Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-08-29
Yellow Cab Company
. Cited By Minneapolis FEP
For Job Discrimination

a public hearing under tho
Minneapolis Fair Employment
Practice Ordinance was scheduled
for . n, m. Thursday. August ~.
In the Mayors Reception Room
In the city Hall. Tho Fair En-
ployment Practice Commission
will hear the complaint Of Sher-
nReto NJ, Roblneau, 1918 Port
land Ave. that he has been re-
fused employment an a taxicab
driver by the Yellow Taxi Com
pRny because Of hts race or color.
The commission has invited tho
company'S personnel director 10
appear and TO present tho COM
pany'H aide OF the case.
The Minneapolis Ordinance does
not specifically provide for a pub
lie hearing procedure. Tho Or
dinRnce states, The Commission
shall hear all complaints on No-
lRtionH and shall. after said hear
ing, certify and recommend to
the Municipal Court or tho Clerk
Of the Municipal Court for prose.
cutlon those complaints which In
tho judgement of said Commits.
sion are deemed to be violations
of this Ordinance" However, tho
Commissioners wish 10 give the
Yellow Taxi Company every OPP
pnrtunlty 10 answer the complaint
before certifying tho case for pro-
HeCution In the Municipal Court.
The commissions hAvp made
every effort To secure compliance
with the laws by the proccAs Of
conference and Cancellation. The
Minneapolis Commission has pre-
yiOuHly settled 1893 cases by the
consultation process.
Two Of the previous complaints
were against tho Yellow Taxi
Company Each OF these was
tabled for further evidence. after
the company agreed 10 hire on
merit and without discrimination.
The current complainant has pre-
scented evidence that this agree
msnt In not being carried out The
YEN comH.iaulon said.v
None of the cab companies
which operate In Minneapolis and
~. Paul have q single Negro cab
driver. All operate under licenses
which amount 20 . motor VehIcls
franchise In each city. since q.
ccnssa are limited In nunibeF.
Several months ago a Mime
apolia white woman citizen In q
letter 10 this paper complained
that the taxi firms were discrim.
mating against Negro drivers
painting out that the Yellow Cab
Co, In Minneapolis had been
forced 10 employ women drivers
because Of the shortage Of male
applicants for such jobs.
Tho Yellow Cab Co, told the
FEP Commission that u did NOT
practice discrimination against
Negro applicants and that 10 had
no record Of NeRTo-AmaFtnans Ap-
plying.
A. present most Of the PRINCIPAL
northern cities have Negroes driv-
ing cabs for the principal taxi
firms. The Milwaukee Yellow Cab
Co. was the pioneer In hiring Me-
gro drivers In many border states
and southern citiea Negro firms
operate cabs which serve the gen.
eral public.
The principal cab companies In
Minneapolis are the Yellow Cab,
Blue and White and Airway. In
~. Paul the largest tad firms are
the Checker Cab and the Yellow
Cab Co.
There are seven state commits
ai0ns and two other municipal
commissions which have been adj
minIstering fair employment
practice laws for two years or
more. The first stats commissions
were established In New York and
New Jersey In i045. and the FIRST
municipal commission was eStab-
lishsd In Minneapolis In lot7. A
total OF some sin thousand cases
have been handled by fair employ
msnt practice commissions over
the past seven years. OF these.
only two have led 20 prosecution.
Both Of these were In the state
OF Connecticut. The charge Of dis
elimination was upheld by the
court. In one case against q pFi-
Vats employer. and In the other
case against . labor union.