Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-15
SEPARATION Of RACES
IS PROVIDED IN BILL
Measure introduced in House
Proposes Segregation in
Cars and Departments.

Separation of the white and the col
ored or African races in the street cars
city. urban and interurban-and in
the government departments located in
the District. is provided in a bill intro
dHced in the House of Representatives
today by Representative Joe B. Thomp
son or Oklahoma. The preamble as
serts 1t is TO promote the comfort OF
passengers and to provide for the sepa-
ration of the races on street cars.
suburban and interurban cars. and in
the various departments Of the govern
ment in the District OF Columbia. and
Tor other purposes"
!. Penalties are provided for all viola
IONS or tEe Jaw, ana in the case where
the Floialcn occurs in the government
departments, not only is punishment
provided b. court. but il Is also made a
cause Tor dismissal from the service
relating to the use of street ears by
the different races, the bill provides that
on the street cars separate compartments
equai IN all points of comfort and con-
venience' SHALL be provided for the white
ana colored races; and that n board or
marker, placed in a conspicuous place,
bearing appropriate words in plain let
terS indicating the race for which it is
set apart, shall be sufficient as a sepa-
rate compartment within the meaning of
this act
any passenger who refuses to obey the
rules and for any company which re-
fuses to enforce them. Further than this
1t Is set forth that should any passenger
refuse to occupy the compartment to
which he or she is assigned by the Off
Ger Of such company. said officer shall
nave the power to refuse to carry such
passenger
Taking up the matter of the separation
or races in the departments. the bill pro-
o,-fyr aanfQ n or-
cry department Of the government where
both white and colored are employed.
Following are the two sections which
concern the penalties for the violations
of the bill:
Penalties for Violations.
Section Z. If any employee of the gov
eminent in any of the departments there
OF use or occupy any Of the compart-
ments not designated for his race, after
having been forbidden to do so by the
head or chief of the department, he or
she shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
and upon conviction shall be fined not
less than S. nor more than SO, and shall
be subject to summary dismissal from
the government service
Section 8. If the head or chief of any
department of the government service
where both whites and colored are en-
plOyed shall fail or refuse to properly
set off and mark compartments therein,
as heretofore provided. or shall fail or
refuse, after such compartments have
been SO marked. to require the employees
thereof to occupy the compartments
marked and set aside to the members of
the race to which they belong, he or
she shall be guilty Of a disdemeanor, and
upon conviction shall be fined in any
sum not less than 500 nor more than
$1,000. and in addition thereto shall be
discharged from office"
The bill states that it shall be so con-
strued as not to prohibit the employment
of messengers. janitors Or porters, and
does not prohibit them, while in the dis
charge of their official duties, from enter
ing or occupying a compartment set aside
for the race to which they do not belong