Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1950-07-07

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the enactment Of Q Federal Fair
Employment Practice Act pro-
hibiting all forms Of diScFtmtna-
ton In private employment based
on race, color, creed or national
origin.
Bills TO achieve this end have
been introduced In the Seventy
eighth, the Ssventy-ninth, the
Eightieth, and the Eighty-first
Congresses. Hearings were held
In the Senate In the Seventy
eighth, the Ssventy-ninth and the
Eightieth Congresses.
Last year, Identical bills were
introduced In the Senate and In
the House.
Hearings were held In the
House. Testifytng In opposition
70 the bill were five Members Of
the House and one private indiN-
dual. Testifying In favor Of the
bill were 10 Representatives, 3
Senators, and the Secretary Of
Labor; various State commits
sioners Of local FEPCs, and for
mer staff members Of the war
time Federal FEPC; the Catholic
Church, Federal Council Of Chur-
ches of Christ in America, Ma
tional Fraternal Council Of Negro
churches, American Friends Ser
vice Committee, Methodist
Church, and the Synagogue Coun-
ell Of America; American Civil
Liberties Union; CLIO and ALL;
NAACP and Urban League; Am
orleans for Democratic Action;
and Students for Democratic
Action; Improved BPOE Of the
World; American Jewish Com
mittee; American Jewish Con-
gress: American Veterans COM
mittee; Jewish War Veterans;
National Council Of Jewish Wo-
men: Jewish Labor Committee;
japanese American CitiEOnB
League; National Community Re-
lations Advisory Committee.
During the course Of the Today
hearing. a subcommittee Of the
House Of Representative heard
some IS witnesses and compiled
$50 pages Of printed testimony.
Numbered among the organiza-
tons testifying are the Federal
Council of Churches Of Christ In
America, composed of IS leading
Protestant denominations with o
membership of $4,000, 900; the
United Council Of Churchwomen,
composed Of some 60 Protestant
denominations representing TO-
00O, 900 women: the Council Of
Negro Churches in America. rep
reSenting over 5000. 900 members,
the Catholic Interracial Councils,
and the Synagogue Council of
America, comprising the ortho-
dox. Conservative, and Reformed
branches Of Judaism.
The two great American labor
bodies, the American Federation
of Labor and the Congress Of In
dustrial Organizations, represent
ing approximately $4,000. 900
American wage earners united In
support Of FEPC In recognition
Of the fact that the denial of
equal Job opportunities to any
group of workers threatens the
hard-won standards Of all
workers. Altogether. the witness
ses for these and the many other
civic, veterans, racial and
ethnic organization who appeared
before the committee, are reliably
estimated latter discounting the
overlapping Of the various organi-
zations) to represent upward Of
50. ZOO, 900 Of our citizens.
The need for FEPC legislation
In clear and unmistAkable. The
pattern Of discrimination In
America II threatening the fab
rtc Of our democratic life. The
pattern Of economic discrimina-
ton In America v Q threat TO the
welfare Of our society. S.1728 has
for Its purpose the establishment
Of economic opportunity.
The need for FEPC legislation
u urgent. Discriminatory en-
ployment practice throughout the
United States II widespread. To-
day, with unemployment q con-
slant threat, the fear Of discrim-
inatory discharges weighs heav-
lily upon all who have ever known
the Illustration and bitterness Of
Job discrimination. I refer 70 rs
000, 900 Catholics. $4,000. 900 Ne
groes. 5000, 900 Jews, 5000, 900
Americans Of Mexican or Spanish
origin, 1900, 900 foreiRn-born.
and q, 900, 900 children OF foreign
born. This insecurity and fear on
the part Of Americans who have
contributed to the welfare and
the defense Of our country 10
well-grounded.
Recent statistics compiled by
the Bureau Of Census reveals that
whereas unemployment among
whites increased l7e.A per cent
between July 1945 and April
1919, there was an increase OF
$50 percent In unemployment
among nonwhites during the
same period. The Census Bureau
concluded that because Of the
tendency 70 lay of Negroes be-
fore whites, and because Of the
relative lack OF slCill required In
jobs usually assigned to them,
Negroes win suffer an inereastng-
" higher percentage Of unem-
ployment In any recession that
may overtake W.
In my own city Of Minneapolis.
. self survey conducted BY the
mayors commission On human ~
lations found that Jews. Negroes.
Japanese-Americana. and other
minority group members were
widely Disseminated against by
employers OF 529 Minneapolis
firms from which reports were
tAbulated. eS percent hired no
Jews. Negroes or JapAnese-Am-
ericans; 81 percent hired one or
more JswA Negroes and Ior Jap
aneaR- AuRFfcana. II pRreanf hir-