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The Augusta News-Review - October 4, 1973 -
■Walking I
I With I
■Dignity
by Al Irby JEEhBIIHJB
|I r , 1!
ARE THE MULTIPLICITIES OF PRESSURES CAUSING THE
UNION OF SOUTH AMERICA TO LOOSEN ITS INVIDIOUS
APARTHEID ? THERE ARE MOVEMENTS IN THE MAKING
FOR BLACK PROGRESS IN SOUTH AFRICA, EVEN IT IS
CERTAIN THAT ITS PACE WILL NOT SATISFY THE
ORGANIZATIONS OF “BLACK LIBERATION” AROUND
THE WORLD.
If the preient trends are substanial, they certainly indicate
gradual racial change. If there is not a radical change, some
English observers are predicting open conflict between the races,
about 1975. But first let us explore the positive eventualities in
this rich and troubled country.
A few months ago 25 Black workers, representatives at the
Anglo-American Corp, of South Africa, met with ten company
executives to air job grievances and to establish permanent
industrial relation council for handling them. The Black members
were elected in a free ballot by fellow Blacks among the 1200
African employees of the mining company’s headquarters in
Johannesburg. Such labor action in he United States would seem
commonplace, where workers are always at liberty to gripe to
their heart’s content; but in South Africa where Blacks,
heretofore, were expected to be seen (and that was only in
certain places), but not heard, a Black voice at management level
was unheard of a few years ago. But of late, Blacks are sitting
across from whites, negotiating on tough labor issues, in scores of
South African plants.
Chief L.M. Mancope, chief minister of Bophuthatswana, one of
the Black tribal states which South Africa is seeking to create as
viable entities under its apartheid (separation of races) program.
Today, the promotion of worker’s council is only one aspect of
an accelerating evolutionary process of bettering the lot of Black
workers. A recent survey covering about 2,000 companies
throughout South Africa shows that Black wages have increased
over 20% in the last year. Minimum pay for gold mine workers
has increased over 50% in the last 18 months.
WORLD OPINION-Many foreign countries, England,
Germany, and America are trying hard to get from under the
stigma of being international slave shop operators. Many other
over-seas companies are getting their houses in order by
up-grading wages for their Black employees.
These companies are offering opportunities for on-the-job
training to energetic Blacks. The South African Nationalist party
is pushing a bill in Parliament which will give Blacks the all-out
right to strike. Heretofore, strikes for Blacks were unthinkable,
though at times they have occurred. Mr. Marais Viljoen, Minister
of Labor in Prime Minister Vorster’s cabinet, made a statement
that certainly sounded as if South African has made up its mind
to change its racial views. The Labor Minister made this statement
to a mix group of visiting English Soccer Players: “Fair wages and
human treatment are basic requirements for a contented labor
force.”
The apparent converted Mr. Viljoen continued with his
unbelievable rhetoric: “It is difficult to escape the impression
that until now the tendency has been for employers, in the case
of lower paid workers, to aim at the lowest possible increase in
wages without seriously asking themsleves whether they cannot
afford to pay more. It is past time for new thinking toward higher
wages for all of our Black workers.”
BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN MIDDLE-CLASS-A group of the
visiting athletes, including some Black West Indians drove through
the mile after mile of government housing project in Soweto,
lohannesburg’s Black community. It was obvious that the South
African urban Blacks were improving economicly. Homes were
neat, and children were well dressed. Bicycles out-numbered
automobiles, but there were a goodly number standing in the
driveways.
Many urban South African Blacks are steadily becoming lower
middle-class. Many Black workers go to their jobs in their own
cars. lan Hetherington, managing director of the Norton Co. PTY
LTD., a subsidiary of the American Abrasives Co. He made this
statement early in 1973: “Blacks at our firm got wage increases
averaging 20% in the year ended March 31, with another 7% this
June. Our company is a firm believer in training programs to
upgrade Black employees. Included are literacy courses aimed at
improving the reading and writing abilities of Africans, and
budget planning dasses to help Black employees handle the rising
volume of money coming into their hands.”
South Africa is certainly a country of many social contrasts,
and economic plateaus. For instance, there is Victor Nikani, a 46
year-old Black personnel officer at the brand new 30-story
Carlton Hotel. Mr. Nikani is in the SSOO to S6OO a month salary
bracket along with white executives doing the same type work,
and receiving the same pay.
