Evening star., 1943-07-08
New FEPc Negotiating
With Capital Transit
On Hiring Policies

VII sMSW WS0S
The new Fair Employment Prac-
tices Committee has taken up the
Capital Transit Co. case and con-
ferred at length with company Of
flcials In regard to alleged dis
elimination against employment Of
colored persons on streetcars and
buses.
This was announced late yester-
day at press conference, where the
committee said in formal state
ment that date for a hearing
will be set as soon as it appears
that efforts to settle = by nego-
tiation have failed"
Msgr. Francis j. Haas, chairman
OF the committee, when asked II
the committee hoped to settle by
negotiation instead Of bringing the
case to q hearing, responded some
what graphically:
I'VE are always hopeful" Later,
however, he insisted that the local
case was on the agenda for a hear
ing.
Father Haas, who is on leave
from Catholic University, where he
is dean Of the school Of social SCI
ences, said the committee OF seven
members conferred at length yes
terday with E. D. Merrill, president
OF the company.
Further Data Needed.
The committee felt the need tor
further information" he said, and
would get further reports on the
case at the next meeting of the COM
mlttee, probably in about two weeks.
Union leaders also may be heard,
he indicated.
1--WE may be able to settle it." he
said, adding, maybe not"
Hearings in the Capital Transit
ease had been indefinitely postponed
by the old FEPC.
Father Haas announced the COM
mittee will hold hearings here Sep
tember 15-17 on charges that some
rs railroads and six unions dis
eliminated against colored workers
In employment practices.
The railroad hearings originally
were set for last January, but were
ordered postponed indefinitely" by
War Manpower Chairman Paul v.
McNutt.
Father Haas said most of the rail-
roads involved operate in the
Southeast. He said names of the
railroads and the unions were un-
available at present.
During his press conference, which
was attended by three other men,
bers OF the committee, Father Haas
announced the new committee had
accepted the responsibility placed
on it to promote the fullest utiliza-
tion of all available manpower, re-
gardless OF race, creed, color or ma
tional origin"
To further this end, he announced,
an agreement is being formulated
with the War Manpower Commits
sion to implement the enforcement
of the executive order" of the Presi-
dent assuring nondiscrimination
Details of this agreement have not
been completed, he said.
Autonomous Committee.
He emphasized, in response to re-
peated questioning, that the new
FEPC is not under jurisdiction of
the VINO, as the old committee was,
and now is entirely autonomous, +"
under the Office of Emergency Man.
agement, in the executive Offices of
the President. 1t has power to call
on any other Government agency to
help enforce the executive order,
and may appeal direct to the Presi-
dent himself, Father Hass explained.
Twelve regional Offices Of the new
FEPC will be set up throughout the
country, he said.
Two appointments in the head
quarters of the committee were an
nounced. They are two assistants,
Malcolm Ross, well-known writer
and publicist, who has been with
the National Labor Relations Board
and Owl here, and George M. john
son, colored attorney, who was as
sistant to the former executive Sec
retary of the committee, Lawrence
w. Cramer. Mr.. Cramer has gone
into the military service.
Mobile Case Acted On.
The FEPC yesterday approved, with
qualifications, settlement of a case
involving alleged discrimination by
the Alabama Dry Dock Co. at Mobile,
where it was agreed colored persons
would work on ways out of IL.
Father Haas read this official de-
cision of the committee: "The COM
mittee accepts the accomplished
fact Of the settlement made in Mo-
bile to end a crisis in war produc-
ton, except that it cannot give its
approval to the complete segregation
of Negroes on the four ways, and
does not consider that precedent" "
Asked if he had found any evi-
dence in Detroit that Axis influence
was behind the recent riots there,
Father Haas replied, II did not"
A recurrence of such riots, he
thought, might be prevented by
eliminating the causes, which he
said were shortage of housing, rec
reation and city transportation, in
tensified by influx of an additional
$4,000 new population.
All members of the committee at