DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CATHOLICS Interview with John McGovern, M.P.

• From Our Own Correspondent GLASGOW.
" NO CATHOLICS EMPLOYED HERE ... NO PROMOTION FOR CATHOLIC EMPLOYEES . ."
The first two engagements in his one-man war against bigoted Scots employers of labour—who adopt the above as their slogans--have been won by Mr John McGovern, Socialist Member of Parliament for the Shettleston Division of Glasgow.
When just a few weeks ago Mr McGovern in the House of Commons asked the Minister of Lebow if he were aware that certain Glasgow firms had instructed the local office of the Ministry of Labour to send no Catholics for employment, he brought before the public gaze a picture of things common in Scotland but provocative of amazement outside it.
Feu?, outside Scotland, realise that even. in this day of en li ghtenment there exists in this country a large section of the employing class wh.o refuse to give Catholics work or who, if they do, withhold front them promotion or adequate compensation for efficiency and service.
"A Catholic has no chance here," a Clydeside factory worker told me bitterly. " Catholics are never given office or administrative work. One of my fellow labourers is a Catholic of advanced education; he speaks several languages, is a gifted mathematician. He labours under a foreman who is nearly illiterate. Try to fight for adequate promotion? That is asking for the sack."
A shipyard worker told me that his employer said that he was lucky to be there; there were many of his kind cooling their heels outside—where they should be.
It is against this extraordinary state of affairs that Mr McGovern is fighting. In his Shettleston home on Sunday the Glasgow Labour member told me the story behind his question in the House of Commons.
Some time ago a Catholic woman and her daughter approached him. They told him that the girl had received from the local office of the Ministry of Labour a card to attend a certain firm for employment. The card was later withdrawn and the girl informed that the firm in question would not employ Catholics.
The manager of the local office of the Minister of Labour frankly admitted that he had received such instructions from the firm in question. He, an Englishman, expressed his amazement at such discrimination. There was not. he said, anything to equal it in England. After raising the issue in Parliament, Mr McGovern consulted the officials of the firms in question.
The excuse they offered, and one he could not accept, :vas that when. Catholics were employed there icere quarrels and bickerings. He pointed. out to the officials that there was no discrimination in their marketing; that unless this extraordinary state of affairs was ended the only course open would be to publish the facts.
"I was soon afterwards," he said, "given evidence that one of the firms had employed six Catholic girls: that another two had completely wiped out their previous ruling." Evidence that discrimination had been shown even in the Glasgow Police Department was also given by Mr McGovern.
The Chief Constable, Captain Sillitoe, who comes from Sheffield, expressed amazement at Mr McGovern's charges. After studying the promotion list he said that he had been unaware that such discrimination took place. "I will not stand for it," he declared. He gave Mr McGovern an assurance that from then onwards he would take a personal interest in the promotions, and that these would be awarded only for efficiency and then without discriniina
" Since then," said Mr McGovern, "several Catholics have featured in the promotion list."
"I believe," Mr McGovern told rne, "that intolerance is the greatest evil to-day. I have endeavoured to expose every example of intolerance brought to my notice, and to secure for minorities the square deal to which they are entitled."
And he made this promise : " Any act of intolerance or discrimination brought Continued at foot of next column.