Landladies Meet a PBH To Discuss Housing Bias

In an effort to curb continuing discrimination against graduate students seeking housing in Cambridge, the Housing Registry of Phillips Brooks House yesterday held the first of two informatory tea-meetings for local landladies.

Although there has been no marked increase in prejudice, several rooming houses have been dropped from the Registry rolls for discrimination, especially toward Negro and Asiatic students, this year.

As a result, PBH Graduate Secretary Neil D. Hastie '52 called yesterday's meeting and a similar one today. About 60 landladies attended the first tea, and a like number are expected to come this afternoon.

As another step in trying to enforce PBH's policy of non-discrimination, Hastie yesterday announced that there will be a change in the Registry's fall postcards to landladies.

In addition to the usual statement that discriminators will not be retained on the Registry list, the cards now will ask specifically if the landladies will or will not discriminate.

Indian Student Speaks

Addition of this question should make landladies "think more seriously about the problem," Hastie said.

Discrimination was described from three aspects at yesterday's meeting. Hastie opened with general comments relating to administration of the program, and an Indian exchange student, Surandar Suri followed describing the general friendship he has found. Mrs. Earl Redmond, one of the attending rooming-house operators, added that she has found no problems in renting to foreign and Negro students.

Hastie described the meeting as very encouraging. "I think that we might continue them annually,' he added.

The Housing Registry normally employs no criteria other than the anti discrimination rule. It merely gives facts about available rooms to interested students. The Registry is now University-sponsored; continued expansion of its service made continued PBH sponsorship impossible.