
principle, he has sold his hold
ings in Starlight Tower and
moved out. The atmosphere
around Starlight Tower—“one of
the finest cooperatives” in the
Sunshine State—is still dense
and unyielding.
JOYOUS
HOLIDAY
GREETINGS
to My Customers
and Friends
Rose Terry
bressmaker and Tailor
1000 Peachtree St., N. E.
Atlanta, Ga.
TR. 4-4948
CORDIAL
NEW YEAR
GREETINGS
Irvindale Farms Dairy
Milk • Ice Cream • Cottage Cheese
Delicious Eggnog:
WE DELIVER
RADIO DISPATCH
Wholesale — Retail
CALL TRinity 2-7703
484 Plaster Ave., N.E.
Atlanta, Ga.
Sales Representative
H. RUBIN
r«Ni
NEW YEAR
GREETINGS
To The Jewish Community
McConnell Cloth Shops
149 Sycamore
L
Decatur, Ga.
DR. 3-9209