Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-01-28

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Tho Northern Pacific has It's
general offices In st. Paul and
three officials of the railroad who
were thought 10 have some know
ledge about the case and change
Of employment policy were con-
tacted by this paper All three
claimed 10 have only soanty In
formation concerning the case.
william r.. Parr. superintendent
of the dining car department was
the first official contacted and he
claimed total ignorance about the
case that happened In his depart
mont,
Parr was then asked u nm APP
pointmcnt could he made 90 SEQ
him and he replied that u would
he u week 10 ten days before he
could sec u reporter from this
paper.
The Northern Pacific In the last
railroad operating out Of the Twin
cities that has n nly-whito kitchen
help policy II docs. however. em-
plov Negro cooks ON It's business
or private cars that are maintain
cd for the top officials Of the
company.
Al one time all OF the railroads
running out Of tho Twin Cities en-
ployed oolored dining cooks but
they were replaced by white cooks.
During World War II. with tho
exception Of tho Northern Pacific.
they began 10 hire Negro cooks
again and an migrated kitchen
crew on a dining car In not UNI
usual today.
.. u. klassrn, supervisor OF
wages for the railroad and who
also handles grievances for the
dining car department. stated that
his files were not complete on the
| case.
lie went ON 10 say that the COM
pany did not discriminate In em-
ployment and cited m an example
that several Negroes were employ
ed by the company M cleaners In
the office building,
A check with tho Urban League
showed that no Negroes were en-
ployod by the railroad In It's gcn-
eral office In any clerical or white
/ collar capacity
KlaHscn said that II waA thu pol
ley ~ the dining car department
not 10 promote or denote any en-
ployeo form one job classification
10 another.
n man II hired M n cook. for
example, he stays n cook II there
In q need for stewards, they win
hire man out Of the streets 10
| put In charge ~ n dining car ra-
ther than upgrade n cook or
waiter
IIr went on 10 say that most
walters made more money than
anynn" rls. ON u dining car when
You count their tips,
J.. l.. Prrinc. who heads up the
public relations department for the
road said that he only know
vaguely about the matter
The promotion OF Negroes 10
stewards on railroad dining cars
In a struggle that has been going
on for n number of years
During the war some railroads
began 10 hire Negro stewards In
token numbers.
As far M could be learned only
two roads hire Negro stewards
running into the Twin Cities.
They are the Chicago and
Northwestern and the Milwaukee
and they are hired out Of Chicago.
since the war. however, the
number 81 dining cars IL gradu-
ally jaindilng bccaus. 81 lack
81 travel and Improved methods
~ service and food preparation.
Very few u any Negro stewards
have been hired by those roads
that do employ Negro stewards
and no other roads have hired
any.
Dining Car Employees local 5ls
which represents the nearly 1000
dining car employees In this area
ia vitality concerned about the pro-
motion Of its members % stewards
and IN a strong advocate Of FErc
legislation.
a member Of the union made
this remark when asked about
conditions on the Northern Pa
cifc.
In times like these when we
lIhc nation need the most we
csn get out ~ manpower. maybe
the Northern Pacific, since II In a
multi min ION dollar corporation,
can afford 10 subsidiZe white
supremacy In Us employment poll
clcs"