Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1959-12-05

bring a breakthrough in other in
dustries in Delaware that have
not upgraded Negro employees or
offered them white-collar jobs be-
cause they believe the social eli
mate is not ready to accept such
program"
He also said:
eff demagogues can spread
their spirit of hate and prejudice
something positive can also spread
to other areas from a local pro-
gressive program"
The new program at the Presi-
dents committee was proposed by
Irving Ferman, who took over as
executive vice chairman last June,
and by the second-ranking full
time staff member, DR.. Jacob Sci
denberg, the executive director.
Since its creation by President
+ Eisenhower in 1858, the committee
had concentrated on what it termed
formal compliance" with the pro-
vision in all Government contracts
barring discrimination in hiring.
Such formal compliance might
include, for example, the COM
pany's posting signs in the plant
noting the provision against dis
elimination, or promising to ac-
cept all applications regardless Of
race.
Applications A Factor
Mr.. Ferman pointed out that if
large plant had never hired Ne
groes for anything but mental
jobs, those seeking white-collar
positions were unlikely to apply
there. Thus many companies not
hiring Negroes could honestly say
they were not discriminating.
you've got to break the ice,"
Mr.. Ferman said. "You have to
get Negroes into pilot jobs. You
have to persuade the contractor
that he must take action to i'm
plement the Government policy of
employing Negroes"
Mr.. Ferman, DR.. Seidenbreg and
others on the tiny staff of the
Presidents committee have toured
the country in the last few months
persuading company executives to
take the step. They selected con-
tractors with nc Negroes in better
grade jobs by going through sur
veys the committee had made.
81 have found remarkable con-
sent among the top executives"
Mr.. Ferman says now. He ex-
pressed admiration for the bust
ness attitudes he had seen.
No Contracts Cancelled
1t is fortunate for the committee
that persuasion has worked, be-
cause that and adverse publicity
are about it's only weapons. 1t
can ask the contracting depart
ment of the Government to cancel
a contract because of discrimina-
tory hiring policies, and it has
asked occasionally. But no depart
ment has yet broken contract for
that reason.
Social agencies have been help
full to the committee. The Urban
League, for example, helped Ne
grces find jobs in Kansas City.
The American Friends Service
Committee in Greensboro, N. c.,
sent to the plant there its first
two Negro white-collar employees
one now in the accounting and
one in the personnel department.
The Presidents committee has
endorsed the more aggressive new
approach without dissent. And
that is so despite the presence of
some political opposites on the
group.
In addition to Mr.. Nixon, who
has been quite active in the work,
the committee includes George
Meany, president Of the American
Federation Of Labor and Congress
Of Industrial Organizations; Wal
ter Reuther, president Of the Unit
ed Auto Workers, and Mrs. Helen
Rogers Reid, former publisher Of
The New York Herald Tribune. A
number Of Government depart
ments are also represented by top