p. 43

January 5, 1968

Mr. Tom Perry
1710 Knox Road
Vancouver 8. British Columbia
Canada

Dear Mr. Perry:

Thank you so much for your support and encouragement for our fair housing campaign here in Milwaukee. It seems somewhat ironic that, while we are being derided and misunderstood by so many here, we still receive backing, and a surprising amount of understanding from friends as far away as Canada. And no matter how far distant, believe me, your good wishes are deeply appreciated.

You may have hear that the Milwaukee Common Council did pass what it called a "fair housing" ordinance on December 12, 1967. It is an exact duplicate of the state housing law which was already in force, and which already covered Milwaukee. In addition the state law, and consequently the city ordinance, has been estimated to cover only about 30% of Wisconsin housing. I'm sure you can understand then, why I felt forced to vote against this do-nothing ordinance, and why we intend to continue our current campaign until something really meaningful has been finally enacted.

Once again, I want to thank you, your family, and a lot more Vancouverites for your kind thoughts and words of encouragement. They help more than you know.

Sincerely,

Vel R Phillips
Alderman 6th Ward
VRP: mjc