The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-10-08
Aircraft Company
Told To Avoid Bios
Brewster Ordered To Drop
Religion Question From
Job Applications

An order requiring the Brewster
Aeronautical Corporation in Long Is
land City to remove from its job ap-
plication forms the question about
prospective employees religion has
been served on the company, it was dis
closed Yesterday by Industrial Com
missioner Frieda $. Miller, who is also
chairman of the committee on discrim-
ination in employment of the State
War Council.
This is the first order of its kind
issued under sections n and A of the
Civil Rights Law prohibiting discrim-
ination by war industries in New York
State because Of race, creed. color or
national origin, Miss Miller declared.
She added that failure of the company
to comply with the order within ten
days would leave the door open for
possible prosecution under the penal
law.
Company Spokesman Denies Bias
A spokesman for the aircraft com
pany sharply denied that there existed
any basis for charges of dlScrimlna-
ton in the hiring of workmen at the
Long Island plant. He insisted the com
Dany used the same standard applica-
ton forms that all companies engaged
i'm government work are required to
have filled out by job applicants.
Our forms are standard. We use a
form that will give the Navy complete
information on every employee. Since
much of our work is of Il Secretive
nature in the construction of dive
bombers, the Navy wants to know all
about every one working in the plant
In the past six months, Miss Miller
said. the committee of which she is
chairman has made many appeals to
Brewster officials attempting to per-
suade them that asking an applicant
his religion served no useful purpose
for company personnel records. 1T was
pointed out further to them, she added,
! that this practice did create a suspicion
of discrimination.
This was particularly true, she said,
where war job seekers saw persons of
other faiths hired, while they were
rejected.
Tells of Complaints
"A number of complaints against the
Brewster Company have been made to
the Discrimination Committee by mem
bers of the Jewish faith, alleging dis
elimination because of creed ana pro-
testing the question your religion on
the application formS,' Miss Miller
said.
She made it clear that the committee
had no objection to the companys as
Sembling complete employment records,
including data on religion, after the
worker had been hired. She said the
only reason given was Il last minute
| inference that the Federal authorities
required the company to collect Sucl
| nformation 1t has been shown, she
insisted, that Federal agencies do not
require such information.
AT first company officials very
cordially evaded giving us an answer,
but at long last Il firm refusal to re-
move religion from the application
blanks has come from &. y. Van
| Dusen, the new president, chosen 1o!-
lowing the Navys action in taking over
operation of the plant Miss Miller
said.
She also pointed out that most OF
the war plants engaged in government
work had willingly removed the queS-
ton of "religion," color and other
allegedly discriminatory inquiries on
lob application forms when the matter
was called to their attention by the
committee.