Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
The Saint Paul Sun
Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota
What is this article about?
The St. Paul Branch NAACP sent a protest letter to Gov. Orville L. Freeman against the State Highway Department's appeals challenging property appraisals for the Rondo-St. Anthony Freeway, citing vast appraisal differences, relocation hardships, discriminatory practices, and lack of adequate housing support, threatening injunction if not resolved.
Merged-components note: Story about highway department appraisal and housing relocation continues on page 3; same topic and label.
Clippings
1 of 2
OCR Quality
Full Text
Tactics of
Highway
Dept.
Rapped
In a letter sent to Gov. Orville L. Freeman Monday the St. Paul Branch NAACP registered a formal protest against the action of the State Highway Department in filing the numerous appeals in Ramsey District court "in an effort to upset the appraisal of property in the Lexington-Mackubin length of the Rondo-St. Anthony Freeway submitted by court appointed appraisers."
"The difference between the court and state appraisals in many instances are fantastic," the letter stated. In one case, according to Branch president Leonard Carter, the two appraisals were over $18,000 apart. Mr. Carter's letter continued:
"I am sure that the State Highway Department did not consider the relocation problems confronting the people. The discriminatory practices of certain groups have these persons confined to seek relocation only in the fringe areas of the so-called ghetto. Prices in the fringe areas have gone up in anticipation of frantic buying, and these persons affected by the freeway are caught in this vicious vice.
"A number of committees have been studying the relocation problems of the persons affected by the Rondo-St. Anthony Freeway but, as yet, no solution to the problem has been reported. It is indeed questionable whether or not the state and city have fully complied with Federal Statutes in not providing adequate relocation housing prior to initiating condemnation proceedings.
Further, many of these persons have already received their property awards but the special benefits that they are entitled to under Section 221 of the Federal Housing Act have not been made available to assist them in relocating.
"Unless these inequities are immediately corrected, our organization will be forced to initiate injunction proceedings against the State Highway Department to discontinue condemnation proceedings on this section of the freeway until such time as the persons affected are extended all the protection and rights due them."
The Governor was urged to assist in "settling these many grave and complicated problems." A conference of representatives of the State Highway Department, Attorney General's office, Rondo-St. Anthony Highway Association, St. Paul Urban League and St. Paul NAACP was suggested.
Copies of the letter were sent to Minnesota Senators Thye and Humphrey, Miles Lord, state Attorney General; the commissioner of Highways, Ernest Cooper of the Urban League, and Timothy Howard of the Rondo-St. Anthony Highway Association.
What sub-type of article is it?
What keywords are associated?
What entities or persons were involved?
Where did it happen?
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
St. Paul
Event Date
Monday
Key Persons
Outcome
threat of injunction proceedings against state highway department if relocation inequities not corrected; suggestion for conference to resolve issues.
Event Details
St. Paul Branch NAACP sent letter protesting State Highway Department's appeals against court-appointed property appraisals for Lexington-Mackubin section of Rondo-St. Anthony Freeway, noting large appraisal discrepancies, relocation difficulties due to discriminatory practices and rising fringe area prices, lack of compliance with federal statutes on housing, and unavailability of Section 221 benefits; urged governor to intervene.