Evening star., 1945-01-16
Talks With Transit Workers
On Racial Views Described
Survey Was Only Educational Campaign
Conducted by Company, Hearing Told
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

" >S'
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
Charles Houston, a member o.
the Fair Employment Practice Com
mittee, asked today at the hearing
of the racial discrimination charge.
against the Capital Transit Co., VIII!
the company had not carried out ar
educational campaign designed t,
condition" employees to accept col
ored streetcar and bus operators.
Mr.. Houston raised this question
while questioning Paul Lunt, indus
trial relations counsel, whose opin.
ion survey of the company's oper'
ators showed that about 10 per cen
would strike If colored persons wer'
placed in their jobs.
Mr.. Lunt said the only educa
tional work he knew of was what h,
and his aides did in talking to abou
l in II of the company's 2,700 oper
ators. He described the interviews
however, as "unguided," explainin:
that the employees were encouraged
to say whatever was in their minds
Sought Their Attitudes.
"You would broadly call that edu.
cational work?" Mr. Houston asked
To an extent Mr. Lunt said.
"You We're simply exposing then
to themselves, were you not?"
"Yes, We were discovering tneil
attitude for them," said Mr.. Lunt.
Did the company make any eff
fort to educate the men to accep
Negroes?" committee member
asked.
Mr.. Lunt said he knew of none.
Mr.. Houston asked whether the
company's colored employees, al
working in incorporating jobs, be.
longed to the AFL union, the EN-.
ployes' bargaining agent.
No Efforts to Influence.
Mr.. Lunt said they did.
Did you discuss loyalty to a fel.
low union member as an element ir
accepting Negroes as operators?'
Mr.. Houston asked
Mr.. Lunt said they did not bu
had avoided all suggestions ol
efforts to influence.
In response to further questions
the witness said. so far as he knew
colored and white union member.
held separate meetings.
Was any suggestion made" in.
quired Mrs. Evelyn Cooper. counse
for FEPC, that employees going OF
strike would be subject to crimina
prosecutions"
Mr.. Lunt said there was none il
the interviews on which the survey
was based.
I'VE felt" he explained, "that
these people were strongly motivatee
emotionally - that they nevel
thought things OUT
In Broader Sense.
Mr.. Llnt said the interviews wer,
channeled in only the broadcas
sense. They were allowed to tall
about anything they chose bu
asked only about their jobs, he ex'
planned.
Sharp issue with the company
conclusion that its operators woult
walk out if colored workers wer,
hired for similar jobs was taken b,
DR.. Louis Wirth, professor of SO
ciology at the University of Chicago
in earlier testimony.
Dr.. Wirth did not agree that tn,
survey made by Mr.. Lunt proved tn,
men would strike.
Mr.. Lunt had just testified tha
in his opinion, based on his survey
something like 10 per cent of tn.
white operators would walk out.
DO you think the tie-up wouls
be complete?" asked Edmund L
Jones, attorney for the company.
Yes, in my opinion. 1 thinl
most of the men would return
later. Some of them would not,
Mr.. Lunt said.
Selected at Random.
I'm your opinion DR.. Wirth wa.
asked by Mrs. Cooper, lis Mr.. Lunt!
report survey of attitudes?"
DR.. Wirth said it was not, addins
that attitudes are betrayed rather
than expressed" He explained tina
opinions are expressed"
Despite its claim, the Lunt sur
vey was not based on "unguidee
interviews" DR.. Wirth said. Such {
survey, he added, should show no
merely what people are talking
about but what they would do"
DR.. Wirth pointed out that Mr.
Lunt had testified he and his aide,
went to the homes of q group O
operators selected at random from
certain seniority lists and told then
they were calling at the request o
the joint MISREPRESENTATION com
mittee.
The witness said such a surve,
should be carried on under condi
tions of anonymity. In this in.
stance, he explained, the operator,
knew to whom they were takins
and. in sense, why they were sent
Fishing for Ideas Charged.
1.-THE men had a pattern" sale
DR.. Wirth. "and they fished fol
ideas that corresponded to that at.
titude."
The sociologist said -he assume,
feeling was high here when the sur
vey was made, and to make 1t o
scientific value the men would hav'
4