Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-02-09


not encourage them to organize and
VIII admit one OF them only when he
can prove his ability in his worl1---a
'echnlcal excuse for exclusion. This
OFFICIAL was Il man who was born in
the South; he believed in the infcri
GRITTY OF the Negro. dcplorcd the alb
s"hce OF Il jim Crow system. ami was
greatly prcjudiced.
Another olllcia of an even more
powerful trade union was greatly rs
loniShcd when he learned that there
are white people who take an interest
m the Negro question. He absolute
~ rciuscd to give any information and
ala not mink t was worth while to an
sWcr such questions. although he adj
mlttcd that his union had no colorcd
people and would never accept them.
There are. however several hundred
Negroes working ut this trade in the
city. WHITE members related mum
crous incidents Of white unionists
lcafing Il job whom Il cOlorcd man an
pearcd. Several other unions y;s;tc
had no Negroes in the union although
therc were some local colorcd people
in their respective trades.
This is statcmen, Of the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the
truth. Ho says:
The typical attitude of the compla
cent trade unioniSt is illustrated by
letter which was written by n very
prominent local labor leader, a mem
Der or the Alliance for Labor and Demo
cracE in answer to certain questions
asked him. This official refused to
state anything oral y and asked that
the questions be put to him in writ
ing. His answers, we may presume,
nave been carefully worded after con
Siderable contemplation of the prob
lem.
Thc letter begins: while | do not
wish to appear cvasiyc do not think
some OF the questions should have
been asked me at this time" Qucs :,
tons and answers follow:
q. Number Of white members in
the Union?
a. Our Union has had growth Of
one hundred percent in the pas, six
months III the Pittsburgh district.
o. Number Of colorcd people in the
Union?
a. None.
Q. Has there been an increase in
the colorcd labor in your trade with
Ill me last year? If so, state approx
Ea,oy the proportion.
A. Yes. estimates can be made on.
y by the employer as we do not con
troll all shops
q. Has there been an increase in
the colorcd union membership with
III the last year or two?
y. Yes statistics can be gotten
from Mr.. Frank Morrison. Secretary
Anoi lean Federation Of Labor, Wash
ing ton. ID. G..
q. what efforts does your Union
make to CrganiLC the colored people
n y"nr trade"
A. Same effort as all others. as
the a. F. of l.. does net bar any work
er on account of race or creed.
z. Has any colored person applied
for membership in your Union with
III the last year?
a. Yes.
q. Have the cclorcd people in your
trade asked for a separate charter?
A. Not that l know OF.
Y. DO YOU persona ~ know Of any
complaint by Il person of color against
your Union rs regards to race DIS
elimination?
a. Yes.
The official admits that there are
colorcd workers in his trade, that
some have applied for membership,
and that there have been complaints
OF race discrimination. His state
ment concerning efforts to organize
Negro laborcrs would seem to have lit
tie meaning in view Of his assertion
that the growth Of white membership
during the past year was one hundred
percent. while that ii NJ gro member
snip was zero
This Is an interesting contribution
to tho history OF conditions in the
North, where race prejudice Is pre-
sumed to be practically unknown. A
colored person who goes North will
find the same kind of embarrassing
conditions that This same colorcd per-
son will find South. The northerner
is worse than the southerner in a
way. You can tell a Sou H.
erner's attitude towards you a mile
oil, SO TO speak, but with the north
crner, you cannot tell it until you are
actually confronted by condition of
affairs that is almost Misunderstanding
to a sensitive individual DR.. ZIP
stem says:
IT may however. lie int<-cSt'ns "
note that man who joined this
Union about the time this letter was
Written, said the President OF the
Union gave him the following pledge:
Il pledge that | viii. not introduce
for membership into this Union any
one but Il sober industrious, WHITE
person."
Very often union officials are ap:
to po.nt to their constitutions which
guarantee that no color line be es-
tablishcd, and say that the colored
people make little effort to or