The evening world. Newspaper, July 25, 1912, Page 11

WAY TANT RATES. ARE EXORBTAN INE YORK You Pay Twice as Much as the Law Requires Whether », You Ride or “Wait.” | NOTHING BUT ROBBERY. Practically One Man Controls ahe Taximeter Situation | in This City. BY SOPHIE IRENE LOEB, To-day I ordered a yellow taxtcad @nd asked the driver to pull down the flag and watt for me a few minutes. | At the end of sixteen minutes I told | the driver I would not use the tax! and asked him what I owed him. I paid the charge-80 cents. | According to the ordinance of the city, | J should Rave been charged 10 cents for each four minutes, or # cents for my wixteen minutes. [ paid just double. % had they charged me their tni- tal rge, I should have paid only 60 conts, { went to see John Drennon, Chief | Inspector of Taxicabs, and this is what 1 found: There 1s a reason for my being charged just twice the amount. The taximeters are not bulit in accordance | with the ordinance. So that when It came to pass that thie matter was brought up two ago in the early stage of Inspe the) taximeter companies made the tention that a taximeter COULD HE BUILT to meet the ordinance re- quirements. However, there are two taxtmeters tn existence that ARE built In accordance nels Olfver, who was then chief of e bureau, accepted the plaint of the taxicab companies of New York and ordered inspectors to pass these taximetera. The inspector, not wishing to assume entire responsibility, passes them dally, but marks them “According to a con- dition issued by Mr. Oliver Aug. 1, 44 Order No. ” YOU PAY EIGHTY CENTS STEAD OF FORTY. Thus it happens that for sixteen 4 Taxicab Company which was ‘er by the Yellow Taxicab Company, introduced these taximeters Qnd the first taxicabs used tn the alty. His contract for the taximeter that the Individual cabman or public hack+ man or smaller taxicab companies te required Tt ts a “p . Also he pa: Month rent for a taximeter, required to pay for repairs of the taxt- meter, ‘Out of ‘the’ 2,000 taxicabs (approxi. Mately) the taximeter company makes $144,000, not counting the deposit money. Somebody has got to pay for this, and there seems to be no hetp for it since the users of the taximeters dare not Use any other taximeter, After sign- ing such an fron-clad contract, they are Practically boupd to use nothing else. THE WONDERFUL AND AWFUL CONTRACTS, To quote from the contract: ‘This contract shall be for three years from the date thereof and shail be renewed | indefinitely for ike periods unless either Party give the other notice of discon- tinuance at least sixty days before the expiration of the contract then tn force." (Thus, should the cabman fafl to give notice, his pontract goes on for another three years), Another clause? “During the lite of this contract the lessee agrees to bind himself that he will not use or exploit any other taximeter on any cab which he may own, control, rent or operate.” Another clause: "Should the lessee sell out his business to any other par- tes, this contract will not be termt- nated, but will continue in full force with his successor.” Supposing a man starts @ contract January L Tt runs for three years. If he starts a contract six months after for another taximeter, he {s bound for thre years longer, Presuming that In er year another cab ts added, he nd for three years longer. Should desire to terminate the contract of any of these cabs, he cannot, according to his contract, use any other meter during these years or the life of these contracts, since he has bound himself to Inuugurate no othet meters. All you have to do ts to stop some eabinan on tke street, or any company aside from the seeming parent com- Panles—the Yellow Taxicab Company and the Mason, Seaman Company—and hat they are “bound up "t get away from them,” Pany can get an {injunction owner of the taxicab to from using any other in him y have practically the whole city "so that a cabman must pany knows that Minutes walt of a taxicab you pay 80 cents wnen your fee should be 40 cents, Qt @.0 per hour, being the legat rate of Watt. Mut the taxt companies could charge the full $1.50 for the sixteen minutes walt if so Inclined, for law gives the “MAXDMUM” rate only— For one hour or any part thereof, $1.50— and tt seem! 0 the taxicab compan. e t law as they wee fit’ and establish thelr rates ace cordingly But If you call a taxteab and h walt for one hour you pay # which you ‘eit 4 livense 4 taximet in excess « TERS SHOULD BY I . “We would further