I have been handed this witness list, and according to this list, our first witness will be Mrs. Florence Rice, president of the Harlem Consumer Education Council. Is Mrs. Rice here? Please step forward.

Mr. DEMPSIE. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask you to change the position of the opening of Mrs. Rice.

Senator INOUYE. What is your name please?

Mr. DEMPSIE. I am from the Consumer Education Protective Association International, Inc. Garlen Dempsie, chairman of the association.

Senator INOUYE. Although your name has not been received by the committee, if it is all right with Mrs. Rice, it's all right with me. Mr. DEMPSIE. She has consented.

Senator INOUYE. I would like the record to show that one buzzer indicated a vote in the Senate. But I have decided to sit in on the hearings here to receive your testimony and miss my chance to cast my ballot, because you have waited long enough and I don't wish to have you wait any longer.

Mr. DEMPSIE. I appreciate your having the reasonability of realizing how long, not me, but we, and how many times we have been here for what I want to state to you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator INOUYE. Will you give us your name again for the record, please?

Mr. DEMPSIE. Garlen Dempsie, 2521 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 18132. Of the Consumer's Education and Protective Association, International, Inc. Chairman of that association. Senator INOUYE. Please proceed.

STATEMENT OF GARLEN DEMPSIE, CHAIRMAN, CONSUMER'S EDUCATION AND PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Mr. DEMPSIE. Mr. Chairman, I would like first to thank this committee for listening to us, giving us an opportunity to air our views and to relieve some of the ills that have been suppressive for some time.

No. 1, I realize that the Senators of our United States have an awful lot to do, particularly with our sister countries, but let's come home and see what we are going to do for our fellow citizens here in America, that make it possible that we can go and help the outer world of our United States of America.

We put all of our trust in this committee to use its godly judgment to all investigations to anyone that is put to head a national situation as Mr. David Dennison for the Federal Trade Commission.

But it doesn't seem that it has been oversighted or overlooked or neglected. It truly seems that they don't care. We are fighting against fraud and swindle, misleading, ignoring principles of America, which we all love to live. One of the greatest constitutions that could ever be and ever will be is based on the Constitution of the United States of America. But it isn't being executed equally and justice to the sitizens of America in this particular issue.

I would like to bring to your attention, on the 27, I heard you read the notices for an opportunity to speak, to say your little thing. I have heard you mention Consumer Federation of America, Mr.

Frazier, I have heard you give, render an excuse for his not being here. I have heard you mention Mrs. Florence Rice of Harlem Consumers. I haven't heard to say anything about the consumers educating themseleves to just these sort of things. Where these sneak attacks has been constantly done through fraud and swindle, and as I say today, that our U.S. Senate committee has created one of the most outstanding frauds before them by ignoring the opportunity of these telegrams which I am going to give you the date and time.

Senator INOUYE. Before proceeding, I would like to set the record straight. The fact that I am sitting here listening to your testimony should be sufficient demonstration that this Senate committee is not railroading the nomination of Mr. Dennison. We are listening to you right now.

Mr. DEMPSIE. Very well. Well, I am not so concerned as others can get along with Mr. Dennison's affair. I believe he is a man and a citizen. But if he is a man qualified, we are not looking for a black or what— we are looking for a right man, and it doesn't have to be any other thought but the right man. But we do expect you and the Senate and the rest of the nominees to select some timely black man as well, because we have them qualified today, that their courage can be held up. Senator INOUYE. I wish you would let that be known to the President, because he submits the nomination.

Mr. DEMPSIE. All right. I would like to ask a question now, Mr. Chairman. Can you tell us the Western Union Co. is our only way to get a quick message. We can't use the phone because you are home in bed. We can't use a letter; it might get lost. But this was a time element. When we learned last Wednesday that this hearing would be held here to confirm the position that Mr. Dennison was elected to fill, or named to fill, we sent a telegram and I am sure you got it. Did you read it? Do you have it?

The telegram to Mr. Magnuson's office. They received it last Monday, which would be well, we sent it on Sunday, which was the 27, whatever the date, a week ago. This came in that Monday.

