St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-01-28

resulted in the above agreement.
The Northern Pacific has Its
general offices in st. Paul and
three officials OF the railroad who
were thought to have some know
ledge about the case and change
of employment policy were con-
tacted by this paper. All three
claimed to have only scanty in
formation concerning the case.
william n. 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.
Pnrr was then asked II AN APP
pointmcnt could he made 90 SEQ
him and he replied that u would
be- week 20 ten days before he
could see reporter from this
paper.
The Northern Pacific Ia the last
railroad operating out of the Twin
Cities that has hly-white kitchen
help policy II docs, however. en-
ploy Negro cooks on its business
or private cars that are maintain
ed for the top officials OF the
company.
At one time all of the railroads
running out OF the Twin Cities en-
ployed colored dining cooks but
they were replaced by white cooks.
During World War H. with tho
exception of the Northern Pacific.
they began TO hire Negro cooks
I again and an integrated kitchen
! crew on dining car II not I'M
usual today.
: J. B. Kiassen. supervisor OF
wages for the railroad and who
also handles grievances for the
: dining car department, stated that
q his files were not complete on the
> case.
He went on 10 say that the COM
$ pany did not discriminate I'm EN-
I ployment and cited az an example
p that several Negroes were employ
ed by the company as cleaners In
|. the office building.
A check with the Urban League
. showed that no Negroes were en-
ployed by the railroad in Its gen.
cral office in any clerical or white
collar capacity.
Klnssen said that II was the poll
Icy OF the dining car department
not to promote or denote any en-
ployee form one job classification
. 10 another.
II man Is hired as cook. for
example. he stays a cook. n there
In a need for stewards. they win
hire n man out OF the streets to
put In charge Of a dining car ra-
Their than upgrade cook or
! waiter.
He went on % say that most
walters made more money than
( anyone else ON dining car when
{ you count their tips.
= l.. l.. Perine, who heads up the
4 public relations department for the
e road, said that he only knew
!. vaguely about the matter.
Il The promotion OF Negroes TO
+ stewards on railroad dining cars
Is a struggle that has been going
IS on for a number OF years.
During the war some railroads
began 10 hire Negro stewards in
token numbers.
Y As far as could be learned only
n two roads hire Negro stewards
h running into the Twin Cities.
= They are the Chicago and
e Northwestern and the Milwaukee
d and they are hired out of Chicago.
c Since the war, however. the
}, number Of dining cars II gradu-
!. ally dwindling because Of lack
. OF travel and improved methods
{ Of service and food preparation.
4 Very few II any Negro stewards
+ have been hired by those roads
s that do employ Negro stewards
e and no other roads have hired
r any.
Dining Car Employees local SIS
+ which represents the nearly 1000
n dining car employees in this area
!, is vitality concerned about the pro-
n motion OF it's members to stewards
and is a strong advocate OF FEPc
e legislation.
A member OF the union made
/: this remark when asked about
r conditions on the Northern Pa
5 cific.
I: "In times like these when we
!. tthe nation) need the most we
!. can get out OF manpower. maybe
the Northern Pacific. since II is a
: multi-mill-ion dollar corporation.
e can afford to subsidize white
: supremacy in its employment poll
( cies"