St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-09-13

EN- ployment .,ru
Service, which Is LAUTIER
notorius for its discriminatory
practices in job referrals, Is under
the Labor Department, Of which
Mr.. Sehwellenbach Is the head
Moreover, in his reply 70 Secretary
Of Commerce Henry A. Wallaee'i
letter directing his attention TO dis.
criminatory practices in the Dis
trict Of Columbia USES office, Mr.
Schwellenbach admitted he knew
Of their existence.
Did Mr.. Schwellenbaeh act forth.
rightly to bring about freedom Of
opportunity for everybody about
which he so glibly speaks7 Mr.
Wallace moved 10 get In other
agencies Job opportunities for Com
meree Department employees at
feeted by q reduction in force. His
attention also directed by Mr.. Wal
lace 10 a discriminatory act Of the
Federal Housing Administration
Wilson Wyatt, national housing ex-
pediter, reprimanded the guilty en-
ployee, reaffirmed the Govern
ment's policy Of non-discrimination
In employment, and had James f.
Hicks, personnel director Of FLA,
instruct all placement personnel
in that agency that all Job apph-
eants shall be given the same con-
sideration without regard TO race
or religion.
But Mr.. SehweIlenbaeh pussy
footed. He professed to be
stumped BY the problem because
the discriminatory practices are
Of long standing. He might
have:
/. Dismissed Robert G. Good
win, director Of the USES, and
Fred Hetzel, director Of the local
USES office, for violating the
Governments non-discrimination
policy.
2. Issued a directive to the
USES to cease and desist from its
discriminatory practices, TO refer
job applicants to vacancies in fed
eral agencies on the basis Of their
qualifications and without regard
TO race or religion, and not to serv-
ice discriminatory hiring orders.
Instead Of being dismissed, MIR.
Goodwin, upon Mr.. Sehwellen-
bach's recommendation, has been
appointed q delegate to the first
session Of the Permanent Com
mittee on Migration Of the Inter-
national Labor Organization,
which convened August 20 In
Montreal, Canada. The Agenda
for this meeting includes racial
discrimination In connection with
migration.
In less than three months the
USES viii be turned back to the
states. Under the act providing
for turning back the employment
services to the states, the federal
government will bear the total cost
Of operation, but will exercise no
control over the services, and the
states will be free to operate the
offices In any manner they may
choose.
One Of the functions Of the USES
is to certify persons for unemploy-
ment compensation. The appii-
cant seeking unemployment COM
pensAtion must report to the state
employment Offices in order to ex-
pose himself to n job opportunity,
and he must continue TO report in
order TO be eligible for unemploy-
ment compensation.
Under the CT Bill Of Rights,
the employment service deter
mines the suitability Of work
whether the lob offered the ap-
plieant II substantially less favor.
able 10 him In its conditions and
wages than those prevailing for
similar work In the lOcality--Or
u Il II q job where there 10 a
strike OF . lockout.
In the exposure to job oppor-
tunities, II Is not likely that EN-
ployment offices in the District Of
Columbia, Memphis, Tennessee,
and Birmingham and Admission,
Alabama, which are notorious for
their segregation and discrimina-
ton, win determine any job I'M
suitable for a colored job or unem-
ployment compensation applicant
to which he has been referred.
The discriminatory practices of
the USES have been outrageous.
II Is not likely that these practices
will be improved when the employ
ment services are turned back TO
the states. Since Mr.. Schwellen-
bach has indicated that he proposes
to take little or no action to cor
rect these practices, the only hope
for correction lies with President
Truman.