EISPIRATEN

A different aspect behind some of the development of the Angeles National Forest.

http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/sa ... orest.html

Yes Augie... More thanks to Daniel Medina! A very interesting, and eye-opening, article.

As you can tell, it was so good, I've almost copy/pasted the whole thing here

A crucial amendment to the bill stipulated: "That in employing citizens for the purposes of this Act no discrimination shall be made on account of race, color, or creed."

Is this what they mean by "you can't legislate morality?"

Apparently CCC National Director Robert Fechner didn't think so:

"In a letter to Fechner on September 26, 1935, from Harold L. Ickes, the Secretary of the Interior, Ickes rejects the CCC director's low opinion of African-Americans in supervisory positions:

I have your letter of September 24 in which you express doubt as to the advisability of appointing Negro supervisory personnel in Negro CCC camps. For my part, I am quite certain that Negroes can function in supervisory capacities just as efficiently as can white men and I do not think that they should be discriminated against merely on account of their color. I can see no menace to the program that you are so efficiently carrying out in giving just and proper recognition to members of the Negro race.
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Makes me wonder what Fetchner might consider the word 'same' to mean? And I hope Fetchner wasn't in charge of 'complaint department'

"The negro companies are assigned to the same types of work, have identical equipment, are served the same food, and have the same quarters as white enrollees. I have personally visited many negro CCC companies and have talked with the enrollees and have never received one single complaint."
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I got a fairly beat up panarama of the CCC camp in the Arroyo Secco - got drag that out and snap a photo of it... wonder which 'type' of camp it was ?

Again, big respects going your way Daniel for these works!

Thanks for your comments Outwhere.