Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1933-08-11
Says Schedule Of
Pay Is Just
Deltyerymen Get COMPENSATION
On Basis of Worth,
~Vogker Explains

discrimination against the negro
a c but represent an endeavor to
place delivery service of the mer
chants on a basis on which it can
be maintained, according to James
B. Vogler, executive. secretary OF
the North Carolina Food Dealers
association.
Mr.. Vogler has written to DR.,
James F. SHEPPARD, president of
the North Crrolina College for
Negroes at Durham, protesting
against a statement by DR.. Shep-
ard that negroes were diHrimi-
mated against in the code of prac-
tice adopted by grocery store pro-
prietors and merchants.
Gives Statement
The following statement was
given out by Mr.. Vogler in this
connections:
TN reply to a newspaper item
of August ; by DR.. James E.
Shepard, president of North Caro-
lima College for Negoes at Durham
to Secretary Florence Perkins Of
the department of labor urging her
office to prevent discrimination
against his race in regard to mini
mum wages of his people.
HE stated that various mer-
chants throughout the state and
merchants organizations were at
tempting to have his people ex-
cluded from the benefits of the
code, but after second thought l
believe that he will see hat by
demanding delivery boys and BIZ
cycle boys of either race be paid
the same price as those doing cleri-
cal work in stores, he has placed
a tremendous handicap on those
employees who are engaged in the
delivery business for the mer-
chants of the south. We can
realize from a business standpoint
that a boy 16 to IS years of age,
whether white Or colored, should
lot draw the same salary as a
clerk In a store who necessarily
has to be a much higher standard,
educated man to efficiently do the
task at hand. Neither should a
boy, white or colored, riding a
bicycle receive the same salary as
an older boy who drives a wagon
or truck. The matter of discrimi-
nation of white and colored en-
ployes does not enter into the minds
of the merchants necessarily, but
in our opinion, wages will have to
be adjusted according to the actual
worth of the employee.
Believes Wages Fair
We believe that a minimum
wage of $3.50 for boys riding
bicycles between the ages Of IL
and lS, inclusive, be set at $3.50.
a week and the drivers of trucks
and of horse drawn vehicles paid
at the basis Of $40 per week for
either the white or colored race
in the food industry. 1t is not
a question of what we are willing
to pay for u delivery service in
the south, but a question of what
our merchants can afford to pay,
as it is a fact that in the majority
of cases grocers throughout the
south, as well as other sections of
the country, have been exceeding
Qy fortunate if they were able to
exist during this depression, and,
of course, we all know that thous-
ands of delivery boys throughout
the south who are supporting
families on a wage basis ever less
than those recommended have help
ed maintain their families and
thereby releasing the federal gov
eminent from the necessity of feed
ing these families, both white and
colored, therefore, Washington adj
ministration with the intention Of
helping conditions throughout the
nation and we believe, without a
doubt, that the N. R. A. is the
most efficient business plan ever
to be presented and is the salvation
of our country. However, it is
impossible to believe otherwise that
the food merchants of the south
in many cases are having to dis
pose of their delivery boys Ind in
thousands of cases will be forced
to substitute coIored boys with
white men who can do both cleri-
= cal and delivery work.
II am sure that it was the in.
ten, IF the NJ R. A. to bette. con.