The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-09-03
banLeague Forms
.Jim-CrOW Councils
To Divide Workers.
" orkers Expose Sham
OF Effort to ''Study''
Discrimination
By T. HOLMES


these ends. It declares that specific
detectives of each workers. council
are education and action, -educa~
ton in the problems of workers, the
detectives of labor, the principles of
industrial organization, and action
on violation of principles ana prac-
tices that make for the security Of
the workers, on exclusion from labor
bodies and on racial weaknessesA that
handicap effective collective action.
In the course of it's existence, the
councils will consider and plan cor
rective programs for:
Handling of grievances within tho
ranks of Negro workers.
Insttuting efforts for the inclus
sion of Negro workers in organized
bodies of workers representing
crafts, trades and occupations ex-
Guiding Negroes.
Studying problems and methods Of
discrimination and exclusion, and
planning ways to overcome them.
Participating in labor programs
that are current from time to time
in the efforts for social legislation,
old age pensions, unemployment in
surance, maximum wage, sickness
insurance, and legislation on hours
and conditions of work.
Educating the Negro community,
the white community, and white
workers on the history of Negro
labor and Negro workers.
Thus is presented the false pur-
pose of the National Urban League
in launching this nationwide" or
ganization of Workers Councils. The
real purpose, however, was glaringly
revealed, in the recent meetings
held for the formation of the New
York Workers Council.
On Monday, June 10, 1884, at the
New York Urban League Center, the
following organizations were repre-
sented: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
Porters, Dining Car Employees, Uni
versal Hotel Chefs, Culinary Arts
Association. Dining Car Cooks and
Walters, Needle Trades Industrial
Union; Alteration Plumbers, Steam
filters and Helpers Union; Dress
makers Industrial Union; Food
Workers Industrial Union and the
Fur Dyers and Dressers Industrial
Union.
Urban League Heads Present
Present were the officials of the
Urban League-Jesse o. Thomas, T.
Arnold Hill and John T. Clark Of
the National Urban League. James
H. Hubert and Emma s. Gilbert Of
the New York Urban League. Mr..
Hubert at thi smeeting, noticing a
number of white workers present,
stated that the Council was for Ne
groes only. Clara Meltzer, white
workers, and Holmes, categoricallJ
pointed out that to even think o
setting up a Jim-CroW Council
would be contrary to the so-called
principles of the Urban League.
They pointed out also that the
League contradicted themselves
when they talked of developing
harmony between the white and
Negro workers, by excluding the
white workers from the Council,
Mr.. Totten, lackey from the
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Port
ers, then stated that it was impos-
sible to free the white workers abb
solutely from color prejudice. He
thought Jim-Crow Councils the
most logical solution.
The discussion, however, termi-
mated with thu decision to hold over
such matters until the Constitution
was formed.
During the formation of the Con-
stitution T. Holmes and F. E. A.
Welsh were advised to visit the Ma
tional Office of the Urban League
after heated opposition on the pro-
posal of Mr.. Clark of the League to
the Constitution Committee that
white workers could not be members
of the Council Decision of the
Urban League Executives).
Executives Evade Issue
The workers asked T. Arnold Hill
why, on the highest body of tho
Executive of the Urban League
there were white ladies and gentle
men with Negroes who objected to
white workers and Negro workers
organizing together.
No definite answer was ever given
to this question, because the white
and Negro gentlemen on the Execu-
tive of the Urban League, are De-
termined to continue their role OF
confusing and dividing the Negro
and white workers precisely by their
latest scheme of organizing Negro
Workers Councils. They even went
SO far as to suggest that the namd
should be changed to Negro Work.
ers Council
In the foreword of the Constitu7
ton adopted by the workers it Il
stated that it is the intention of tho
National Urban League merely tq
initiate the organization of th9
Workers Council and then to leave
the operation and conduct of it to
duly elected officers of the workers.
The secretary of the Workers
Council made several attempts "a
persuade the officials to attend tfl1
meetings, but although prcmiseP
has failed to get any of them II
come down and prove to the work /
ers that they are not liars and hypj
ocrites. It is assumed, by the work.
ers after the admission of Mr.. T. al
Hill that the Urban League organt
lied Negro scabs in Boston, that 1
guilty conscience has kept him
away
The Workers Council, however,
with Negro and white workers OPT
Grating without the assistance of thd
Urban League officials, has invest
tigated the Painters strike and wal
able to enforce the demands of thu