St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-01-26

Vashington's street corners
trying to get street cars and
buses to work, the Fair En-
ployment Practices Committee last
week listened to "puny" excuses
offered by the Capital Transit COM
pany on why idle equipment can
not be put into service because plat
form jobs are considered "white
mems jobs"
The case is considered a test of
the Presidents committee.
For two years the case has been
hanging fire, and FEPC trial at
torney, Mrs. Evelyn Cooper,
charged that the company had
maintained a negative" attitude
during the entire period of nego-
tiation. She said the company has
been "astute and skillful in it's at
tempts to cope with the manpower
problem in every way possible
short of employing Negroes"
Edward L. Jones, counsel for the
company, claimed that "conscien-
tious efforts" had been made to
follow the committees suggestions
but since 80 per cent of their plat
form employees were born and
raised IN the South, it would cause
complete work stoppage.
Union Fights Hiring
"The company has no prejudice
against hiring Negroes for plat
form jobs" Jones said, but added,
eve do not believe that their en-
ployment will relieve the acute
manpower shortages on the COM
pany's lines"
The Amalgamated Association of
Street, Electric Railway and Motor
Coach Employees of America, ALL,
bargaining agent for the employees,
has resisted strenuously the en-
ployment of Negro operators. The
union is reported to have threatened
to fine any member 800 who under
took the training of any Negro for
such positions.
Testimony offered by T. A.
Sager, chief engineer for the Pub
lie Utilities Commission, brought
out that the company has in
creased by 215 the number of cars
owned from the period January,
1910, to October, 1914. However,
the company has decreased by 81
the number of cars actually oper-
ated during the period. Increase in
bus ownership and decreases in
buses actually operated were like
wise indicated.
Passengers Increase
Edward A. Roberts, director of
traffic highway department, Office
of Defense Transportation, said
that during the same period the
numbar.sif revenue-paying passen-
gers hauled by Capital Transit had
increased from 9,733, 900 to 20, 1907
900.
During this period, approximate
ly 233 Negroes made application
for jobs as platform operators but
except for a half-hearted effort
made to train and employ Bernard
A. Simmons, applications of the
others are gathering dust in the
company's personnel files.
Simmons, quiet-mannered for
mer school teacher and chauffeur,
was taken through the required
period of Institutional training
but when he was taken out to the
barn for his initial training as OPP
orator, trainers one by one refused
to help him. For brief period of
approximately 40 minutes the OPP
orators pulled a strike, were sus-
pended for 80 minutes and then
put back on their runs. The COM
pany considered 80 minutes sus-
pension adequate punitive meas
ure for Haunting orders given to
each of the operators to instruct
Simmons. They dismissed the in
cident with eve tried"
Among abortive efforts which
Mrs. Cooper charged the company
used to meet its schedules. in Or
der to bypass Negroes were: Con-
version of two-man cars to one
man operation; lowering of job
qualifications; importation of work
ers from neighboring states of
Virginia, North Carolina, Penn
sylvania and Maryland; and en-
ploying women for select runs at
the price of foregoing seniority
privileges for certain male opera
tors.
Loaded Survey"
The company's "star witness"
was Paul Lunt, sociologist, en-
ployed to survey the attitudes Of
white operators with respect to the
employment of Negroes in the
same category. Out Of a sampling
of $50 employees selected from a
total group of 2,7OO, Lunt said apI
proximately 75 per cent had indi-
Gated they would walk out if Ne
groes were employed in this ca
pacity, the larger number giving
Towering of social prestige" as
their reason. 71
Lunt said he used the "unguided
interview" method for obtaining
these reactions, although he adj