Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1951-02-02

told the group there are 500
manufacturing firms in 81, Paul
and only las employ Negroes.
only 10 use them In accordance
with their skill and abilities"
which, according 10 Owens, leaves
many competent Negro workers
employed under n Job ceiling
which restricts fair chances for
any Up'gradlnE,
The Urban League executive
told tho committee that out Of
~ ~ Paul high school gradu-
Rtcs In 1850. only IL rNcciVed
fun time employment. IIe con.
tributcd this % tho fact that
many doors are closed 20 tho
Negro youths because Of their
color.
Survey ShoWa Need
Owens report showed the com.
mlttee facts about a recent sur
vey conducted by that agency In
which 267 firms were contacted
for future possibilities Of en-.
ploying Negroes, Tho survey re-
vealcd IbT or 90 percent did not
employ Negroes 80. or % per
cent had never employed them.
Owens further stated 90 firms
employed Negroes but only eight
Of them employed Negroes In
semi-skIllcd positions and four
skilled positions.
Tho firms which had no Ne.
RroeS were questioned a. 10 their
future policies toward employing
them. Owens said. there arc 20
or ~ percent who said they would
not employ Negroes. None Of
those firms had employed Negroes
In the past and previous exper'
fence could not BE- used a. an en-
ctse.
When asked by . mambeT Of
tho committee ~ the state had
prAotIced discrimination against
Negroes. Owens said YES" and
stated tho laaEIIs had 90 work
with Goaan departments 30 cor.
rect this policy.
Abbott WRshburn. who was one
Of the originAt0ra OF the Crusade
for World Freedom and q General
Mills executive, told the commit
tee Of his experience while with
General Lucius Clay In Berlin last
year. WAAhburn quoted excerpts
from radio broadcASts and news
stories from Moscow controlled
newspapers, which he stated are
fed 10 tho people. morning, noon.
and night, about the u. q.
Washburn said Mosc0w has
been waEing an extensive hate
campaign against ~. According
10 him the people are told we are
n nation Of WAr-mongers, have no
real choice Of voting, that our
press IN In chains controlled by
Mccormick and Hearst and that
autos are owned by only n priv
LEGGED few.
Must Strengthen Democracy
The General Mills official told
the group the only way we're go
ing 10 get anywhere II 10 strong-
then our democracy At home and
tell the world about II. lie stated
the legislature should pass FEPc
legislation aS an effective means
TO combat Communism. WASH
burn said the best answer 10 the
Communist Islander that the
United States practices hypocrisy
by demanding world freedom
while enalaving It's own minority
groups, In laws like FEPC.
DeInArd Speaks
Amos DcinArd, head Of the
Minneapolis FEPC. told the group
that during the three and one
half years Of the city ordinances
existence. I39 cases were reported
stating that many Of these were
later found % be- without basis
and all Of them settled by arbi-
tratIOn.
Others who appeared and APP
prove the passage Of the bill
were Robert Olson. president OF
the Minnesota Federation Of La
Dor vino stated he was for the bill
and that the ALL IL on record for
this type Of legislation. Bradshaw
hintsnsr. uce-president Of Pills
bury Mills. Inc. told the group
passage Of the bill would increase
the purchasing powers and also
ease the labor market In an
swer 10 q labor committemAn's
question about his own firms
policy, Mintsner stated his Or
ganIEation had been hiring minor
ity group members for years and
also stated the progreas Of
branches Of his firm In cities
where the FEPC ordinance 10 IN