St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1934-08-24
HERE and
THERE
By W. M. Smith

ny uIEOu VI dS14pli cAlu Ppl pOSC
with the white worker. Despite the
fact that he has been often kept
from union ranks, and when ad-
unit ted, has many times been
double crossed and denied the pro-
may rest assured that he is doing
'ection and tho opportunity organ
ization should bring, it is still the
conviction of many serious leaders
in the field of labor that the Negro
will lie, best served at the present
It least in joining forces with the
major group as h" is given oppor-
unity, and from within widen the
entrance for his fellows; acquiring
rs, the chief rewards FIR the effort
a working knowledge of the man
ner and methods of successful or
ganizetion and larger market for
his labor. o.. 49, r.
More slowly, but just as, surely
he white worker within the ranks
of union labor is coming to know
that as, long as 100000 Negro
workers are without the pale of or
ganized leadership. available as
scab labor for every emergency,
just that long will the pathway of
white labor be beset with danger
and economic safety denied.
- So, there is developing new
understanding that promises much
to the advantage of each. The
Negro will forget past affronts if
he be accorded equal status and
given the right to add his strength
and intelligence to the contest for
fairer distribution of the rewards
of labor. The white worker, i'm
PEELED by the necessities of the
case, is trying to forego his long
held prejudices and is seeking in
large measure the assistance of the
brother in black.
That such assistance once OBJ
tanned will develop far greater
force than is uaually believed is
easily shown by the records of the
sconventiSR of the International Ho-
tel, Dining : Car Employees and
Beverage Dispensers held in Min
neapolis last week. >. -.
Eight Negro delegates with
earnest, intelligent direction com
PEELED attention'to and induced leg
islation favorable to the men they
represented. Their insistence met
with no encouragement, instead
they were commended and various
factions sought the aid of the col
cred men in behalf of their own
pet projects. LIS.
: In lengthy interview with Mr..
Clarence r. Johnson, a Pacific
coast leader, discussed the future
of the Negro worker. Mr.. Johnson
has the respect of the entire con.
ventiOn, black and white and is rec
ognized as a thoughtful and capa
BILE leader in labor circles. Briefly
summarized Mr.. JOhnson's view:
are: that the Negro should wOrl
for the complete elimination of the
color line in unions the country
over: Then he. may become an in.
tegral part of the union movement
He would learn by contact and ex.
perience the methods and manner
of. union procedure. Because of the
obvious fact if every Negro in the
railway and hotel service were
unionized he would still be but
small factor among the many thou
sand of white members of unions
and have but a weak voice in decid-
ing his own destiny, Mr.. Johnson
would work for a withdrawal from
the present set up. and the, forma-
tion of a solid Negro union, under
trained and tried leadership, such
as A. Philip Randolph has shown
composed of porters, maids, hotel
and dining car employees, miners
and other craftsmen, affiliated
with the. A. F. of l.: but autonomous
in the direction of its own affairs.
Such union, he believes, would by
reason of the trained personnel l.
had developed and the respect won
for Negro initiative not only secure
the maximum of benefit for its
members. 1t would find itself a |
powerful force in the political and |
economic life of its, people able to
completely reorganize, and coordi-
nate the affairs of the race, !
On the Pacific coast, Mr.. johnson |
explains the Negro governed local.
are ALREADY xUorkinor fo1uord fkot