The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12
THE FACTS
m OUR NEWS


TROUBLE IN PHILADELPHIA.
Your correspondent went over
TO Philadelphia to get some first
hand information about the trans
portation strike End the resultant
race riot. The strike by the street
car operators which paralyzed the
whole public transportation system
of the city Of Philadelphia was
caused by the fact that eight Ne
groes were upgraded from janitors
10 operators. Three weeks before
The strike. an election was held TO
determine the rightful bargaining
agent for the Transport Workers
Union. operators OF the carriers.
The results Of this election were ~
follows Transportation Workers
Union-CIO-receiv 3,118 votes;
AZ. Of l.. received l.2i9 votes; PRT.
unaffiliated union, received 1.459 |
votes. and there were 81 workers
who did not vote. IL can he seen |
from these figures that the Go got
the majority votes. but they only |
got IS per cent of the votes, which |
left the other two unions with Is
per cent The IS per cent Of the |
voters were opposed to upgrading
Negroes. They were violently OPP |
posed. and therefore could prevent |
SIS per cent operating the street cars |
and other public carriers. In addi- |
tion to this. a great many OF the |
men who voted for CIO were OPP |
posed to Negroes operating the |
street cars and busses. so actually |
a majority of the workers were |
opposed TO Negro operators. even |
though the CIO won and the Negro |
issue was stated clearly by the Go. |
In addition 10 this fact, the Phila- |
delpha police department would |
not give adequate protection 10 the |
men who wanted 10 run BUSES in |
accordance with the CLOS policy |
and the government policy as
handed down by FEPC, namely.
that Negroes should be employed |
according to their ability. The |
mayor, Bernard Samuels. took a
very weak and vacillating position. |
saying that the trouble was a fed |
eral matter and should therefore be |
settled by federal authorities. Not a |
single public official took strong
position in. opposition to the strike |
as il related TO the race issue. In |
fact. there is very strong evidence |
10 support the idea that many public |
officials rather welcomed the strike |
in order 10 try to embarrass the
federal administration. They felt |
that they could take such a position
because they had counted on there
being more anti-Negro feeling in
Philadelphia than actually existed
The leaders against Negroes OPP
Grating the street cars made bold
and unprincipled statements against
Negro citizens. saying such things
as White street car operators
would not work with Negroes be-
cause they have bedbugs on them"
These statements plus the fact that
the Negro population knew that the
strike was called because Negroes
were upgraded inflamed the Negro
masses. Young Negroes went about
the streets attacking white people
and breaking out the windows OF
white st0rekeepers In the Negro
sections. There were many such
sporadic outbreaks In the city Of
Philadelphia, mono Of which could
be called . race riot. All Of which.
however, could be called the best
way Of expressing their resentment
that the Negro masses had at their
disposal for the moment.
In addition to this, the Montague
Post, 34. Of the American Legion
circulated very vicious letter
against Negroes. and we quote part
OF that letter During the last war
the prohibitionists raided the coun-
try while the boys were away fight
ing, and during this war the Ne
groeS are raiding the country while
the white mems backs are turned.
The Negroes in this war are reap
ing a war loot harvest. The Negroes
are taking every advantage TO gain
control of all the jobs and every
thing else that belong TO the white
people, while they are away fight
ing" This letter should be repudi-
ated. and the writer's of IL should
be thrown out Of the American
Legion. This is Fascist material II
there ever was any.
The next move to end the transit
strike in Philadelphia was for the
government to take over and see
that the cars would operate. This
move was fraught with many dan
gers from the point Of view Of Ne
groeS In Philadelphia. The major
danger became evident from the
moment the army moved In. Some
Of the army officials wanted to by
pass the upgrading of Negroes. Their
arguments were that the upgrading
Of Negroes was q civilian matter,
and that the only concern Of the
army was to get the transportation
system In operation again. The Pub
lie Transit company was eager to
fall for this idea because thew had
maintained all along that they could
not operate their services il they
had TO upgrade Negroes. In fact, the
Public Transit company had already
typed notices to the effect that they
would 60 back to their old policies
OF discrimination II the workers
would operate street cars. This was
circumvented by the shrewd and
intelligent handling Of the problem
by G. James Fleming Of the FEPC
OF Philadelphia.
One did not have TO be on the
scene very long before he discov-
cred that the company was in col
lusion with certain OF its operators
10 prevent Negroes from ever work.
ing for the company in the capacity
OF operators. The final outcome,
however. was that federal authori-
ties plus the army, said that the
government directves 10 upgrade
Negroes would stick.
When this was done, the hopes
and the beliefs Of Negroes In de-
mocracy were maintained. The Ne
gro leaders in Philadelphia deserve
q great deal Of credit for their I'M
firing and unselfish leadership Of
the people. II should be understood.
however. that the Negro people
with their liberal friends. are not
going to accept transportation I'M