Yet not-with-standing these rosy pictures of racial
advancements in many areas of Black habitat, there is dire
poverty. In the province of Transket, and elsewhere, there is
overpopulation, and ignorance is prevalent. But conditions such
as these cannot be held against this African Nation specifically,
because many so-called advance nations have similar conditions
glaringly existing.
inspite ot the criticism that was heaped upon Roy Wilkins of
die NAACP for visiting South Africa, and making the statement
that the African Blacks were helped by the presence of American
a.rd other foreign businesses. No doubt Mr. Wilkins was more
perspicuous than the noisy “Black Liberation crowd”. The
contrast of life-styles are vividly portrayed in two extreme cases.
Joseph Ngoolu, a Xhosa, who farms a small plot of ground that
hardly brings him in a $l5O in cash a year. While Victor Nikani,
in his plush office suite, pulls down near SB,OOO per year.
The South African Blacks are experiencing a population
growth rate of 2.67% a year, and there are certainly more
Ngoolus than Victor Nikanis; but the rising needs of South
African industry will produce more and more Nikanis, if it will
need the strong muscles of the many thousands of Ngoolus.
Observers are pointing out that this small advancement by the
South African government is too little and too late.
The racial war is already taking place on the border of South
Africa. The resistance movement is scoring victories. Africans,
EuraHcans, and Asians are joining forces against the hated “race
tax”, which the natives are paid less than the immigrant workers.
White South Africa must change its racial attitudes in a hurry.
The day of reckoning is looming menancingly.
(Since this article was prepared, eleven Blacks were killed at a
local gold mine, which is a bad omen for progressive Black-white
relations.)
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■ I PHILIP WARING >
2,000 ATTEND U.S. CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS DINNER
With U.S. Senator Edward Brooke (Republican,Mass.) as chief
speaker and recently elected Los Angeles Mayor Thomas Bradley
honoree, the third annual Congressional Black Caucus dinner
drew over 2,000 interracial government, business, entertainment,
political and civic leaders from around the nation on September
29th at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
Formed in 1970, it is a non-partisan coalition of the 16 Black
members of the House of Representatives with a primary
objective of utilizing the legislative process towards helping bring
about full equality of opportunity in American Society. I
understand that Congressman Andy Young, Vice Mayor Maynard
Jackson and Senator Leroy Johnson led a large delegation up
from Atlanta. Did we have any Augusta representatives at this
program?
MANY SOUTHERN BLACK ELECTED OFFICIALS AT
POLITICAL WORKSHOP
Several hundred Southern elected public officials were present
for the one day political orientation workshop which preceded
the Black Caucus dinner. It was sponsored by the Joint Center for
Political Studies and the Black Caucus, and was designed to
enrich the know-how and efficiency of Black elected political
officials. As Blacks have been shut out of the American political
process for so long, this orientation is a good deal for our
Brothers and Sisters.
SALUTE TO MRS. CARRIE MAYS!
It was with deep pride that we note the selection of City
Councilwoman Carrie Mays to serve as Acting Mayor during the
absence of Mayor Newman. This was timely and brought great
credit to the Augusta Community in general and its women and
Black citizens in particular. I was hoping that this story would
make the national Black press but it did not. On the other hand,
the story of the Black Viet Nam veteran who maintained that he
was slighted and not recognized by the city was given wide
publicity in the national press as it probably should have been.
AUGUSTA RECEIVED NATIONAL PUBLICITY VIA JAMES
BROWN ON TELEVISION
Some 20 million television viewers of Johnny Carson’s NBC
“Tonight” Show on September 21 heard famed James Brown,
“The God Father of Soul” describe his “Third World” Night Club
and also Augusta, Ga., his hometown. (For the long or short of it
hundreds of American cities would have loved this kind of
national publicity). When visiting my hometown a few weeks ago
I drove down for a look at the “Third World”. It was richly
appointed, high class and with James Brown’s contacts and
support it could well be one of the outstanding entertainment
spots of its kind in the nation. The CSRA has some 270,000
persons, a huge military installation, medical complex, many
visitors and is less than a two hour drive on excellent highways
from both Columbia and Atlanta, which meahs that this
entertainment center has the potential for great growth and
service. While I’ve never personally met Mr. Brown, I think it’s
dam good to sponsor this type of high class entertainment for the
Augusta-area. This is big league town stuff as is the coliseum idea
advanced by Commissioner Ed Mclntyre for conventions.
