St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1939-10-13
Negro Walters
Face Loss of
st. Paul Hotel

For a second time in little over
one year crisis arose in st. Paul's
hotel industry this week, when By
ron Calhoun, manager of the st.
Paul Hotel, announced that the es-
tablishment will dispense with the
hiring of colored men as extra
walters unless their service, APP
pearance and conduct improve.
The announcement came during
a conference with Leonard John
son, business agent of the Hotel
and Restaurant Employees Union,
and Clarence NJ. Mitchell, Jr., ex-
ecutive secretary of the st. Paul
Urban League. Mr.. Mitchell held
an immediate meeting on the situa-
ton with Maceo v. Littlejohn, head
of the Dining Car Walters local
SIC.
Following this second meeting,
the league secretary announced
that all walters in Minneapolis and
of full crew of about twenty men.
st. Paul should attend a meeting
in the offices of Local sic on Mon
day morning at 1890. The offices
of the local are at 443 Rondo
Street in st. Paul.
Manager FavOrs Central Hiring
Bureau
During his conversation with Mr..
Calhoun, Mr.. Mitchell called at
tention to these charges. Mr.. Cal
houn countered by saying that he
would like to see a central hiring
bureau established from which
men could be secured. Mr.. Mitchell
told him that this had been tried
last year and that it broke down
in some instances because persons
inside the hotel would not accept
capable men sent to work. At that
time the men were being sent from
the hotel union.
The manager contended that he
was unaware of this and that if a
new central hiring bureau would
be established he would see that
its recommendations were followed.
Mr.. Mitchell requested the dining
car union to act in this capacity be-
cause of the numerous railway
walters it has access to. Mr.. Little
john has indicated that this may be
done.
Casino Open Only One Night
Another bone of contention is
work in the Casino of the hotel.
This department is now open on
Saturday nights only. The hotel
contends that it is using white
mattresses there because walters
eligible for the job did not report
when notified to do so. The man
agement states that they were
notified by letters. The men af-
fected, however, say that they did
not receive any letters.
Mr.. Calhoun stated that he would
be willing to give this work back
to the walters if he can be assured
Last year the hotel sought to
fire it's Casino men on a charge of
inefficiency. However, it later
agreed to rescind the action and
suggested that a training course be
established for its men. When the
course was established the hotel
named one of the men who would
have been discharged as Instructor.
The manager later said that the re-
suits Of the course were very salts
factory.
Claims Men QuarreIsOme
Mr.. Calhoun expressed the
opinion that the extra men who
now come to the hotel are too
quarrelsome and have caused the
establishment to lose money
through poor service. Some of the
men, on the other hand, charge that
it is the hiring policy of the hotel
that is to be blamed for any
trouble. Many good men, it was
stated, will not even apply to the
st. Paul for work because they
know that they will be overlooked
and less responsible men will get
the Jobs.