St. Paul recorder., 1953-02-27

uuu.
the public the corporations plan.
Negroes who had previously OBJ
tanned defense employment In
other areas were amazed when
they were able to obtain jobs at
Twin Cities Ordnance Plant with
out a placement fee.
It should be definitely under
stood that the Urban Leagues did
not actually select the workers.
Investigations were handled solely
by the corporation. Hundreds of
people whom the Leagues referred
were not employed for reasons
known only to the company itself.
The Leagues referrals were simp-
ly preliminary approvals facilitat-
ing plant job interviews.
OF great assistance to Negro
applicants was the fact that the
birth certificate requirements were
waived for many Negroes. Early
in the employment period, the
Leagues pointed out that many
Southern rural states from which
Minnesota Negroes migrated, had
not yet become a part of the reg
istration area, when the applicants.
now of legal working age, were
born. Affidavits were prepared by
the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant
which, when properly completed
and acknowledged. served in lieu
of certificates of birth. Verifica-
ton Of citizenship by acknowledge
ment Of other affidavits was ia
cilitated by the Leagues which
also gave counsel to applicants on |
the type of jobs for which they |
should apply. the location Of in
offices. time Of appoint
ments, etc.
Politicians and others who had
never before been interested in
securing jobs for Negroes, i'm
descended on the Fed
eral Cartridge Corporation, but |
each In turn was referred to the |
Uban League of their respective
city. As agencies chiefly interested
in performing a community SER
vice. the Leagues played no politics
with jobs.
Negroes Trained for Skilled Jobs
In January 1912, the school for
key production personnel opened.
Ten Negroes were among the first
100 men trained. A few Cauca-
slams, some just off the W.PA.
relief rolls, complained about the
presence of Negroes. The school
director was ordered to tell them
in no uncertain terms that the
expected them to live
up to his contract in its entirety
the on-discrimination clause in
With this ultimatum laid
down. Negroes and whites in the
school soon became the best Of
Negroes Can't Believe II
As late as February 1912, Ne
groes were still skeptical about
the job opportunities in the plant.
While the installation of machinery
for making cartridges was rapidly
being stepped up, the bulk of the
Negro labor was either employed
in construction or in the Custodial
department In their con-
cern about jobs they ignored the
increase in the number OF guards
to ten; the department head who
now supervised nearly 100 Gus
and matrons; and the key
production personnel, one of whom
was now in charge OF thirty-five
white workers.
This public skepticism began to
lessen somewhat when two care
fully selected Negro women were
assigned to the assembly lines
along with the first 100 women
Many of the hurriedly employed
administrative personnel were un-
aware Of the prime contractors
non-discrimination plan. AS a re-
suit an attempt was made in one
production building to concentrate
the first fourteen Negro women
operators on the same production
line. Rumors flew and the COM
munity doubts flared. An i'm
mediate breakdown by the plant
operator followed. He instructed
superintendents not to concen-
trate Negro workers on any line
or in any department, with an
added admonition that Negroes
must be distributed indiscriminate-
ly according to their aptitudes and