LANEY/WALKER BLVD. IDEA BRINGS NATIONAL
COMMENTS
To those of you who don’t know it the Augusta
NEWS—REVIEW has a good circulation and readership around
the nation as witnessed by several letters and phone calls received
by me from other cities on the Laney/Walker Blvd, proposal. As
an example, just tonight my long-time friend, Willie Louis Reid,
phoned me from Detroit where he and his wife Ann were very
much interested in it. (Willie Louis Reid, oldest son of the late
Mr. & Mrs. Freeman Reid and Anne Harper Reid, daughter of the
late Mr. & Mrs. George Harper, both pioneer Augusta families,
were seeped in Negro history and their achievements in the
building of Augusta).
Willie Louis, now retired, has lived in Detroit for many years
and has a wide circle of friends there. Both he, Anne and their
sister-in-law, Ellen Harper Campbell, are avid weekly readers of
the NEWS-REVIEW. Willie Louis said that he was so interested
in questions which we raised about the contributions of the late
Judson Lyon, Treasurer of the United States and Alfred
Wimberly, Collector of Revenue, that he has made special
arrangements with the Detroit Public Library to gather
information from Federal sources in Washington on both men.
This is very good and shows what former Augustans can do
towards helping gather this information because Augusta has
produced many great Black men and women!
ROOSEVELT GREEN, JR. HARD-HITTING COLUMNIST!
So many persons have commented on fellow columnist,
Roosevelt Green’s recent column on the Women’s Liberation
Movement. We thoroughly enjoy Roosevelt week after week with
his hard-hitting and very preceptive analysis of what’s happening
around us, especially in race relations. With his permission, I’d
like to share his August 30th column with friends in this area.
Right On, Brother Green as you are unselfishly making a very
significant contribution to progress in the CSRA and all others
who read you. (You will recall of course that all of us write as a
public service without remuneration. We .. 'ed teamwork and
support because there is no progress without a good Black weekly
newspaper).
fc SUBSCRIBE
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THE NEWS-REVIEW
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BY VERNON E. JORDAN, JR. ■ j
Ar er.sr.y
MINIMUM WAGE VETO HURTS POOR
The veto of a bill raising the minimum wage and the House of
Representatives vote to sustain that veto amounts to a powerful
one-two punch against poor people.
The bill would have raised the minimum wage from the
rediculously low $1.60 per hour to $2 now and $2.20 next year.
It would have broadened coverage to include millions of people
now excluded from federal minimum wage protection including
domestic workers, government employees and wholesale and
retail workers. The most abused sector of the labor force, farm
workers, would also have gained added protection.
Just to look at the low amounts the bill would have mandated
is to understand the callousness of the decision to kill it. A
worker who gets $1.60 an hour for a year of full-time work winds
up with a yearly salary well below the poverty level. The present
$1.60 was set back in 1968 and living costs have gone up to the
point where a $2 minimum would still place the worker in a
situation where his new wage would buy less than the old
minimum did five years ago. He would still be poor.
I simply cannot understand the reasoning that refuses to bring
even this most elementary benefit to the poorest workers in the
country. It has been charged that lifting the legal minimum would
be inflationary and would throw people out of work. But that
argument has been raised every single time the minimum wage has
been reconsidered and it hasn’t happened yet.
Cries of inflation fall on very cynical ears these days when
prices are shooting into the stratosphere and unemployment and
poverty are high. With all the phases and controls, this
mismanaged economy has been caught in the noose of inflation
anyway and helping the poorest segment of the working
population isn’t going to have much effect on rising prices.
A higher minimum and expanded coverage would have its
greatest impact on the South, yet it was primarily southern votes
tht sustained the veto. Every Congressman from Mississippi and
Virginia voted against overriding the veto. Just who do these men
represent? They can’t be thinking of themselves as representatives
of the people of their districts, who rank among the poorest in
the country.
A lot of crocodile tears were shed over what would happen to
workers if the minimum were raised and coverage expanded.
Domestic workers, it was lamented, would be thrown out of
work. Actually, what would hahappen is that domestic workers
would no longer be as cruelly exploited as in the past. The same
holds for farm workers and others.
