1, Page Fourteen turned me down. Said I was In- eligible." We started the usual investiga- tion with a field representative going to the plant and requesting records and interviews with per- sonnel people. He ran into a stone wall. "Sorry," he was told. "We can't let you see a thing." There was no bitterness or argument, just a flat refusal. He reported to the commissioner in charge of the case and asked for advice. "Here is something definitely wrong," we thought, until we re- ceived a visit from a representa- tive of a federal agency. In es. sence, the federal man said, "Lay off and don't ask any more ques- tions." Because the war had not ended, we were unable to do anything but comply and inform the com- plainant that there was nothing wo could do for him at that time. A few days after the first atomic bomb leveled Hiroshima we 'got the answer. The plant was manu. facturing components for the bomb, and the War Department had issued strict orders that only native-born American citizens were to be employed on any project connected with it. Hiring and firing are not the only phases of employment with which the Commission must deal. One of the most prevalent forms of complaint has been that against biased questions in application forms. The law states that it is unlawful "to use any form of ap- plication for employment or to make any inquiry in connection with prospective employment which expresses . . . any limita- tion, specification, or discrimina- tion as to race, creed, color, or national origin." In order to acquaint business and labor with this and other sec- tions of the law, the Commission, soon after its appointment by the Governor, mailed letters to 11,000 companies, informing them of The law's provisions and pointing out that certain types of questions were illegal. We also began a series of speak- ing engagements at businessmen's clubs, community and industrial round tables, and the like. After illegal practices under the statute were explained, the meeting was opened for discussion. For these speeches we drew upon ourselves the ire of certain sections of the press. One news- paper in an article observed that "the $50,000 - a - year commission against discrimination has made 60 speeches in the past few months," and pointed out that the Rosh Hashonah Greetings and Best Wishes to All Friday, September 27, 1946 DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle average was a little less thar federal law. Although the white $1,000 a speech, but it neglected to present our other activities. The article was entirely unwar- ranted because, through these speeches and the letters, we had submitted to us over 500 employ- ment application forms with re- quests that we make necessary changes, eliminating questions of a discriminatory nature. We had hoped that these methods would save us trouble in the future, but objections to forms are still corn- ing in. A young woman with a foreign accent applied for a job and was given the company's standard ap- plication form, containing ques- tions as to her national origin, her religion, her mother's and father's religions, and her membership in fraternal organizations, if any. She glanced quickly over the form and returned it to the personnel manager, telling him that the questions were illegal under the anti-discrimination Act. At the time she filed her com- plaint with the Commission she reported that the manager grabbed the application from her, tore it to pieces, and ordered her out of the office. Later, during the investigation, the employer admitted, rather lamely, that his forms did not comply wtih the law and had them changed. His personnel man- ager excused himself for his ac- tions with the young woman on the ground that she had made him nervous and upset when rile refused to fill out the blanks. He even asked her to re-apply for the job, but she turned him down. Most of the complaints filed with the Commission are those you would normally expect: Ne- groes charging discrimination by Whites, Jewish persons complain- ing about Gentiles, foreign-born people objecting to alleged preju- dices by native Americans. But there was one particular case which was in direct contrast to the normal run: In a small building in one city in the state there are two ele- vators, adequate to handle the number of tenants and visitors. In addition to the two operators there is one starter employed. At the time of the incident in ques- tion both the starter and one of the operators were Negroes and the other operator was white. The white operator came to our offices and demanded that he get his job back, declaring, vehe- mently, that he had been fired by the starter for no apparent reason. He had done the job well and liked the work. An investigation revealed that another Negro oper- ator, who had been serving in the Army, returned and asked for his old job under the provisions of man held seniority over the Negro, who had been working during the other's absence, he was discharged by the Negro starter to make room for the discharged veteran. As a result of the Commission's recommendation, the building op- erator gave the white man his old job back. Although in each case I have cited so far the Commission has worked to protect the employee or job-seeker, the law is so worded that protection is also afforded the employer who may be subjected to unjust, unwarranted, and haras- sing complaints. Many employees call on us demanding retribution for alleged unjust acts under the statute, but, through invsetigation, we have been able to reject those made by the crackpots and ven- geance-seekers. Hired as a first-class welder which he claimed to be, a man charged a factory with subterfuge and discrimination against his re- ligion because, he told the Com- mission, he did not come to work on Jewish holidays. The day after one such holiday he returned to work and was fired. The company claimed he was inaccurate. Officials of the union of which the man was a member were told a story by him different from that which he related to the Commis. sion. He told the union the com- pany had fired him because he had made top rate, was entitled to more money, but was refused the rise. In his report to the union he did not mention disdrim- ination. 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