Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-08-09
MIR. w. a. JORDAN APPEALS FOR
BETTER RAILROAD SERVICE
AND ACCOMMODATIONS.

To The Editor,
On May "a, 1919 the undersigned
complained to the Director General
OF Railroads of the unsanitary condi
tons of Seaboard Air Line trains eli
tering Richmond from the South
And suggested that, as these trains
are held for 20 minutes at Main
Street Station and an additional Is
minutes at Acca Yards, the company
| should be required to clean the coach
! cs.
The following will show the reas
on why railroads do not improve the
! colored passengers.
affair and discriminatory service to
Respectfully yours,
w. A. JORDAN.
! Richmond, Va, Aug. 1919.
| united States Railroad Administers
| ton.
| bureau for Suggestions and
Complaints, Washington, d. c.
MR.. Eugene III. Lamb, Acting Chief.
/ SUBJECT: "Trcatmcnt for Colored
People," File P--1S3G3.
Dear Sir-This acknowledges, with
thanks your letters of May q. 1919
ana August l 1919. In the latter Won
state: "A most eXhautiyo invest ipat
lloh oil the case fails to devcIope lust
| cause Tor complaint. 1t appears that
. the coach equipment OH this train is
, OF the newest and modern tyDe oud
tho proper precautions are taken 10
see that 1t is kept in good condition.
furlher, that tho condition of the
coach provided for the coIored M.
irons was identical TO that of the car
provided for white patrons on this
Train on the date in question. In
reply permit me to say that the party
OF parties making this "exhaustiye
investigation, must have been of
the same type and frame of mind as
those who permitted the filthy con
ditlon on the car for colored people
as complained Of in my letter of May
"a, 1919. Only exceptional white men
are big brainy and honorable enough
TO oVecnmc their inbo,n prejudice
towards colored people to grant them
Just and fair play in such matters.
AS l was passenger OH this train
and examined both white and color
ed coaches know that the statement
that --"condition of the coach FRO.
vided for colored patrons was identi
cal to that Of the car provided for
white on this train on the date in
question. lis not a true statement
or conditions on this particular occas
ion. The colored coach was divided
into three compartments-bagga
smoker and passenger. The white
coach had no such arrangement.
Seats and floor of colored coach were
covered with mud from shoes of pas
sengers and floor Uttered with trash.
White coach had clean seats and
floor. These facts can be verified by
. president and secretary of the organi
cation with which I am identified.
Further, to show you that it is the
practice Of this road to improperly
. provide for the comfort of its passen
, gers I'll relate another experience on
, this road: Same can be verified by
/ the above parties. On Monday, June
I 16, 1919 we boarded Seabord Air
Line train, due at Main Street Stat
ion at $50 4. NJ, from the South.
/ We found the floor and seats in a
filthy condition: Neither captain,
| porter or anyone else seemed inclined
! toward seeing that ''thc proper pre-
cautions are taken to see that it is
| kept in good condition" So I went
! through the white coach and noticed
/ that it was clean and had only a
! few white passengers.
I I sought the porter and asked him
| to locate the captain for me. He
pointed him out Of a group engaged
/ in conservation on the station plat
; form. I approached him and asked
| for the privilege of word with him.
| We stepped a few PAGES from the
i al I'VE group then told him of the
( condition in the colored coach and
asked him to see to it that these pas
| sengers were given seats. He stated
/ that no one had complained to him
| TO which I replied: Seems to mo
that you or someone else should have
enough interest in passengers who
! have paid for first class >Rccommoda
! ton on your train to see that they
/, receive same without complaining. "
| I also mentioned the fact that had
already filed a complaint about condi
F, tons found on this company's train
| Continued on Page Five.)
| - IS ~ ~ ) s