St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-08-16
ANNA HEDGEMAN
QUITS FEPC COUNCIL
(Cnnffnnad from paOa II

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favored a compromise in order to
get a standard of conduct in en-
ployment written into federal law
with the hope Of getting the legis-
lation amended later, thought that
II would be bad to accept a COM
promise at that time because they
doubted that there was time for
Congress to pass bill before adj
journment.
Randolph called a meeting Of the
policy committee Of the Council
and, in effect, told the members of
that committee he wanted them to
accept the Taft bill because he had
organized the Council and raised
the funds with which it had car
ried on. Members Of the policy COM
mittee, among them Walter White,
executive secretary of the National
Association for the Advancement
Of Colored People, were amazed.
The policy committee voted against
him. He then appointed a commit
tee to study the organizationAl and
financial structure Of the Council.
In the two-year fight for FEPC
legislation, one Of the difficulties
Mrs. Hedgeman and her staff faced
was the inability to get Mr.. Ran
dolph to come to Washington and
assume leadership at strategic
times. He was usually too busy.
Randolph is the president Of
the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
POrters, the head Of the March
on Washington" movement, which
pressured the late President
Franklin d. Roosevelt into issu-
ing the executive order June rs,
1871, creating the Fair Employ
ment Practice Committee; he also
Is . leader Of the Socialist party
and Is now heading a third party
movement.
Mr.. Randolph was unable to attend
the first hearings on the FEPC
bill. He came here only during the
last few days Of the three-week
filibuster against the FEPC bill in
last January and February, and
was unable to attend an emergen-
ey dinner meeting at the May
flower hotel on January %.
Usually Mr.. Randolph was not
available for appointments. Only
when Robert r. Church, the Ten
nessee Republican leader, began
making appointments for Randolph
and himself to talk with Senators
did Randolph begin to lobby per-
sonally for the bill.
Back Of the difficulties also lies
Randolph's affiliations. In the or
ganization Of the Council he ig-
nored Mr.. White. Some people at
tribute to this fact the threats of
the NAACP to take over the fight
for permanent FEPC legislation.
The National Council Of the Con-
gress Of Industrial Organizations
never made a substantial contribu-
ton to the Council, while it gave
$4,000 to the National Commit
tee to Abolish the Poll Tax. Some
members Of the CLIO are opposed
to Randolph because he would not
take the Brotherhood Of Sleeping
Car Porters out Of the American
Federation of Labor when John
-, bcMlst pIeSluSlt OF the united
Mine Workers Of America, and his
cohorts left the ALL.
Communists Involved
As a socialist he is opposed to
Communists. This has caused the
Council to veer to the right, and
much Of its support has come from
church groups, including Catholics,
As observers here see it, only
a complete reorganization Of the
Council on n broader base with rep
resentativss Of national organiza.
tons composing the membership
can reinvigorate the Council.
Mrs. Hedgeman was not avail.
able for comment. At her apartment
here her husband, Merritt Hedge
man, a veteran, stated she was
planning a we'll deserved vacation.