St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1960-05-20
Taxi Driver Is
Critical Of MpIs.
EEPC Commission
CONTINUED from Page ~

seconds on the pie. I returned to
my table. My buddy went through
the line and came back with four
pieces of pie. Seeing this, I again
went through the line and again
l was told mo seconds" by the
same cook, who again had given
pie to a fellow ahead of me. Feel
ing that l had been done an in
justice I proceeded to discuss the
matter with the cook disregarding
his insistance that I go sit down
and be quiet. Whereupon he es-
corted me into the kitchen and
the Mess Sargents office.
He told the Mess Sergeant his
version of the incident and I told
mine stating that while I could
not get seconds others did, includ-
ing my buddy who received no
less than four pieces Of pie. I
also added that he should call my
buddy to varify my story which
the Mess Sergeant did.
AS my buddy testified be-
came dumbfounded. felt as if
someone had belted me in the
back with a baseball bat. When I
had counted on support from this
buddy of mine, he became instead
an example Of a fundamental
truth concerning human nature and
race: that when it becomes nee
essary to make public Condemna-
ton of racial prejudice or injus-
tce, many people who in private
agree with the Negro, will in pub
lie fail to support the Negroes case.
Ny buddy did just that. He told
the Mess Sergeant, no, he had
not received a second serving of
pie. let alone four pieces.
The Minneapolis F.E.P. Commits
sion has before it a cherry pie
and a knife. The pie is the dis
elimination pracdced by the Min
neapolis cab companies against
Negro drivers, and the knife is my
complaint against one of those
cab companies, Blue and White.
What the commission ration
ale is for not pressing Blue and
White further under the ordinance
setting it up, needs explaining. AS
I see it the commission is on the
horns Of a delimma, To pressure
Blue and White and consequently
Yellow for their particular type
of discrimination would leave Red
and White untouched in their type
of discrimination Thus how can
the situation be resolved 80 that it
Is amenable to all concerned?
This was the suggestion pre-
scented to me: That l should go
and try to secure employment at
Red and White. This I was told
would solve the dilemma. If I was
hired by Red and White then Blue
and White and Yellow would not
have a leg to stand on or as it was
put to me the rug would be pulled
from under them"
Il stated that this solution does
not satisfy my complaint. My
complaint is against Blue and
White not Red and White To
make my case contingent upon the
situation at Red and White is
exactly the rationale of Blue and
White.
What I wanted was to work
the night shift at Blue and White
and they should be made to com.
ply with the ruling of the com.
mission At this, one commission
member qmpped What gooc
would it do to put people in Jail
that would only create another
problem
The suggestion that go ovel
to Red and White thus relieving
the pressure on Blue and White
plus the remark above and othe
freudian slip type remarks led M
to conclude that no legal redress
will be attempted on my com
plant. Sensing this made me re
call the army cherry pie inCiden