<Begin Segment 42>

DG: So did a lot of the hotels have to do some changes then?

TH: Well, so because of that it was not only the fire situation, but then the building department wanted plumbing, electrical work. And the health department said we want this so each department start saying demands onto the operator and getting so that the mayor says, "All right, we are gonna enforce it." They put a time limit on it, which was bad in my opinion. They said within thirty days from this date all buildings have to comply or we'll send the fire inspector to close it. And that's what happened to the N-P and a number of other places because in order to comply within the certain period of time and so much work involved, they couldn't afford to do it.

DG: And that's when you hired the lawyer to ask them to --

ET: Yeah. And we went to this city council meeting and the Black Panthers were there, and they said, "Do we have to burn half the town before you people comply to this minimum housing code?" Of course, they're talking about houses they were renting on 23rd, and half the time the stairway -- I mean, they didn't help to keep the place in good shape. They practically help it tore -- they tore everything apart and nobody wants to help them fix it up. If they were going to tear it down, I mean.

DG: So then were you successful in delaying the deadline a little bit?

TH: No.

ET: When the Black Panthers got in there, they almost forced the people to comply with them and that's when -- what's this, Sam Smith? -- he just turned like this. Up to then, he was more or less catering to us and all of a sudden when the Black Panthers start making their feelings heard well, he just --

DG: This was the late '60s.

TH: '70s, I think.

ET: See, at the city counsel's office. They said they'll burn half the town down.

<End Segment 42> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.