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

A public hearing under the
Minneapolis Fair Employment
Practice Ordinance was scheduled
for o a. m. Thursday. August ~.
in the Mayors Reception Room
in the City Hall. The Fair En-
ployment Practice Commission
win hear the complaint Of Sher-
naeto M. Robineau. 3915 Port
land Ave-, that he has been re-
fused employment as q taxicab
driver by the Yellow Taxi Com
pany because Of his race or color.
The commission has invited the
company's personnel director to
appear and to present the COM
pany's side Of the case.
The Minneapolis Ordinance does
not specifically provide for a pub
lie hearing procedure. The Or
dinance states, The Commission
shall hear all complaints on vio-
lations and shall, after said hear
ing, certify and recommend to
the Municipal Court or the Clerk
Of the Municipal Court for prose-
cution those complaints which I'm
the judgement of said Commits
sion are deemed to be violations
Of this Ordinance" However, the
Commissioner wish to give the
Yellow Taxi Company every OPP
portunity to answer the complaint
before certifying the case for pro-
secution In the Municipal Court.
The commissions have made
every effort to secure compliance
with the laws by the process Of
conference and Cancellation. The
Minneapolis Commission has pre-
viously settled 1913 cases by the
Cancellation process.
Two of the previous complaints
were against the Yellow Taxi
Company. Each Of these was
tabled for further evidence, after
the company agreed to hire on
merit and without discrimination.
The current complainant has pre-
sented evidence that this agree
ment Is not being carried out. The
FEP Commission said.
None Of the cab companies
which operate In Minneapolis and
st. Paul have single Negro cab
driver. All operate under licenses
which amount TO n motor vehicle
franchise In each city. Since H.
censes are limited In number.
Several months ago a Minne-
apolis white woman citizen In a
letter to this paper complained
that the taxi firms were discrim-
mating against Negro drivers
pointing out that the Yellow Cab
Co., in Minneapolis had been
forced to employ women drivers
because of the shortage of male
applicants for such Jobs.
The Yellow Cab Co, told the
F.EP Commission that &c did not
practice discrimination against
Negro applicants and that Il had
no record Of NegrO-Americans APP
plying.
At present most Of the principal
northern cities have Negroes driv-
ing cabs for the principal taSd
firms. The Milwaukee Yellow Cab
Co, was the pioneer In hiring Ne
gro drivers. In many border states
and southern cities 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
st. Paul the largest ta,d firms are
the Checker Cab and the Yellow
Cab Co.
There are seven state commits
sions and two other municipal
commissions which have been adj
fair employment
practice laws for two years or
more. The first state commissions
were established In New York and
New Jersey In 1915. and the first
commission was estab-
lished In Minneapolis In 1o47. A
total of some six thousand cases
have been handled by fair employ
ment practice commissions over
the past seven years. OF these,
only two have led to prosecution.
Both Of these were In the state
Of Connecticut. The charge Of dis
elimination was upheld by the
court, In one case against a pri-
vate employer. and In the other
case against a labor union.