St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1962-03-02
MINI. Negro Keeps
Making Progress In
All Fields Of Life

'SOnClnuou from rage II
Brown House whose services are
utilized by both races and whose
staff is interracial In character,
and directed by a trained woman
social worker, Alice Sims Onque.
Each city has an Urban League,
which do and have done in the
past fine jobs for the communities
in job placement, Interpretation of
community aspirations, vocational
guidance, housing and in all the
areas which present special prob
lens which face a racial sub
division of the population like the
Negro.
About 200 In Postal Service
There are an estimated 200 Ne
groes employed in the Post Office
department in the Twin Cities.
More are joining the postal service
every month. Many of them have
many years of seniority and a good
number entered the postal service
after World War I and II. For
many years this was the most
stable employment held by Negroes
here.
A few of them notably the late
Jose H. Sherwood, and Richard
Stokes of st. Paul and the late
Donald Brady of Minneapolis rose
to high level jobs in the depart
ment during their lifetime.
In recent years James Logan,
now with the regional postal office
was named to head the motor
vehicle division of the entire region
after serving as superintendent of
motor vehicles for the Minneapolis
Postoffice.
Appointment of Negroes to sup
ervisory posts in either city in re-
cent years have been as scarce as
hens teeth" despite seniority and
ability.
Nationally, Negro postal work.
ers have never received their
just due, in assignments, prom
Otions and elevation to jobs to
which many of them were en-
titled.
1t is predicted that a new day
is coming for Negro workers in
the postal system. No special fav-
ors, but just the same considera-
ton which usually goes without
question to fellow white workers.
Negro postal workers, here and
everywhere else have appeared to
be really both to challenge some of
the conditions under which Negro
workers have worked especially in
respect to promotions to supervis-
ory posts. A strong conservatism,
which seems to go with govern
ment employ has seemed to oper-
ate to keep many Negro postal
workers in-articulate and quiet
when they should have been filling
their Representatives and Sena-
tors mail boxes full with COM
plants.
The Postoffice department Is a
vital governmental agency. Even
tually the government is going to
have to pay decent salaries to pos
tai employees, comparable to what
private industry pays its workers
of the same level and 1t will be a
good field of employment for per-
sons seeking security and tenure.
The chief postal unions for the
carriers and clerks of course
admit Negro postal workers to
membership but In most cities
mako no real effort to see that
Negro members receive their
lust due in promotions, upgrad-
ingS and assignments. Inc IWlh
City locals are said to be better
than most, but still nothing gives
much.
Because of this the National
Postal Alliance was formed to rep
resent Negro workers but to date
It has not made a real dent in the
widespread race discrimination
which exists almost unchallenged
In the Postal system.
The Post Office is not alone In
dis eliminating against Negro
workers in us. government serv-
ices. Secretary of Labor Joseph
Goldberg said last week thor
ough study is being made to bring
other cabinet level departments IN
line.
In almost every cabinet depart
ment Negro specialists have been