Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1947-03-14
Webster Attacks
Negro Press in
Scathing Address

$50, 900 each against FIVE large Ne
gro newspapers for alleged libelous
statements printed about the
Brotherhood.
According TO the speaker these
big five Negro newspapers had
printed stories TO the effect that
Pullman porters were quitting the
Brotherhood which is affiliated with
the American Federation Of Labor
and joining the Committee for In
dustrial Organizations (CIO) and
the officials Of the Brotherhood
were not giving a financial state
ment.
These newspapers lied on US"
Webster beloved. land we are GO
ing TO find out why they did" He
did not name any Of the big FIVE"
newspapers which the Brotherhood
is suing.
Webster asserted that when the
Pullman porters were trying TO or
ganiZe the Brotherhood that they
had no greater enemies than the
Negro press, which he said received
money from the officials Of the
Pullman Company in the company's
attempt to prevent the Pullman
pOrters from becoming strongly
organized. "If these newspapers
were as honest as the Brotherhood
they would not carry such dishonest
advertisements as these" Webster
said. He held up to the audience n
copy Of an eastern newspaper and
pointed out several advertisements
Of love Portions" Lucky Dice, 1"
etc.
Negroes Misguided About CIO
Webster declared that the
Brotherhood has no fight with the
CLIO and that they contributed a
thousand dollars to the clio during
strike. I'VE believe that many
Negroes have been misguided about
the CLIO. Some believe that it was
organized TO smash discrimination;
hut that was not the case" He said
that some Of the worse cases Of
determinations that came 10 the at
tention Of the Presidents FEPC
were reported against clio unions.
Determination is not peculiar TO
the AFL and clio, but to America.
Racial discrimination against
the Negro and other minorities is an
American pastime." Webster said.
In most belIigercnt mood Web
ster referred to the United Trans
port Workers Union Of America,
without calling the name Of the or
RaniZation when he asserted that
The joker who heads the Red Caps
and others have boosted that they
were going to break up the Brother
hood"
He was evidently referring ia
willard Townsend, international
President Of the GTSEA. an atfil.
late Of the CIO. Townsend is in
Japan at the present time having
been sent to the Orient to study
conditions for the CIO, Of which hi
Is an executive board member
Local Newspaper Lied
Webster told his audience that
"a local newspaper told a lie on me
two years ago. but have moi
gotten around to that yet"
According to Webster the
Brotherhood Of Sleeping Car Port
ers is twenty-one years old ano
the present Brotherh ood i,
doubtless a capitalization Of many
efforts to organize. The success,
Of the Brotherhood is due largel,
to the Pullman porter, who wa
pushed around and was the victim
Of many labor abuses" The pay
roll Of the Pullman porters wa
, ~ million dollars n year when IN
\ Brotherhood was organized. and
!. was 80 million dollars last yea,
Webster said. The Pullma
? porter now has the monopoly q
his job, because he controls N
bargaining processes. the Inter
national Vice President declared.
Webster scored the Brotherhood
1 Of Railway Trainmen for their et
forts 10 drive the Negro out Of III
good paying jobs in the rAilroS
industry. He stated that sever,
years ago there were 1900 NegI
firemeu and that now there are onI
$500. He cited the recent victor
. Of the Brotherhood in its fight
;, prevent SO Negro head men" &
the NIX and T. from being take
of their jobs, at the insistsnee c
the Brotherhood Of Railway Trair
men.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
NEVER GIVE AN ACHE AN
EVEN BREAK
Use
N7EIdW61Sl Fss SCI. aussI.,