St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1947-04-18

employment OtIFlCS.
Undoubtedly the Senate will re-
store some Of the reductions made
in Labor department apprOprla-
tions because the slashes made
by the House would too greatly
curtail essential services. This APP
pears to be particularly true Of
the Division of Labor Standards,
the Cancellation Service, and the
Wage and Hour Division.
For the United States Employ
ment Service, exclusive Of the funds
specifically appropriated to the
Veterans Employment Service, the
House reduced the estimates for
administrative purposes from
$3,9I2,9OO to 100000, and sug-
gested that all regional offices Of
the USES, with the possible ex-
ception Of one at San Francisco,
DE GlOStu AZ OllCes
The argument is being made
in letters to Senators that this
reduction will wipe out the min
GRITTY groups section in the Wash
ingtOn Offices of the USES and
make il impossible for that agen-
cy to carry out its responsibility
Of maintaining a national sys-
TEN of public employment Offices
and for cOOrdinating those Offices
throughout the country and in
creasing their usefulness.
At the time that Congress voted
to return the employment offices
to the states on Nov. 10, last, it
appeared that operation of these
offices by the Federal Government
would be more in the public interest
than their operation by the states.
But since these offices have been
returned to the states, it may be
that the action of Congress after
all was in the public interest.
Looking at USES from the
standpoint Of the Negro, the en-
plOyment Offices in every section
Of the country Disseminated in
one form or another against col
Ored job applicants, and il was
not until after Congress voted to
return the employment Offices to
state operation that Secretary Of
Labor Lewis Il. Schwellenbach
would issue a statement of policy
against discrimination in those
offices.
Under federal operation, race
discrimination both with respect
to employment within the employ
ment offices and with respect tC
Job referrals was rank. There will
be no improvement on this score
under state operation in southern
states. But in states where cOloreC
people vote, by reason Of their prOx.
unity to the state administration
they should be able to force aban'
dunmcnt of such practices.
In the circumstances, Congress
should give the USES whatever
funds it believes necessary to carry
out its legitimate purposes but
there is no valid reason why tina
agency should be given funds OF
the basis Of any services that th'
agency now claims it rendered col
orrd job seekers.
Perry Faulkner, executive secre
tary Of the Veterans Placemen
Service and chief Of the Veterans
Employment Service, asked tn,
Senate to restore a cut Of 1898, 500
in the appropriation for the jol
rounscling and employment place
ment service for veterans.
This service has small staff o
20 people in Washington. 1t hai
/ Gl7 positions in the field, Of whicl
326 are field assistants whose dut!
it is to see that the USES give vet
Grams the preference in job refer
rails and to induce employers t.
hire veterans.
So far as can be learned, not
a single one of these field as
sistants is cOlOred, although
there are more than 1000. 900
cOlorcd veterans in this country.
The Senate Labor Federal Sc
curity appropriations Subcommit
tee seems inclined to restore tn
cut in the Veterans Employment
Service appropriations because tn
Congress wants to render ever
possible assistance it can to vet
Grams To readjust themselves t
civilian life.
But it seems that some consider
alton is due colored veterans. !
it is necessary to induce employer
to give job opportunities to whit
veterans, it is all the more neces
Sary that they be induced to Civ
job opportunities to colored yetel
ans.
Some Of the field assistants
under Mr.. Faulkner's supervision
should he colOred. II not, a great
many cOlOred veterans are going
to I'LL the ranks Of the unem-
, ployed in this country and be n
burden upon the taxpayers by
drawing unemployment compen-
satiOn.