St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-02-25

engineering. and they'H get tn
facts all Of them before the
dare come up with an answer.
An industriaiist IL only Kidding
himself when he repeats the
standard. pat objections 10 fair
employment We cannot stand
for enlightened progress ON the
one hand, and ON the other will
ingIy serve a meaningless taboo
right out Of the Dark Ages.
Economic Justice may be only
half the battle for Americas Ne.
grocs. but IL is the greater half
Improving the Negroes economic
lot viii breed social Improvement
and reduce the high price we
pay for sium-bred crime, disease
and poverty. While we win always
have some Negroes, as wen as
white men at the bottom Of the &c
onomic lader, they need not. at
least. be consigned 10 that position
because Of the color Of their skins.
We have TO believe that, here in
ths United States, there really Is
enough opportunity 10 go around
ready and waiting for men born
equal and entitled 10 find their
place In life according 10 what
they can give. Wasted ability is
costly, when we need more en-
gineers. doctors. or other people
in our top professions, and when
we continue, In some areas, 20 sub
stitute human muscle for maohln-
cry which could do the same work
Mt leaB cost. II goods and services
constitute our real wealth. then
the more people we permit to
create, produce and consume that
wealth. the better off we are.
VIII Create Consumer Markets
n we let Negroes find their
true level on the basis Of ability,
joining with us In the creation
and production Of wealth. their
Increased earnings viii give us
one OF the best consumer mar
kets we can hope for. Estimates
ON tho total cost Of prejudice To
the United States have run ms
high as thirty billion dollars
year. n the true cost were only
one quarter Of that. 10 would
stiIl be more than we can afford.
Basic ability must, OF course, be
trained before II can be fully util-
lied. In general. young Negroes
are better trained and educated
now than they have ever been,
just as there are comparatively
better employment opportunities
available 10 them than there were
10 their parents. But the fact re-
mains that, for many. there is
not yet much incentive TO obtain
higher education, particularly
when they see Negro college grad
yates working as Janitors or labor
ers, and when they sec others shut
our from tho in-plant training and
apprenticeship programs available
To whites.
Incentive and the ability to ar
ford education will increase az the
Negroes economic condition inn
proves; but the immediate slim
ulus To meet immediate needs re-
mains n Joint problem for Negro
leaders and for the people OF In
dustry who are In n position TO
provide training for trades and
for production jobs. The RESPONSE
bility for making this kind OF
training available TO Negroes In
industry Is an important one be-
cause Il win mean n great deal TO
the average Negro who, like the
average white. IN more apt to find
his future within an industry than
within a profession
As / have said before there Is
no blueprint for indignation which
can be applied rigidly within each
particular industry; but there ARE
some general guides which should
help make the Job easier every
where. When we started our owl
program, we didn't have mucl
outside assistance. but in th'
course of administering our pro
gram, we formed contacts witt
local and national groups, which
In the beginning could have mad
our task simpler and less WORT
some II we had gone TO them 70
pitfhanen We have XVnrlxed mart 4