The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-12-07
BEFORE PUBLIC SERVICE COM.
MISSION AGAINST DISCRIMI-
NATION ON BOATS. ..:
Hawkins Protests
Against Inferior Accommodations
Provided for Negro Passengers
Who Are Limited to Two State
Rooms Undesirably Located, and
Other Distinctions.

-- Baltimore, -Md.,-Deeember- -6,-A
nearing Of the complaint of Attorn.
ey w. Ashbie Hawkins against the
determinations that the race has to
sufer on the boats plying the Ches-
apeake Bay and it's tributaries was
held before the Public Service Com
mission Monday Ma Hawkins tes-
tihed that the Baltimore. Chesa-
peake and Atlantic Railway, against
whose boats the protest was made
only provided two staterooms out Of
80 or more, for the use of first class
colored passengers, and that these
two were badly ventilated, and that
occupants thereof suffered much
Inconvenience because Of the fact
that they were located on either
side Of the card room and toilet for
white men, where all kinds of noises
prevailed during the night He al
SO said that the boat company made
the coloTed passengers wait until,
after the white passengers had been
served with meals, and that the boat
company offeEed them these meals
for ten cents less because of the
long wait. His testimony was cor
roborated by George A. Watty,
Grand Chancellor Of the Maryland
Knights of Pythias and a frequent
user of the various lines Of the
company, and Mrs. D. Grant Scott,
Of this city. The Commission held
| their decision in abeyance until
after they had made a personal in
spection Of the companys methods
Eof han ding its colored passengers.
ers.
AT the beginning Of the hearing,
Attorney Ralph Robinson, who rep
resented the boat company, contend
ed the Public Service Commission
had no jurisdiction and that the
matter should come before the Grim
inal Court under the separate car
law. Mr.. Haskins held that the
commission had ample authority
as 1T was a civil matter and as the
commission was charged with the
duty Of securing fair play and
equal accommodations for passen-
gers, as we'll as those who shipped
freight. Mr.. Hawking view wah
upheld and the hearing proceeded.
The officials Of the~boat company
testified and virtually admitted that
the discrimination had been going
on-for- years. - When asked If he
Thought that tho -policy-of COMPEL
ing colored passengers to wait until
after the whites had been served
| with meals, was for fear that q
clash between the two races would
result, one Of the officials said that
Re thought that 1t would. In a SER
les of questions in the cross examf-
nation, Mr.. Hawking brought out
! the fact that no test Of the matter
had ever been made. A purser, who
was one Of the witnesses brought
| forward by the company, testified
as to the methods Of handling col
Ored passengers, and was ~unwittiRg~
ly made by Mr.. Hawkins to say
| that the noise Of the white men in
the card room even disturbed him
| in his stateroom, which is only a
I short distance from those allotted
the colored passengers
In the final summing Or the case
for the defense Attorney Robinson
intimated that the company would
willingly abide by any regulations
that the comm ission would make.
but that he did not want 1t to ap-
| pear as if his company was being
made the scapegoat in the case.
eve are only here, said Mr.. Haw-
kins. in concluding, to contend for
fair play to our people when travel
ing. The question Of eating when
you are hungry in the dining room
Of the boats is rot one Of the so
called social equality. but Is strictly
q business proposition There is nc
more danger from our being in the
dining room Of q boat than there is
in our touching elbows with the
white people in the business world
;every day-and we hear Of no pro
tests on that score.
AS travellers we pay our good
money. and expect no treatment that
ia different from that accorded other
messengers paying The same fare
, From testimony brought out al
this hearing, it was claimed that the
, reason two particular rooms--and
J only two-were allowed colored
passengers, no matter what their
number may be. was because some
white passengers may object tc
sleeOing In berth that had been oc
, cup1ed by colored jassengeT tht
|
Cn>nr1rpvr, or p,ry ro,,p