St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1950-07-14

standable that such young people
might become, in its literal sense,
anLIsoclal? An antisocial atti-
tude, when translated into overt,
specific acts, is less euphemisu-
cally characterized as CRIME and
delinquency. Ironically enough,
many of those who decry the So
called crime wave among Negro
youth are probably among the
foremost in opposition to this
very bill"
The existence of discrimination
in America Is therefore unmIstak-
able. The evil effects of employ
ment discrimination in America
Is unmistakable. The need for
h EPC legislation is unmistak-
able.
Those of us who support S.1728
are under no illusions tnat the en-
actment of our bill Will bring a
rapid solution to the problem.
FkPC will, however, minimize
the problem of economic discrim-
nation. Enactment of our bill
may not eliminate prejudice, but
1t will establish as national
policy that, although prejudice
may be personal, discrimination
Is not.
Experience with State and
FEPC ordinances prove
that tEPC is effective. 1t Is eff
tective primarily because it es-
tabhshes a policy that decent,
humanitarian Americans are per-
fectly willing to conform to a
and democratic
policy. am pleased to place in
The Record a Z-year report on the
operation of the FEPC in my own
city of Minneapolis. 1t covers the
operation of the FEPC from June
l, 1947, to June 80, 1949.
FEPC ordinances now prevail
in Cincinnati, Ohio; Chicago, ILL.,;
Milwaukee, Wis; Philadelphia,
Pa; Minneapolis, Mimi; Phoenix
Ariz.; and Cleveland, Ohio. There
is now a total of 10 States which
have FEPC laws on their statute
books: Connecticut, New Jersey,
Indiana, Massachusetts, New
York, Wisconsin, New Mexico,
Oregon, Rhode Island and Wash
ington.
These local and State attempts
to solve the problem of discrim-
ination are to be commended.
They are effective. They de-
the basic desire of the
American people to eliminate the
scourge of employment discrimin-
alton from their midst. They re-
ceive popular support wherever
they operate. They have allayed
all previous fears as to their
operation. They prove conclusive
ly that FEPC can work.
l am pleased that in S. 1928,
the bill we are now asking the
right to consider; that State and
local governments have an i'm
portant role to play in promoting
fair employment and in cooperat-
ing with the Federal Government
toward achieving that end. IN
der the terms of our bill, juris-
diction over discriminatory cases
would be transferred to state and
local agencies where those agen-
cies are operating effectively.
The evidence is clear, however,
that State and municipal FEPC
laws by themselves, important
and effective as they are, cannot
adequately solve the problem.
National legislation is necessary
to provide national standards of
decency and fair play. The FEEDER
al Government has an obligation
to establish a national pattern
and a basic standard of employ
ment rights for all Americans.
Discrimination does not recog-
nize State boundaries, just as en-
ployment does not recognize
State boundaries. We have on
many occasions established the
of Federal employment
legislation. We can do no less in
the realm of human rights as it
affects employment.
We have said that employers
may not hire children because
we need an educated America.
We have said that employers
must provide safety measures be-
cause we need a healthy Ameri-
ca. We must now say that en-
ployers may not discriminate
against qualified workers because
of race, color, religion, or nation
al origin, because we need a uni
fled, prosperous, and democratic
America.
S. 1928 is particularly note
worthy in this connection in that
it recognizes that the Federal
Government cannot effectively
and should not extend its juris-
diction to all areas of employ
ment. The bill, therefore, will not
only limit its operation to inter-
state employment but also has a
size limitation in that it is limited
to those employers with so or
more employees.
There is one other area, i'm
portant in its own right, in which
s. 1928 will have an effect. The
Federal Government is today the
largest single employer of labor
in America. Approximately O.
100000 persons are now on its
payroll. Only a Federal FEPC
will provide these workers with
the protection to which they are
entitled.
In my testimony before the
House of Representatives on May
IL, 1919, pointed to the fact
that the Federal Government in
194S spent more than $4,000. 0OO,-
900 in direct expenditures for en-
ployment. In addition to the APP
proximately 100000 workers on
the Federal payroll, an average
of 175,000 persons were employ
ed by private contractors on con-
struction projects financed either
in whole or in part by Federal
funds, amounting to $1,000, OOO,-
600. This estimate does not in
clude Federal loans such as REA-
financed projects and the employ
ment resulting from them.
Furthermore, even though ex-
act data is not available, partial
data as a result of the Walsh
Healey Public Contracts Act,
which provides for the inclusion
of stipulations with regard to
pay, hours, and working condi-