Evening star., 1943-05-16
CoIored Bus Driver Hearing Set tuesday

gether in various classifcations Of
employment without friction.
"The opinions expressed by your.
self and by the Messrs. Bigelow ane
Darr, to the effect that there will
be vigorous. and even violent oppo.
sition on the part of some Of the
employees of the Capital ,Transi,
Co. and by some portion of thu
public against the employment Of
Negro bus drivers and streetcar op.
orators because of their race ane
that this opposition will lead tt
serious and prolonged interference
with the efficient and satisfactory
operation of the local transportation
system are in the committees judg.
ment not borne out by the expert.
ence of the company in its employ
ment Of white and Negro workers in
various classifications of employ
ment nor by the experience of cities
such as New York, Detroit, Cleve-
land, Chicago, Daytona Beach, Fla;
Corpus Christi. Tex; Hackensack
N. j., and Winston-Salem, N. c..
in all of which Negroes have been
successfully employed in those Ca
pacities."
5,S45 Petitions Received.
The FEPC expressed the belief
that a great majority" of employees
of the company and officers of the
union, and OF the transit company
will recognize the patriotic neces-
sity for complying with the terms
of Executive Order 1902 issued by
the President of the United States. "
The committee said it believed Of
flcers of the company and of the
union have special responsibility
to bring about, promptly, modifi-
cation of the company's discrimina-
tory employment practices -"
The FEPC also called on the COM
pany to upgrade prospective work.
ers solely on the basis of the quail
iflcations of applicants or workers,
without regard to their race, creed.
color, national origin or citizenship"
Up to that time the committee
said it had received petitions from
5,845 persons, "a substantial num-
Der of them white residents of
Washington" urging the present
discriminatory employment prac-
tices" OF the company be modified" !"
A request by President Merrill for
postponement of the effective date
of the order December s. was de-
MED
The company then invited its
trainmen and bus operators to a
meeting December Is in the audi
torium of the Commerce Depart
ment Building. Presiding was Otto
Boyer, personnel and manpower
director Of ODT. Speakers included
Paul v. McNutt, War Manpower
Commissioner; President Merrill of
the company, and Mr.. Darr for the
union.
Workers Asked to Comply
Mr.. Darr told The Star that at
the meeting he told the workers the
Government had issued the order
the company would obey it and it
was proper that the workers should
all go ahead and comply. Mr.. Darr
said he was no longer connected
with the union.
President Merrill read a prepared
speech outlining the case, announc-
ing the company had decided to
comply and calling on the men to
cooperate in compliance. The press
was excluded from the meeting. Ac-
cording to t'1ose present at the
meeting, the men disagreed, espe-
cially with Mr.. McNutt, who called
for compliance, and expressed their
sentiments frankly.
Mr.. Merrill, referring in his speech
to the october 81 conference with
the FEPC, said the union president.
Mr.. Bigelow, the union counsel Mr..
Darr. and he, presented in a very
vigorous and straightforward man
ner what We believed to be your
objections, as well as objections
which might arise from others, to
any change in our policy in this
respect. We asked for opportunity
to be heard, not only before the staff
OF the committee but before the
members of the committee itself.
I'VE felt that these men of broad
judgment and experience, appointed
as members of the committee by the
President himself, should have the
benefit Of our presentation of your
views on the matter, and of all the
possible objections.
Conferred With Officials.
After postponement of the order
had been refused, Mr.. Merrill told
the employees, Il talked with those
public authorities who have a
responsibility for maintaining serv-
ice in the District of Columbia. I
talked with the chairman of the
District Committee of the Senate,
and the chairman of the subcom-
mittee OF the Senate District Com
mittee investigating transportation
In the District. They advised me
that the order must be carried out.
Il also saw the chairman of the
District Committee of the House
OF Representatives, the president of
the Board Of Commissioners of the
District of Columbia, and the
chairman Of the Public Utilities
Commission, and finally the chair
man OF the War Manpower Com
mission without securing any help