The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-10-21

NEW YORK-Sidney Hllman,
Clio Political Action Committee
chairman, charged in m address
here Sunday that the record OF
Gov. Thomas Z. Dewey on matters
affecting the welfare Of Negroes has
been short but not sweet"
Speaking before q large audience
at the st. James Forum. Hillman
said since Dewey believes that the
racial problem is primarily the con-
Germ OF the forty-eighth states" 1t
is important that voters examine his
record as New York governor.
This record is not one to be proud
Of" Hillman stated.
The PAC chairman reiterated
charges that Dewey killed the pro-
posed New York State FEPC by
creating a committee to study"
findings Of q previous committee.
He said this represented Dewey's
"favorite method Of dealing with
troublesome questions"
Hillman pointed out that the
COP candidate claimed that III
days were not sufncient time Tor
the state legislature to consider the
INSTRUMENTATION measures sub
mittsd by the nrst committee, but
that the Legislators approved the
Dewey bill for "stalling the issue
in a single day.
Five other measures, introduced
several months before the end OF
the legislative session, were listed
by Hillman as other proposals that
would have helped eliminate dis
criminatory practices. The bills
would have banned unfair job
practices, discrimination in tenant
selection for housing projects, pub
locations melting race or religious
hatred, Jim Crow in New York
public schools and segregation in
the State Guard.
Had the Governor been at all
interested in enacting into law
some Of the principles in which he
processes belief" Hillman said, he
could have had any or all Of these
measures enacted. But none of
them were given the push from
the Executive Mansion which
would have indicated that the
Governor desired their enactment"
On the broader issue Of full en-
ployment, which Hillman termed
the only real cure for discrimina-
tion." he said that Dewey and the
Republicans propose to revert to
the do-nothing policies Of Herbert
Hoover"
They insist that the problem Of
providing full employment must
be left to private industry and that
the question Of taking care Of I'M
employment is q matter for the -
states" Hillman declared. In
other words. what Gov. Dewey
promises is withdrawal Of the
Federal Government from the
whole area Of planning for the
full utilization Of our productive
capacities and from the whole AREA
Of social welfare"
Hillman contrasted the Dewey
record with that Of President
Roosevelt. under whose leadership.
he said. the nation climbed from
IFS worst depression 70 new peaks
OF production and employment He
stated that during the Roosevelt
administration Negroes have made
greater strides toward hrst-class
citizenship than In any other period
OF American history, and added
that he knew from personal ex-
perience in working with the Ad-
ministration before Pearl Harbor
how deeply the President felt
about the elimination Of racial dis
elimination"
Under the New Deal" said Hill
man, you have made great prog
ress in obtaining low rental hous-
ing There are now more than
10000 publicly financed dwellings
which are or will be occupied by
Negroes. or these about half are
permanent dwellings built before
the war. Moreover. in this build
ing program eleven per cent Of
the total wages. or more than
s53 000. 900. was earned by Negro
construction workers. and there are
nearly 5000 Negroes employed in
the management Of housing prof.
ects" -
Much OF these accomplishment
were made possible by President
Rcosevelt's Arm determination
tina, justice should be done 70
American citizens" declared Hill
man. His order forbiddlng dis
elimination in war work. the crea-
ton OF the TEPc. and the sane
handling Of the Philadelphia trans
port strike. all testify TO this de-
termination"
The CIO Political Action Com
mttee has been In the forefront
OF the light against racial discrim-
ination. Hllman declared. mot
only because racial discrimination
is moral disgrace" but also be-
cause PAC recognizes that Abor's