We ere here last Thursday. They say the reason we didn't acknowledge and give you the opportunity to hear your statements, we didn't get a notice. Well, what good is the Western Union? What good is the system that we have in our Senate? You didn't lose Florence Rice's letter. You didn't lose the answer from Mr. Dennison-do you want to interrupt me again? It's all right.

Senator INOUYE. It's your day, sir.

Mr. DEMPSIE. Thank you.

Senator INOUYE. I just want to remind you again that we are conducting the hearings this afternoon.

Mr. DEMPSIE. All right. So I presume.

Now you received the letter from Mr. Dennison when he probably accepted the appointment from Mr. Nixon. You received the word from Mr. Nixon. You received the words from the Consumer Federation of America of Mr. Howard Frazier.

But didn't you receive, or why don't you have, something out of three telegrams?

Senator INOUYE. We are receiving the message this afternoon, sir. Mr. DEMPSIE. This afternoon. You know, this is very well a week, Mr. Chairman, and I don't hold anyone responsible but the system, and the system certainly shows a very shoddy situation.

Mrs. Linostrum received the telegram in the front office of Senator Magnuson's office last Monday. She took it in the back office to a Mrs. Lederly, I believe it is-I can't read it-she in turn got a third party and if I am not mistaken, a fourth party come in. All about one telegram was sent to our U.S. Senate committee for an opportunity to give you our views and opinion of Mr. Dennison and the investigation that should be for anyone appearing for this seat. But no one can find it. I don't think this is just. I don't think it is fair and I do feel that the U.S. Senate don't only owe an apology but it owes a right to hear the people and give them the justice that all man should have in these occasions.

This is a particular situation. This is a great job. Now I am not going to say any more about it, the reputation of Mr. Dennison or anyone else. Those others will bring it out, give their opinions, their views, their reasons of wanting this scrutinized investigation. We want it as well as our President of the United States.

Now you says that you are going to hear; your Senate committee, apparently, if I understand you correctly, is not against Mr. Dennison. We don't want you to be. We are not against him.

Senator INOUYE. We have not decided yet.

Mr. DEMPSIE. You haven't decided and I am not creating emphasis for you not to accept or decide, but let us know, the people of our United States of America, who he is, what he is, what he has done, and give us the past history. This is all I want to say now. Thank you. Senator INOUYE. Thank you, sir. Our next witness is Mrs. Rice.

STATEMENT OF MRS. FLORENCE M. RICE, PRESIDENT, HARLEM CONSUMER EDUCATION COUNCIL

Mrs. RICE. I am Florence M. Rice, president of the Harlem Consumer Education Council. I am certainly glad that I can be here today. In fact, I was here this morning.

One of the things that I felt when I originally heard about this appointment was the fact that the consumer was not to know about this hearing. And I think this is what concerns most of the people, the consumers. That many things are done in Washington, without the citizens in this United States being taken seriously.

I want as a matter of record to say this is a very happy day in my life, because I can say that we haven't come begging for anything. We are not asking. We are not poverty workers. We are not on welfare. We are working people and we do pay taxes.

I would like to read a statement in which I would like to say that there was quite a few people with an input in this. When I heard of the bearing today, we did a small survey, and as a result of the survey, we were able to come up with our statement.

The main commodity of the Federal Trade Commission in theory and actuality is the protection of the consumer.

There is a chairman and there are members that make up this vital commission. In the history of this country there has only been one black appointee to this agency. Now there are no black people on any of the five regulatory commissions in the Federal Government. There appears to be a direct, deliberate and conscious attempt on the part

of the contral administration of America on all fronts to alienate the black man and the disadvantaged from the mainstream of America, we want a piece of the action.

Even the most conservative elements in the country agree or at least verbalize that self-help and self-determination is really the process by which black America can liberate itself.

Here again is why I say that I am very happy to be here, because the people here are just ordinary working people and they realize, to share in this great land of ours, that we do have to participate in these kinds of proceedings.

There has arisen at this point even a more conservative element, or shall we say radical conservative element, which says that we are not even entitled to 40 acres and a mule, and if we have the 40 acres and a mule, this conservative is now attempting to take that away from us. Metaphorically, the 40 acres and a mule in this discussion is the rights and power of the black consumer.

