Evening star., 1945-01-17
FEPC May Ask
Retest Of Transit
Hiring Policies
Utility Unable to
Solve Racial Issue,
Hearing Is Told
By CARTER BROOKE JONES.

Chairman Malcolm Ross said the
committee would issue its findings
and conclusions. He indicated
strongly that the company would
be expected to make more deter
mined effort to hire colored opera
tors. He spoke of the experience
of Los Angeles few months ago,
when, after previous strike,
colored platform men were placed
in service without difficulty.
The tension in Los Angeles was
very real" Mr.. Ross said. THE
committee found that the citizens
'of Washington have been in a very
placid state compared to those of
Los Angeles. There city officials
actually asked us not to hold hear
ing because of the feeling. But the
situation was Strengthened out, and
there is no trouble"
Educational Drive Fails.
E. D. Merrill, president of the
Capital Transit Co, testified that
the company was convinced there
would be serious interruption of
traffic If colored operators were
placed on buses and streetcars and
we didn't feel we should take that
risk" He felt certain, he explained.
that enough of the white operators
would stay away from work to tie
up the service
Asked whether the system could
be operated under police super
vision, Mr.. Merrill expressed doubt.
Reminded that the Army also could
be called in, as it was in PhiladeI-
phia last summer, he conceded this
was possible. When asked if the
men would not face criminal prose-
cution if they struck, he said he
understood only if the Army took
over the properties and they then
would be striking against the Gov
ernment.
Mr.. Merrill said the company had
tried, as tactfully as it could. to
carry on an educational campaign.
through its company organ and
otherwise, to convince the men
they should accept colored workers
for the platform jobs, but appar-
entity without success.
Draws Wage Parallel.
Asked by committee members If
the company would not refuse If
the men demanded say, wage in
crease and threatened to strike, Mr.
Merrill said: Il don't think we
could allow wage increase under
the Sterilization Act"
But you wouldn't let the risk Of
traffic stoppage and inconvenience
to the public prevent you from re-
sisting a wage increase?"
Mr.. Merrill said the company
always had been able to settle wage
and hour grievances. Edmund l..
Jones. counsel for the company,
brought out that the contract with
the union called for compulsory ar
bitration of all wage disputes.
Mr.. Merrill admitted that several
thousand colored operators were
working without difficulty in va
rious cities, but he pointed out that,
as every one knew, there was a
certain amount of racial segrega-
ton in Washington.
What" asked Charles H. Hous-
ton, FEPC member, has segrega-
ton to do with a colored man driv-
ing bus or operating a one-man
streetcar alone?"
Mr.. Merrill pointed out that the
operators worked together and
shared their facilities at the barns
Union Not at Hearing.
The company brought out through
Samuel E. Emmons, its tranSporta-
ton manager, figures intended to
show that the employment of COL
ored operators in other cities had
not solved the labor shortage on
streetcar systems.
Detroit, Mr.. Emmons cited, has
1,500 colored operators and a short
age of 500 workers: Chicago, $50
colored operators and shortage of
1000; Los Angeles is short TOO men
after hiring SIS colored operators,
and Philadelphia, with 20 colored
operators, still lacks 600 platform
men for the service it would like
to give.
Mr.. Emmons pointed out that the
AFL union, bargaining agent for
the employees, had failed to appear
at the hearing, although it had been
asked to send representatives.
They should be here" he said.
He said, when asked why the COM
pany had not done more in an edu-
cational way than run a few articles
in its publication, I'VE couldn't have
held a meeting of rank and file
employees. No one would have come.
The proof of that is the fact that
no one from the union is here. We
tried to get them to come"
Mr.. Emmons added: ''Whv
doesn't the committee give us some
indication of what we should do?
We have done the best we could"
That's why we're here" said MIR.
Houston.
CelOred Persons Testify.
Several colored persons testified
yesterday afternoon that they ap-
piled for positions as bus or street.
car operators or conductors at a
time when the company was adver-
tising widely for help in these jobs,
but they heard nothing further
from their applications.
An exception was Bernard Alex
ander Simmons, who was made the
subject of an unsuccessful expert
ment in hiring colored operators.
Mr.. Simmons told of taking pre-
liminary training early in 1943 and
being sent to the Bennings barn
one day to take out car under
supervision of an instructor.
The conductor on the car to which
he was assigned, Mr.. Simmons said,
asked, What have you here?" He
was told it was a trainee, the wit
ness explained, adding, HE said,
I told them I wouldn't work with
a black man, and I WON'T"
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