Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1947-05-02
Washington
LaborReport
BY PAUL SIFTON
LPA Columnist

Each day die a little,
goes the line in an old love
song.
The same happens in dis.
elimination, particularly dis
elimination in employment.
There's nothing indirect, no
delayed reaction when a man,
woman or youth is turned
down for a job because of
race, religion, color, national
origin or ancestry. Or when
upgrading promotion is de-
MED, or if he is assigned to a
dirty or dead-end job.
That hits quick, right be-
tween the eyes, under the
heart and on the solar plexus
button, sometimes all at once.
Sometimes it stuns, depresses
and discourages the victim;
sometimes it shakes him up
and makes him mad. Either
way, something in him dies.
More than 10000, 900 Amer.
lean citizens, Negroes, Jews,
Catholics, Spanish Americans
and other minority groups,
suffer this pounding each and
every day. Each day it strikes
either at each individual hu-
man being or at people they
know. 1t strikes at their
pocket books, at food and
housing for themselves and
their families, at health and
educational opportunities for
their children.
Equally important, it strikes
at their sense of dignity. 1t
writes a big dirty "Oh YEAH"
across all schoolroom and
radio and press statements
about democracy, equality
and the freedoms from want
and fear. 1t gives the horse
laugh to that part of Secre-
tary of State MarshalIs def
milton of democracy which
suggested that, here in the
u, S. A., people were not de-
MED the right to work be-
cause of their color.
NEW FEPC
The very fact that this dis.
elimination in employ m e n t
does hit, bruise and hurt in
dividual human beings every
day is the strongest reason
for saying that the new FEPC
bill Is going to move; that it
will have hearings in this
session OF Congress, and that
it will get out on the floors
OF both Houses before the
Representatives and Senators
60 home for the 1948 pri-
maries, conventions, campaign
and elections.
These millions of citizens
a1e going to insist upon ac-
ton. They are better organ
lied than ever before, in un-
ions, in racial, religious and
other groups. Many of them
are federated In the re-oran-
lied National Council for a
Permanent FEPC. Both AFL
President William Green and
CIO President Philip Murray
are members of the Councils
Board Of Directors. SO are
members of Catholic, Jewish
and Protestant groups who see
the damage to all of such in
jury TO any one man.
Most important, the minori-
ties have had a small taste of
decency in employment. The
work OF the wrtime FEPC,
weak though 1t had to be, has
become a symbol, a torn bat
tie flag that brings tears to
their eyes and dollars to the
collection plate
In the new bill, the FEPC
is changed to the National
Commission Against Discrim-
intion in Employment. More
emphasis is put on informa-
ton, education and concilia-
ton. But the enforcement
teeth are still there, a double
set, and just as sharp as in
the original bill.
Friends Of the Fair Employ
ment idea accept the change
Of title and explain:
ITO the millions OF Ameri-
can citizens who are members
of minority groups, the rose
Of fair employment will smell
as sweet by any name
FEPC or Meade"
They want to stop dying a
little each day. AS soon as
ppgsihlp