The appointment of David Dennison, an attorney formerly associated with Beneficial Finance, is a live glorification of the beast to further destroy black America. Ask any black or minority citizen what Beneficial Finance means in poverty stricken communities and you will get a blanket negative reaction.

This represents the height of black exploitation in the black community, for this organization and similar organizations thrive on black weaknesses, and perpetuate black weaknesses in the way of lending money at exorbitant rates and for certain they do not have the black conscious in mind, in terms of developing sound economic and social family structure.

It is unlikely that such a man with such an affiliation can represent the rights of the black consumer at this point in history. What we are saying is that there ought to be a "good" man appointed, that is, someone who is sympathetic and understanding and who respects the nature of his position and has the black and Puerto Rican consumer and other deprived people's interest at heart.

We are, therefore, strongly protesting the appointment of Mr. Dennison on the grounds that this further alienates black Americans' attempt to share in the mainstream of this country, for we are about building and not destroying what is rightly ours, what we have worked for with blood, sweat, and tears throughout the centuries. And if the word America can be defined as "work," then our blood, sweat, and tears have served as living perpetual examples of "true Americans.” This is the unwritten credo of black Americans; now we are writing and reminding ourselves of what our contributions, by educating our children, of what our contributions have been to this great country. We are also saying at this point that the Consumer Federation of America seems to be guilty of a social sin by its lack of position on such an important issue.

It is in order at this point for one to raise the question-is the Consumer Federation of America and the Federal Trade Commission a part of the same monster?

At this point, to request the Consumer Federation of America to publicly address itself to this issue is mandatory.

Black and Spanish-speaking people represent a large part of the consuming public in America. It seem to be very reasonable that such

a talented group of people could produce one man of their own or from their own to be part of the Commission.

We are very concerned. I am concerned about appointing a man like David Dennison, who has worked-or his business has been with the large corporates. The corporates have done everything against the consumer. Also the President, every time he makes an appointment today, seems to alienate both black and white I would like to go on record to say that I feel personally that this attempt to put David Dennison on this Commission is certain to alienate the consumers of America. Especially the poor consumers, within the courts of this country there is no justice, for they are not for the poor, that is, blacks, Puerto Ricans and other minorities.

You want to know why we explode? We explode because every day you put the screws on us tighter. Young people won't come to the Senate hearing. They won't come to a hearing because they feel that it is a waste of time.

I feel that this is just a beginning and if you look in the back you can see that that is a beginning; because these are not people coming begging, there are working people.

We are not welfareites, and again, we want to go on record, we are not povertyites. We are not living off the funds of the Government. And I am happy to sit here and really say that thank God, at last, that people are able to come out, that is, ordinary citizens, poor people, to come up to this Senate building-because it took a long step. I have been in this thing since 1962, and when I can see something like this coming about, I say, thank you, God. Thank you for letting me appear. Senator INOUYE. Mrs. Rice, may I assure you that the committee will very seriously consider your words and we appreciate them very much. Our next witness is Mrs. Clarissa Cain, president of the Consumer Education & Protective Association, International Inc. Is Mrs. Cain here?

Mrs. Cain, welcome to the committee. Please proceed.

STATEMENT OF MRS. CLARISSA CAIN, PRESIDENT, CONSUMERS EDUCATION & PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL, INC., PHILADELPHIA, PA

Mrs. CAIN. Thank you. I am Mrs. Clarissa Cain, president of Consumers Education & Protective Association International, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., and member of the board of directors, Consumer Federation of America. I appreciate very much to be able to express myself in my own words. I first want to read my testimony.

CEPA is one of the largest and one of the most active consumer organizations in the Nation, having 11 branches in and around Philadelphia, with several thousand members. The purpose of our organization is to get fairness and justice for the consumer.

Some of our accomplishments are described in the book of the chairman of this committee, Senator Magnuson, "The Dark Side of the Market Place." And in my statement, I would like to give you a few examples. One example given in his book, which shows the value of consumer organization, is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Gallman.

And today, while I tell this story, I have Mrs. Gallman here, and I would like for her to stand. I would like for you to see her while I tell this story.