A sticking point that killed possible compromises was the
Administration s insistence that teenagers get a lower minimum
wage than older workers. This proposal has been kicking around
for a long time and hasn’t gotten much support, primarily
because it is easy to see that it raises more problems than it
solves.
Its supporters say it will encourage employers to hire teenagers
and give them work experience. Common sense tells us that
employers will fire fathers to hire sons and that the only work
experience young people will get is the bitter feeling that they are
being ripped off by doing the same work others do, but for less
money.
Labor is against it because it creates a two-wage system that
will serve as a gaping loophole that violates the principle of equal
pay for equal work, and Black peoples are wary that since our
unemployment rates are higher than the average, someone’s going
to come along and suggest more Blacks would be hired if Black
wage rates were lowered too. 1
The only humane and sensible thing to do at this point is to
ditch the teenage differential, raise the minimum wage for all, and
have all opponents of a higher minimum wage live on $1.60 an
hour until they change their minds.
THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
Mallory K. Midandar.Editor and Publisher
Mailing Address: Box 063 Augusta, Ga. Phone 722-4656
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POLITICAL INCITEMENT... ?
I NEED EXTRA COPIES
1 Below is a listing of some of the businesses in your
j area carrying the News-Review. There is a discount'on
: subscriptions purchased through these merchants.
Broom** On* Stop
3333 Old Savannah Rd. Down B**t Grocery
Skyview Package Stor* 177 Aragon Dr.
r. 1718 Olive Rd. Progressive Grocery Store
k Olive Rd. Laundromat 81 Car Wash 1223 Augusta Ave.
1730 Olive Rd. Barton Village Package Shop
L Lomlnlcks Pharmacy Barton Chapel Rd.
r 839 R Ichland Ava-Alkan, S.C. Whit* Horse Package Shop
81-Rlt* Food Store 497 Berkman Rd.
Rt 3 Hwy 56-Mcßean, Ga. Oak Village Apts.
The Corner Store 104 Capital St
336 Sand Bar Ferry Rd. Chestnut Mlnlt Market
Brinson Curb Market 1601 Chestnut St
606 W. 6th St Hwy 56-Waynesboro, Ga. S & P Curb Market
Delmac Mlnlt Market 8032 Dean* Bridge Rd. Hwy No. 1
601 E. 6th St-Waynesboro, Ga. Quick Shop Store
Hildebrandt* Food Stor* 2877 Dean* Bridge Rd.
226 Sixth St Williams Quick Chek Super Mkt
Tommie* Market 839 East Boundary
202 Telfair St Ashleys Church Supplies
Strickland Grocery 1301 11th St
422)4 Third St Rubys Grocery Store
Jones Variety Store No. 2 1029 11th St
1237 13th St One Hour Martinizlng
Sanders Quality Signs 702 Ellis St
1139 12th St Larrys Market
Plckneys Sales 81 Service 1670 15th St
1257 12th St Dal* Curb Market
Sim* Cleaner* Golden Camp 81 Milledgeville Rd.
1514 12th St Elams Grocery 81 New* Stand
Spur Ga* Station 1206 Gwinnett St
1127 Twiggs St Hanky Tonk Record 81 Boutique
K St W Package St Dry Cleaners 859 Gwinnett St
1216 Twigg* St Hephzibah Pharmacy
Walker Street Grocery Next to Post Office in Hephzibah
220 Walker St Floyd* Grocery
Del Morocco Club 2066 Welnut St 302 Hwy 25, N. Augusta, S.C.
Handyland Food Store Aiken Drug*
Wheel*** & Milledgeville Rd. 101 Lauren* St S.W. Aiken, S.C.
Tate*Grill Budget Food Inc.
2451 Wheeler Rd. Main St, Harlem, Ga.
Hill* Food Store Cantrell* Grocery
1232 Wrightsboro Rd. 2507 Meadow Brook Dr.
Mt Zion Apt-Office Pates Package Shop
2445 Amsterdem Dr. 2102 Milledgeville Rd.
Trinity Manor Apt-Office Jim* Supermarket
2375 Barton Chapel Rd. 2056 Milledgeville Rd.
Sarah'* Place w »ns Pood Store
1702 Broad St 2035 Milledgeville Rd.
Mack'* Grocery Stor* Unity Supermarket
Cherrykee St Thompaon, Ga 2301 Milledgeville Rd.
