Evening star., 1951-10-10
City Heads Firm
For Integration
IDespiteProtest
Resignation Of Many
White Firemen Seen
By Union Committee
By Horriet Griffiths

By Horriet Griffiths
The Commissioners again re-
affirmed their new policy of inte-
grating colored men into white
companies Of the Fire Depart
ment today after listening to
vigorous protests from a Fire.
mems Union committee.
Capt. C. e. McGhee, chairman
Of the Segregation Committee Of
Local 36, International Associa-
ton of Fire Fighters, AFL, de-
clared the move would bring a
flood of requests for transfer and
many designations from white
firemen.
The committee presented q
resolution "imploring" Fire Chief
j. A. Mayhem, the Commissioners,
Congress and the taxpayers to
continue the departments 30
year-old segregation policy.
Sees Decreased Efficiency.
With integration, Capt. McGhee
maintained. "the oneness of pur-
pose and immediate harmony Of
action so obviously necessary in
the fire service would be seriously
jeopardized by lower morale and
decreased efficiency"
Segregation, he pointed out, Is
in full force by law in public
schools and is generally supported
by white society in most hospitals,
hotels, restaurants, theaters and
other public establishments.
Under the present setup in the
Fire Department, he told the city
heads, officers and men must use
common bunk rooms and beds,
"All firemen, with few excep-
tions. must Of necessity, sleep.
cook, eat and wash in rooms COM
mon to ALL" he declared. ITO live
together in an integrated firehouse
lis Objectionable to most white
flremen.
Full integration. therefor. will
be serious social discrimination"
he added. stating that the aver
age fireman has little social life
outside of what he gets in the
engine house.
Capt. McGhee argued that inte-
grafton was not based on any
real necessity. He said it would
be just as economical to put extra
Negro firemen in a segregated
company. He held also that sur
plus colored firemen could be as
signed to fire prevention and in
spection work which must be done
by some men.
One fireman. speaking for him.
self, said he would be out of q
job In the event the Fire Depart
|ment becomes integrated. He said
Ihe knew there were others, He
was Pvt. James B. Curtin.
John II. Connaughton, attorney
for the committee, also argued
against Chief Mayhew's conten-
Ition that integration is the most
economical way Of running the
department.
Unofficial Poll Cited.
He expressed the view that in
Itegration would be unsatisfactory
to 95 per cent of the white mem
bers of the department. He said
lunofficial polls indicated that one
or two battalions were 100 per
cent opposed.
This is disconcerting thing to
members Of the Fire Department.
It will come with a great deal of
bitter feeling" he added. 1--WE are
moving entirely too rapidly and
creating a situation that could
ruin the Fire Department"
The attorney said he understood
the Washington department was
one Of the most efficient fire fight
ing organizations in the country,
and pointed out this efficiency and
reputation had been gained in q
segregated organization.
| He promised the citizenship of
Washington would evidence itself
by forthcoming resolutions from
the citizens associations.
| Chief Mayhem declared he
still favored integration and that
II insist it is the most economi-
cal way to run this Fire Depart
ment."
He said there is inefficency at
some points in the department
with respect to the colored COM
panies it now has. He said he
believed that integrating two men
in each battalion headquarters
would bring no "rumpus" and
added. II don't think there are
going to be many quitting either. -
Battalion Chief Joseph Kay
brought up the question of the
present assignment of five white
officers to three of the colored
companies because there are not
sufficient colored officers.
Would Create Backlog.
''We always want to eat our
cake and have it too," he theo-
rized. I'VE want promotion, but
we don't want integration. Some
body has to go down there Ito the
colored companies) and / don't
see where the step is much harder
when you put II colored men in
the engine houses than to put the
white officers in colored COM
panies."
Chief Mayhem said that If the
white officers were taken from the
three colored companies and COM
petitive officers ordered for those
three and for another colored
company, a backlog of IL officers
would be created.
Opposition to integration also
was presented by Thomas w. Bel
land. representing the City Fire
Fighters Association, a smaller
organization of local firemen. He
said the organization went on rec
ord against integration in 1948
ond hod r,Nf rhonnad itc etox,I