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REGULAR MEET ING. JANUARY 8TH, 1951
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<br />Be it remembered that the Common Council of the City of. South Bend, Indiana., met in regular session in the
<br />Council Chamber, Monday, January 8th, 1951, at 8105 P.M., with all members present. President Niezgodski
<br />presided.
<br />REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON MINUTES
<br />To the Common Council of the City of South Bend:
<br />Your Committee on the inspection and supervision of the minutes, would respectfully report that they have
<br />inspected the minutes of the previous meetings of the Council and found them correct. They therefore recommend
<br />that the same be approved.
<br />(Signed) STANLEY C. KORPAL
<br />" CLEM NIEZGODSKI
<br />Meetings of: December 11th and December 28th, 1950. " W. C. ERLER
<br />Councilman Erler made a motion that the report be accepted. Councilman Bestle seconded the motion. Motion
<br />carried.
<br />COMMUNICATION
<br />TO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SECRETARIES AND CITY CLERKS:
<br />The following resolutions were adopted by the Kokomo City Council on Tuesday, December 26, 1950.
<br />They are self- explanatory and we wish to present them to you for similar action if your council should wish to
<br />do so. We feel it is an appropriate and far - sighted action and should help to arrive at a solution tb the time
<br />problem.
<br />December 26, 1950
<br />Whereas:. The time problem is still in great confusion in Indiana and;
<br />Whereas: Two of the three time possibilities have not solved the problem and;
<br />Whereas: The third possibility - year round eastern standard time - has already satisfactorily solved the same
<br />problem in Michigan and Ohio which have practically the same sun time as Indiana and;
<br />Whereas: It is a waste of time to rehash all of the old arguments pro and con, and;
<br />Whereas: Eastern time according to traffic statisties,.could save up to 200 lives-per year, particularly during
<br />the fall and winter months when darkness comes early, and;
<br />Whereast We like eastern time in the summer and need it in the winter therefore be it now;
<br />RSsolved: That the City Council of Kokomo, acting in behalf of public safety and in desiring to find a solution
<br />to the time problem, shall hereby request the Indiana General Assembly to repeal the present unworkable
<br />central time law and adopt eastern standard time for the state of Indiana, to become effective not later than
<br />12:01 A.M., Sunday, April 29, 1951; and be it further;
<br />`.Resolved: That other cities be encouraged to adopt similar resolutions.
<br />Councilman Erler made a motion to refer the resolution to the Grievance Committee for study. Councilman Glass
<br />seconded the motion. Motion carried.
<br />COMMUNICATION
<br />To the Honorable Common Council
<br />City of South Bend, Indiana
<br />Gentlemen:
<br />January 2, 1951
<br />At the meeting of the Council on Monday, December 4, 1950, it was requested that this Company submit a report
<br />outlining our plans for improving the.public transportation system of South Bend. This communication is in
<br />compliance with that request.
<br />Firstly, we wish to go on record as being willing and anxious at all times to render service to the public that
<br />is, to the best of our knowledge and ability, not only adequate and efficient, but consistent wit}i sound
<br />transportation practices. Anything other than this is tantamount to our saying that we do not wish patronage.
<br />Secondly, it must be pointed out, in all fairness to the City Officials of South Bend, as well as this Company,
<br />that the criticism of our service was actually induced and accentuated by a comparative few of our own employees
<br />who, through a mistaken idea of strategy, used certain tactics in an attempt to destroy the relationships then
<br />existent between the public and the Company and to coerce us into re- negotiating the terms of a labor contract
<br />recently awarded under due process of law. These tactics also included an attempt, through so- called complaints
<br />induced by the actions of these comparatively few operators, to bring your honorable body into the picture as a
<br />weapon to force this Company into already settled wage issues.
<br />In two separate meetings, including the one mentioned above, it was actually stated by the Union President that,
<br />if we would re- negotiate the labor agreement, or agree to do so in the near future, "the cause of these complaints
<br />would disappear overnight." This statement, we respectfully contend, removes all doubt as to where to place the
<br />responsibility for the actions which brought about your censure and this report.
<br />This being the case, as was borne out by the unbiased report of Councilman Glass, Chairman of your Transportation
<br />Committee, plus other information now in the hands of interested parties, it is our feeling that this situation
<br />merely takes on the aspect of a labor controversy and, as such, should not subject this Company to public censure
<br />through the media of public regulatory bodies. In passing,,it must be stated that this so- called strategy on the
<br />part of the union is not confined to South Bend, but is a part of a nation wide move to re -open closed contracts.
<br />Therefore, it must follow that this Company does not in any way condone the activities, such as discourtesy to or
<br />deliberately passing up passengers and other slowing up actions, that actually caused the present report. All of
<br />which leaves us in the anomalous position of having to excuse that which we do not condone.
<br />As to other factors affecting our operation, it must be stated that no public transportation system in the world
<br />can successfully compete, with the adverse weather and roadway conditions prevalent here since November 22nd, or
<br />maintain completely efficient service.
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