Kentucky Fried Chicken Tuffey* Restaurant
425 E. Boundary 2061 Milledgeville Rd.
Stop St Shop Package Store Onß Hour Martinizlng
1406 15th St at Wrlghtaboro Rd. 2305 Milledgeville Rd.
Walker Grocery Store 1 ntimo Lounge St Package Shop
1708 15th St 1815 Milledgeville Rd.
Fryer* Barber Shop Nu-U-Hopkin* Wig* 4 Beauty Salon
740 Gibson Dr. At Golden Camp Rd. 2138)4 Milledgeville Rd.
Kwickie Food Store No. 38 Economy Rexall Drug*
Golden Camp St Gip«on Rd. Milledgeville Rd.-Will iamsburg Plaza
Greenway Curb Market Handyland Food Store
1889 Gordon Hwy. Milledgeville Rd.-Carmell Plaza
Texaco 5 Minute Car Wa*h Sight* and Sound*
1639 Gordon Hwy. Milledgeville Rd.-Williamaburg Plaze
Bennie Williams Shoa Shine Parlor Gin* Market
1019 Gwinnett St 1959 Milledgeville Rd.
Gall*'* Sea Food Hurrican Grill
1398 Gwinnett St 1302 Mill* St
Bi-Rite Food Store No. 4 Woodrus* Drug Store
Main St Allendale S.C. Mitchel Shopping Center-Aiken, S.C.
Werren's Drug* Inc. L St N Grocery
Main St, R.R. Ave. Allen&el*, S.C. 602 Monte Sano Ave.
Big-Q-Discount Brown Derby Bar
108 Main St Allendale, S.C. 502 Ninth St
Brown's Grocery Esquire Package Shop
Rt 1 Box 176A Evan*, Ga. 522 Ninth St
Connor's Grocery C.W. Woo Grocery Stor*
Rt 1 Evant Ga. 1001 Ninth St
Community Groceries Ella* Beauty Salon
Rt 1 Box 215 Appling, Ga. 1104 Ninth St
Jim'* Save-A-Lot Grocery Leßas House of Fin* Millinery
Rt 1 Box 44 Hwy 301 Sylvania, Ga. 217 Ninth St
Wall's Minit Mart Turner* Wig Palace
Rt 7 Box 1 Hwy 21 Sylvania, Ga. 211 Ninth St
Young's Exxon Station 81 Grocery Turner* Boutique 81 Beauty Salon
1024 Sandbar Ferry Rd. Beech Island, S.C. 215 Ninth St
O'Hara's Supermarket Palace Diner
3515 Walton Way 827 Ninth St
MArt Minute Store Blaylock Food Store
3819 Washington Rd., Martinez, Ga. 1359 Ninth St
F & P Curb Market Hill's Food Store
3109 Washington Rd. 848 9th St
Variety Food Store Anderson* Clothing Store
Wrigthsboro - Variety Plaza 1599 Old Savannah Rd.
Culpepper Supermarket Robert* Grocery 8t Snack Bar
Washington Hwy, Thompson, Ga. 2064 Old Savannah Rd.
Jarell's Curb Market Tutt* Grocery Stor*
Washington Rd. Across from J.B. White* 1614 Old Savannah Rd.
Colonial Inn Van Package Shop
1341 Augusta Ave. 120 Sand Bar Ferry Rd.
All Maiik Market* Williford Cleaners
Throughout the Augusta Area 426-428 Eighth Street
Clean-Rite Cleener* Newman's Garage 81 Grocery
833 East Boundary Hwy No. 1- Wrens, Ga.
J 81 W - I GA Food Store Davis Case
Hwy 88 Next to Post Office- Hephzibeh, Ga. Broad St. - Louisville, Ga.
Ealy's Taxaco Station Davis Used Car* & Mobile Home*
2899 Deansbridge Rd. Hwy No. 1 Hwy No. IBy Pass- Louisville, Ga.
No. 1 Package Shop Mayflower Restaurant
2856 Deansbridge Rd. Hwy No. 1 Main St, - Wrens, Ga.
Kimberly Grocery High Hat Pacage Shop
Hwy 25 - Hephzibah, Ga. 1601 Old Savannah Rd.
Harley's Curb Market
Hwy No. 1- Blythe, Ga.
If your favorite store Isn't carrying The Newe-Revlew, a* th* manager W
call us at 722-4555 and Ask ForJame* Stewart -