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| This photo shows members of the Tallahassee Police Department at a 1956 lunch. Police Chief Frank Stoutamire is seated on the left in the front row. |
1. Ask Legislature for laws to bring car pool operators within
1. State Insurance Laws
2. Rates set by Public Utility Commission
3. Motor Vehicle minimum safety requirements
2.
1. Have the City Commission define motor pool operations within City.
2. Declare them common carriers
3. Set rates for operation
4. Set minimum insurance to be carried
5. Set minimum insurance requirements for plain marking of vehicles and safety of vehicles.
6. Set minimum requirement that they et franchise and specify route to operate on
7. Lay out routes within the City
8. Require registration and fingerprinting of all drivers
9. Require health examination of drivers
10. Applications to set forth full ownership of vehicles plus financial interest of stockholder partners and leinors.
POLICE:
1. Make no arrests at this time for car pool operations.
2. Conduct campaign to have all car pool operators comply with law as above.
3. Record names and addresses of owners and drivers of vehicles by police officers stopping same while underway
4. Record names and addresses of all passengers, with place gong from and destination.
5. Advise drivers that after the first warning the second time may result in detention for complete investigation.
CIVIL REMEDY:
1. If indicated, consider injunction against Inter-Civil Council, Steele, Hudson, Williams et al from operating unlicensed and unfranchised common carriers.
2. On the filing of the injunction start discovery and inspection proceedings to learn extent of pool operations, personnel, vehicles, amount of insurance, banks, sources of funds, etc.
3. Subpoena all bank records to include retained checks, ledgers, records, copies of checks, deposit tickets.
4. Conduct pre-trail examination of Steele, Speed, Hudson et al to learn the extent of their participation and the extent of the operations.
PRESS:
1. Have conservative releases slanted to show concern for public in the operation of unsafe and uninspected vehicles, not paying their proper taxes
2. Have releases made up showing new lawful conditions under which motor pool vehicles may operate.
SUMMARY REPORT:
This is a summary report of activities relating to the bus boycott in Tallahassee, Florida.
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It was established that the leadership of the strike that the leadership of the strike or boycott rested in REV. C.K. STEELE and THEREIS C. LINDSEY, a lawyer. Complete background investigation of these men were made and were subjects of the First Memorandum Report. As to STEELE, his background showed nothing derogatory or discreditable; he is a typical Negro Baptist minister, educated to the bachelors level. He has many close associates, among the present boycott leaders in Montgomery, Alabama, where he was a minister for seven years. Lindsey likewise had no discreditable history. he was associated with the National Youth Administration, some of his time was merely "self-employed" and he was a member of the NAACP in Chicago before coming to Florida.
It was established that much of the encouragement of the boycott came from FAMU and this was the subject of the Second Memorandum Report. The leaders were principally faculty members, BASHFUL and MILES but many others participated in the mass meetings which balked any settlement of the situation short of complete integration. The more moderate Leon County natives were constantly outtalked by the more articulate collegiate groups which backed Steele in his demand for integration.
It is further apparent that the FAMU group has entrenched itself well in the University payroll. Practically everyone has received a substantial increase in pay in the new budget effective this month. There ware some husband-wife teams whose incomes put them in very comfortable circumstances. THEREIS LINDSEY has received favored treatment from the faculty. He was given three months trial period at $500.00 per month to collect hospital accounts receivable and would have continued on the payroll had he produced any results. The Board of Control discontinued his position. Other members of the Inter-Civil Council Committee hold good positions at FAMU as will be seen by reference to the second report.
A survey of the pool-car operators was made. It was established that the Inter-Civil Committee collected over $6,000.00 in the first two months of operation and spent over $3,500.00 of this, mostly for car-pool operations at the cost of about $3,500.00 of this, mostly for car-pool operations at a cost of about $350.00 per week. One DAN SPEED acts as supervisor of the pool. Cars are operated by members on a voluntary basis and Speed issued tickets for gasoline to be obtained at various stations (see details in second report) No insurance is carried for pool. The Police Department is now surveying the situation and to date the survey shows many of the cars in poor condition and no proper insurance coverage for either the passengers or the general public. Drivers are improperly licensed for driving common carriers. No routes seem to be established and no scheduled times are arranged. It can be fairly concluded that our color citizens have a hazardous, unsatisfactory system of transportation.
Another aspect of the police survey is that many people have stated they want the busses back, particularly on the Negro routes. No objections to the busses as such are raised, the Negro populace will ride but they seem to state that they don't want to be pushed around. Many have asked for Negro bus drivers on Negro routes. Many have expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership of the college group.
It is believed that much stress could be avoided if the press would play down the trouble. It appears that the press has magnified the issues and that they have spread the conflagration.
On the basis of the above and the two prior reports it is recommended:
That no further press releases be given on the subject of the boycott. Muteness might be catching.
That the busses be put back on the routes covering the Negro runs as soon as possible.
That no advanced publicity be given this step.
That the City Commission recognize that a large part of the citizens of this community has unsafe and inadequate transportation which is uninsured and unregulated. This is an emergency which requires prompt action.
That action be taken by municipal ordinances to bring the pool-car operations within regulations to be established by the Police Department after franchise to operate a pool-vehicle is granted by the City Commissioners.
That either the City Commissioners or the Bus Company or both proceed by injunction to stop the present dangerous pool operations as a menace to public safety and as an unlawful interference with a regularly franchised corporation's business. On commencing action all bank records should be subpoenaed and all pool records be produced for discovery and inspection. Further, the testimony by deposition should be taken of STEELE, SPPED, BASHFUL, MILES and other pool leaders if indicated.
That nor further dignity be accorded the Inter-Civil Council by granting it any recognition as the leader or spokesman of the Negroes. It has no legal right to claim leadership for responsible Negroes. It has merely assumed such leadership. Individual members may be heard as individuals, but not as representatives of the citizens.
That ordinances be given top priority by the City Commission. That the ordinances be passed now, without waiting for any action by the State Legislature.
