Atlanta Daily World

Federal Court Asked To Halt Use Of Bennett Law

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (ANP)- Attorneys for the NAACP last week filed a motion with Federal District Court here asking that the city of North Little Rock be restrained from enforcing its "Bennett ordinance." The ordinance, which its author, State Atty. Gen. Bennett, admitted was intended to keep the NAACP busy and out of the integration battle, requires certain organizations to reveal to city officials information about membership and other data.

The motion was filed with Judge Roy W. Harper, and asked that Dec. 19 be set as the date for the hearing. It was filed in connection with an NAACP suit alleging that the ordinance violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and federal laws.

A similar suit was filed against the city of Little Rock, where the "Bennett ordinance" was first adopted. However, the city and the NAACP agreed to stay action in federal court until the matter has been dealt with in state courts. Despite this, however, A. Fair, Vice president of the North Little Rock NAACP, was arrested Nov. 30 for failing to comply with the ordinance and fined $25.

Since its passage by the Little Rock city council, several other cities have come up with similar edicts, aimed largely at the NAACP. And in a speech in Little Rock recently, Atty. Gen. Bennett admitted that the ordinance was intended to keep the NAACP busy so it won't file integration suits in the courts.

Last week's motion was filed by NAACP attorneys George Howard Jr., of Pine Bluff and Robert T. Carter of New York City.