Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-27
Transit Policy on Operators

read with interest your editorial of
January 81 pertaining to the employ
ment of colored bus operators by the
Capital Transit Company.
The Senate committee deserves the
support of the people of the District in
its effort to get Capital Transit to hire
colored drivers. / know that several
lines Of this company are patronized
almost exclusively by colored riders and
one of the busiest is the H street North
east line. It is unfair to deny employ
ment to colored drivers, when SO much
Of its revenue comes from colored
passengers.
In view of The Stars determined
fight against crime in the District, !
am surprised at the attitude taken over
this issue. The Star is Washington
paper and should consider the
welfare Of the city first, rather than
support a law for the entire country.
The employment opportunity for col
ored men in the District is very limited
and when company the size Of Capital
Transit refuses to hire colored men as
operators. it is practically forcing indi-
viduals into life of crime. AS long as
employment is denied to colored citi-
Zens racketS and crime are bound to
flourish.
Whenever such changes occur, very
little Of the anticipated trouble appears.
Joe Louis won the heavyweight cham
pionship, Jackie Robinson made good
in the big leagues without too much
difficulty and others have entered new
fields and have succeeded. Baltimore.
V0rlI
Of the large cities where colored operat-
ors are employed by the transit COM
panies.
It is also unfortunate that the Capital
Transit Company is raising its fare,
again asking the colored riders to in
crease the profits of the Company with
out returning anything to the colored
citizens as pay for services rendered as
bus and trolley operators.
Edward J. MacClane.
Once more Capital Transit has turned
down pleas to hire Negro bus and street.
car operators. The president of the
company said this would continue to be
the policy of the company as long as
there remained a threat of a possible
work stoppage by white vehicle oper-
ators. When will this policy cease? AS
long as the president of etc holds this
opinion. never!
The transit company's president said
that he held no discriminatory inten-
tons against Negroes. Can we believe
that, knowing that he is the president
of the company and the company re-
fuses to hire Negroes? Surely, being
the president he must have something
to do with the making of the policy of
the company. He believes the white
drivers will strike if Negroes are hired,
and SO he refuses to hire Negroes. Isn't
that discrimination? If not, what is it?
Unfortunately. the president of CTC is
an impractical theorist. His views arc
derived from theory rather than fact.
How does he know it won't work? How
does any one know it won't work if it
is not given a try? It works in other
cities. Are there different types of
whites and Negroes in Washington than
found elsewhere?
Robert j. Greenfield.
Editors note: President Broadwater
of Capital Transit told the Payne sub
committee that the company has no
racial prejudice. citing the fact that
CTC now has 375 colored employees
whose pay ranges from the lowest to
highest" levelsD