PBH to Fight Prejudice In Room Listing

Paul S. Sarbanes, Graduate Secretary of Phillips Brooks House, indicated yesterday that he will work for a revision in the policies of the University Housing Registry to prevent listing of landlords who discriminate against minorities.

Sarbanes said he would favour a policy of inquiring whether home-owners are willing to rent to non-whites and of refusing to list those who admit to discrimination. According to present procedure, Sarbane explained, the Housing Registry does not directly ask landlords whether they discriminate.

Whitlock Predicts Policy Change

Charles P. Whitlock, assistant to President Pusey for civic affairs, predicted that a change in policy would be made soon by the Faculty Committee of Phillips Brooks House, which has jurisdiction over the housing office.

He said, "I am working with Mr. Sarbanes in trying to revise procedures.... The Faculty Committee should be able to have something definite in a couple of weeks."

Sarbanes did not say whether he favored written pledges or simply verbal promises of non-discrimination from landlords. But he did assert that the Housing Registry "should aim at getting a stronger commitment from landlords in order to obtain listing."

Although questioning of homeowners might shorten the list of housing available to students, Sarbanes said, "I don't think that for the sake of longer listings we should include landlords who openly discriminate."

The Graduate Secretary stressed that Phillips Brooks House has been working on the problem of the Housing Registry for some time. "I'm unwilling to admit that the Larkin letter precipitated action that otherwise wouldn't have been taken,... but it did focus publicity on it," he said.