The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1938-08-27
Charges IVA Officials With
Injustices To Colored Workers

Knoxville, Tenn.--W White cement
s.,sbe,s and flagmen receive from
sny 10 nfiy-hve cents more per
sa,r for their work, under the
rornessce Valley Authority than
,olored men doing the same work.
q w,s disclosed here last Friday.
hen charles II. Houston testified
so,o,e The Joint Congressional
Committee investigating the IVA,
~ discrimination practiced against
negro workers on IVA.
According TO Information gather
al ~ Mr. Houston and Thurgood
u,rshalI. both national legal re-
,,cseniatiyes Of the National As
soeiarion for the Advancement OF
colored People, which has delvei
in,o discriminatory tactics prac-
,i,ed under IVA since 1888. colorei
cement hnishcrs at the Chickaman-
a. oani. site, about nine miles from
chattanooga. Tenn. received seven
y.dvc cents per hour. while white
Workers in this category received
sle5 per hour.
According TO report furnished
the committee by Houston and
Marshall. not only do colored flag
men receive s.62ia per hour
against Si.10 for white workers
doing the same work. but they are
classified as signalmen. A flagman,
according 10 the report, has the
eAac'ing Job OF guiding huge cranes
carving cement so that the cement
Ia dumped into the proper place
without touching the intricate maze
q, wires cables. and pipes near the
dam foundation.
The only colored foreman on the
entire iva. who worked al Chick
amauea dam site. has been fred, It
was revealed without any specific
charges levelled against him, AMI
despite The fact that he has long
heen engaged In this type OF work
in aud around Chattanooga. Tenn,
whore he directed white and coll
orcd workers in building a NUM-
cipal highway tunnel for the city
Of chattanooga.
Signed statements for score OF
workers telling how they were
beaten. and otherwise inundated
hy construction foremen. working
under IVA when II was found that
labor unions were recruiting them.
were contained In the reports OF
the NAACP investigators.
Houston testified before the Com
mittee August Is and 10. SO glar-
ins we're the NAACP charges that
the committee ordered Personnel
Director Gordon r. Clapp. TO pre-
pare report on the complaints.
The basic grievances OF Negro
workers as outlined by the NAACP
LAWYER we're:
After FIVE years OF operation.
IVA has evolved no intsgrated pol
lev for dealing with questions az
fecting Negro workers; IVA re-
CARDS Negro workers primarily as
labor commodity rather than as
citizens; IVA has introduced new
patterns OF segregation hitherto
known In the Tennessee Valley, and
has increased segregation beyond
the usual sectional pattern; at
Chlckamauga Dam iva has toler-
aied abuse and mistrestment OF Ne
gro workers, and some IVA off,
cials have been guilty OF coercion
against Negro workers to keep
them from joining labor organiza-
tons; IVA policies have resulted
10 closing the doors OF opportunity
TO Negro workers both for employ
ment in skilled crafts, and for
general enjoyment OF the benefits
which IVA is bringing to the Ten
nessee Valley, and this despite the
public statements OF DR.. Arthur j..
Morgan. deposed head OF IVA. and
Gordon n. Clapp, TO the contrary.
Negroes are not permitted to
live In the government-built town
of Norris. Tenn. at the Norris
dam, the NAACP report declares
Furthermore. Negroes are not adj
miied 10 the apprenticeship pro-
gram Of the IVA which Is designed
10 r the people for life In the IVA
area after the actual construction
work Is finished.