SUBCOMMITTEE NO.CCY 27 1955 OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY EIGHTY-FOURTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H. R. 389, 3688, 51, 702, 259, 3304, 3480, 3563, 3575, MISCELLANEOUS BILLS REGARDING THE CIVIL RIGHTS THE UNITED STATES JULY 13, 14, AND 27, 1955 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary CONTENTS Text of bills, H. R. 389, H. R. 3688, H. R. 51, H. R. 702, H. R. 259, H. R. 3304, H. R. 3480, H. R. 3563, H. R. 3575, H. R. 3578, H. R. 5345, H. R. 3387, H. R. 3421, H. R. 3474, H. R. 3566, H. R. 3580, H. R. 5349, H. R. 258, H. R. 3388, H. R. 3422, H. R. 3475, H. R. 3568, H. R. 3579, H. R. 5351, H. R. 627, H. R. 3389, H. R. 3423, H. R. 3472, H. R. 3562, H. R. 3585, H. R. 5348, H. R. 3390, H. R. 3419, H. R. 3476, H. R. 3569, H. R. 3582, H. R. 5343, H. R. 3391, H. R. 3478, H. R. 3571, H. R. 3583, H. R. 3418, H. R. 5350, H. R. 628, H. R. 3394, H. R. 3420, H. R. 3481, H. R. Page Judge David A. Rose, Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, Roy Wilkins, executive secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, New York, accompanied by Clarence Mitchell, director, Washington Bureau of the NAACP. Will Maslow, general counsel, American Jewish Congress, New York. Al Hartnett, secretary-treasurer, International Union of Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers, CIO__ Hon. Charles C. Diggs, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the William H. Oliver, codirector of the fair practices and antidiscrimina- tion department, UAW-CIO, accompanied by Paul Sifton, national Hon. Hugh J. Addonizio, a Representative in Congress from the State 208 Hon. Henry S. Reuss, a Representative in Congress from the State of 209 Clarence Mitchell in hearings before the House Committee on Banking Document from the Housing and Home Finance Agency entitled "Racial Occupancy Pattern in Low-Rent Housing Projects". Document from Housing and Home Finance Agency entitled "Facts Concerning the Rhode Island Plaza Housing Development in Reprint from the New York Times Magazine, May 22, 1955, entitled "Can Morality be Legislated?". Chart entitled "Employment Status of the Civilian Institutional Population by Color and Sex," supplied by the UAW-CIO- Newspaper clipping from the Birmingham (Ala.) News of Tuesday, November 30, 1954, headlined "1,200 White Men Attend Rally Document entitled "1954 Pennsylvania Study Reveals Greatest Dis- criminations in Skilled Occupations," supplied by the UAW-CIO.. Document entitled "1954 Ohio Study of Discrimination in Employ- Letter from Mike M. Masaoka to Representative Thomas J. Lane giving views of Japanese-American Citizens League on civil-rights Document entitled "1954 Illinois Study Shows Decline in Nonwhite Percentages of Employees in Firms Sampled," supplied by UAW- Excerpts from campaign pledges on civil rights supplied by John J. Interstate Commerce Commission on H. R. 389, dated June 8, 1955 Department of Labor on H. R. 51, H. R. 389, H. R. 702, H. R. 3688, Civil Service Commission on H. R. 389, dated July 15, 1955.- Interstate Commerce Commission on H. R. 627, dated April 11, 1955__ Department of Justice on H. R. 628, dated April 20, 1955- Veterans' Administration on H. R. 702, dated July 18, 1955. Interstate Commerce Commission on H. R. 702, dated June 15, 1955_ Department of the Air Force for the Department of Defense on H. R. CIVIL RIGHTS WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1955 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE No. 2 OF THE The subcommittee met at 10 a. m., Hon. Thomas J. Lane (chairman) presiding. Mr. LANE. The committee will please come to order. Today we begin hearings on civil-rights bills. A great deal of interest has been shown in this legislation. It is our purpose to afford all interested persons the opportunity to present their views. Our plan is to hold hearings today and tomorrow and again on Wednesday, July 27. Today we are to hear the authors of these various bills. The interested executive departments have been invited to appear and testify tomorrow. On Wednesday, July 27, further testimony will be taken from other interested parties. Most of you know there has been a great deal of interest in this kind of legislation before the subcommittee. Normally we do not program legislation for hearings until reports from the executive departments and independent agencies have been received. Most of the reports are not yet in on these bills. And, by the way, there are 51 bills being considered by the committee. However, in order to accommodate those who have exhibited a great deal of interest in these bills, we have decided to begin public hearings on them in this session. In addition to the lack of departmental reports on these various bills, the heavy workload of this subcommittee, and the work load on the full Judiciary Committee has militated against any earlier consideration of these bills. Thus far, this session, this subcommittee has held hearings and taken action on at least 245 pieces of legislation. These include the claim of some $60 million growing out of the Texas City disaster and various other important claims bills. It has been found necessary to meet not only on our regular Wednesday meeting day but we have often been forced to meet two and three, and more, times per week. And, in addition, the full Judiciary Committee has been extremely active. We are honored in having the chairman of the full Judiciary Committee here this morning to be our first witness. About half of the bills introduced in the House are referred to this Judiciary Committee. I have no doubt we are in a position to carefully consider all bills which are referred to us. My point is that the heavy workload militates against programing legislation before completing the staff work, and before receiving departmental reports. |