The Southern Jewish Weekly

Eisenhower
Establishes
Committee
to
Check
Job Discrimination

WASHINGTON, (JTA) - President Eisenhower last week announced a new committee aimed at improving the government's program for keeping job discrimination out of contracts paid for by Federal funds.

The new committee will receive complaints of alleged discrimination under the Federal contract program and will recommend to contracting agencies of the government ways "for improving and making more effective the non-discriminatory provisions of government contracts," and encourage an educational program by various interested groups to help eliminate employment discrimination.

The committee, to be composed of 14 members, will include eight representatives of the public. The others will represent the Labor, Commerce, Defense, Justice Departments, and the Atomic Energy Commission and the Government Services Administration.

Membership of the committee will be announced next week.

The Executive order said a review of the situation had shown that the anti-discrimination program relating to Federal contract work must be revised and strengthened for better results.

The President emphasized that it is the policy of the government "to promote equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons employed or seeking employment on government contracts because such persons are entitled to fair and equitable treatment in all aspects of employment work paid for from public funds."

The President said in the order that after analyzing the procedures of Government contracting agencies it had been found that "the non-discrimination provisions must be revised and strengthened to eliminate discrimination in all aspects of employment."

The head of each contracting agency will be held "primarily responsible" for obtaining compliance by contractors and subcontractors with the non-discrimination provisions.

The new committee will be required to make annual or semi-annual reports to the President, and to carry on an educational program against discrimination in employment among employer, labor, civic, educational, religious and other voluntary non-governmental groups.

White House Press Secretary James Hagerty, in response to a query, said the principal difference between the new committee and a Truman-created committee for the same function was the addition of the public members.

The President's order abolished the old committee at the same time as it created the new one.

Mr. Hagerty said the new committee was formed "to expand the powers of the old contracting committee." He added that "top-notch" men "of national repute" would be named to the new group. The reason for replacing the old committee, Mr. Hagerty stated, is that "we think this committee can do a better job."

"The eight public members," he added, "will be given considerable cooperation by the Administration and will receive broad powers by the President's direction."

He declined to explain what these powers might be. Under the Presidential order, primary responsibility for preventing discrimination is vested in the head of each agency of the government which does any contracting.