Evening star., 1948-04-16
'Firemen' 'sUnion
Asks Retention
'0f segregation
Petition Presented
To Commissioners
Bv Committee

Bv Committee
The District Firemen's Union to.
day presented the Commissioners
with a resolution 'imploring" that
of white and colored
fire fighters be continued in the de-
partment.
The resolution was brought to the
city heads by Capt. Curtis E. Nc
Ghee. chairman Of the segregation
committee of Local 36 Of the Inter-
national Association of Fire Fight
ers.
Although Fire Chief Clement
Murphy, who is absent on sick
leave, has never expressed himself
officially on this point, the union
said it believed the chief will pro-
pose and indorse interrogation OF
white and colored men in the city's
firehouses. At his home Chief
Murphy said he had not studied the
resolution and would not comment
at this time.
THE chief engineer has deemed
it fit and proper to make the (de-
partment'S) two colored captains
acting chiefs" the resolution said.
These two colored captains and all
colored neutenants and sergeantS
were appointed as such by courtesy
of their color alone, never having
placed high enough on civil serv-
ice promotionaf register to have
been legally appointed to their pres
ent position of rank
81 of 910 Are Colored.
The resolution continues:
These colored captains, when
acting battalion chiefs, are in
charge of white companies and
command white officers and men.
Under a policy of integration, all
colored officers then would COM
mand white personnel, although
many of the white subordinates
placed higher than their colored
SuptIlOlS OIl SiFll SCl NASG Po-
motional registers"
The District now has two firs
companies manned by colored per-
sonnel. In his resolution, the union
said the number OF colored ap-
pointments to the department had
increased to such an extent that
either a new colored company would
have to be formed or the depart
ment would have to shift to .
policy of racial integration.
The two colored captains In the
department are James F. Mills Of
Engine Company 27 and Joseph
Briscoe, of Engine Company 4. The
department has one colored lieu
tenant and two colored sergeants.
OF the total department strength OF
9lO men, 50 are Negroes. according
to Deputy Chief Frank G. Berry.
The unions resolution stated that
If the segregation policy were
abandoned many white firemen
would resign - and large
percentage of the present white ap-
plicants for appointment in the Fire
Department would refuse to accept
employment"
Considered at Two Meetings.
A spokesman for Commissioner
John Russell Young said he had
been informed that the f1remen'S
union considered the segregation
question at two meetings. with diff
ferent members present on each oc-
casion. At the first meeting. last
month, it was understood 81 flremen
attended and the vote was unani-
nous. Last Tuesday, with differ
ent set of members in attendance,
the vote was reported as 80 to 18 in
favor of the resolution.
| The union claims a membership
Of approximately 900. 1t includes
two or three colored firemen.
The union is headed by Capt.
Joseph w. Conroy, who led an at
tack on Chief Murphy's fitness for
his job which resulted last winter in
the chiefs acquittal by q special
trial board.
IL was DCllCSCu, hoWCNCiy tiiot
Capt. Conroy himself had not
| favored the resolution.
The resolution called on Chief
Murphy, the Commissioners, Con-
gress and the District Taxpayers
to uphold the segregation policy.
Merit Promotions Urged.
It asked that colored companies
be officered by men of their own
race, and that the two colored cap
tains be not allowed to act as bat
TALON chiefs until they have earned
the right to do so In competition
with white captains"
THE unanimity Of purpose and
immediate concentrated harmony
of action so necessary to ef11cient
fire service would be seriously jeop-
odized by the lowered morale and
decreased efficiency attendant upon
integration," the union said.
The resolution pointed out race
segregation Is the practice here
adding the Fire Department had
tried intergration of the races some
80 years ago and abandoned II
forthwith"