recommend that all drivers wi vensed vehicles be re- juiged to furnish a recelpt for the mount of fare paid when request therefore is-‘made by a passenger.” ay companies make as the ordinance VE NO DISTINCT And why do tax Why is this? When the question as to the legality of the present ordinance came before Judge Bischoff, he ruled that the ordinance was legal but the rates were il . So the rates were cutlout altogether and that ordinance left! without rates. ¢ rates were low-% cents for a half mile or any part thereof, and 10 cents for each additional quarter mile, Walting time at the rate of $1 per hour (taxicab — seating two persons). For each taxicab Intended to seat four per- song inside and driven by motkye power, for one-half or any part thereof, 10 eents, For w ng time at the rate of $1.0 per hour, ‘Therefore, the ordinance stands as {t | fa, but here are no distinct rates for taxicabs. ! HAD TO GO BACK TWENTY| YEARS OR MORK, Now, tn order to get ANY regutations | fe to rates, the Inspectors had to go baok to the last constitutional rates that were made for hackmen and horse | cabs that have been In existence for the last twenty years or more, UNDER THOSE RATUS, THE PUB- LIC NOW PAYS FOR TAXICABS. Therefore, the legal waiting rate of e our far vehicles n= persons, which n minutes cost 40 tents. TT paid 9 cents because the minimum nitlal rate that these taximeters will register 1s 50 cents, and as soon as the flagwoes down this initial rate of 0 centé entitles you to cight minutes’ | watt or eight blocks of a ride, accord- ing to the demands of the company, and you pay 10 cents additional for every fouf minutes of wait. There was no wear or Waste during the waiting yet I was oharged for running well ‘ifpre te not ® word in the present | saying anything about that | lo we have these taximeters? Waivectthe owners of these taximeters have the city so “sewed up" by the al- most life contract that they compel | Grtvers to ign, that they Ci per cent. of these taxi portation Corporation, also a director J they have Why haven't they done it? When the city firs eated the In- Spection bureau this m: two years to correct it. since the taximeter could not register according to the ordinance. The taxi- cab companics just simply adjusted the matter themselves and the meter is Passed evory day. Therefore, instead of getting full twenty minutes’ walt for your 60 cents, you are allowed only eight minutes, and the Yellow Taxicab Company print this on their card, which fs entirely against the law, since it Calls for $1.60 per wait- ing hour, or 6 cente for twenty minutes accorniing to this rate, WHAT CAN THE CITY OF NEW YORK DO? (According to Chief Inspector of Taxi- cabs, Drennon.) Firet of all, the city can make it a misdemeanor for any hotel to receive Money from the taxicab companies, for stands which approximate $400,000 a year in thie city, and which the public eventually has to pay. The hotels may be granted the stands, however, for the convenience of their patrone, which should be renumeration enough for the responsibility of maintaining a stand. Or, If they desire, they could have thetr own cab company. ‘This ts seemingly necessary, wince the Patrons of hotels make trains and steamboats, and women travelling alone must need fave proper protection. Thus, there fe @ real need and reason for hotel stand But there is absolutety no reason for restaurant stands. These could be abol- tshed by the city and any public taxt- cad allowed to drive up there, (and in order to avoid crowding not more than five or eix to stand in front of the hotel). The streets of the city belong to the city. Why should any taxicab com- Pany have @ monopoly on the streets of New York? The cab companies are not Mable, neither are the hotels, for jany tnjurtes, The cRy must pay them. | This was proven in the case of “Cohen jva. N. ¥." (Vol. No, 113 N, ¥,). Alleviating the stand situation, | pabite cabman could reduce the ri very materially and the taxicab com- | pantes would have to compete with them. For the company then, who has | LOWER rated taxtmeters, would have ‘ST AS MUCH AN OPPORTUNITY GETTING TRADE in front of these nds or anywhere, In fact, and very n, not having amy monopoly on the | stand proposition, they would have to | lower the rates to the resulting benefit of the public, They would have to put in lower rate taximeters, which can be made. These might @be improved so that_a printed card would slip out of Y next imitation,” said the Royal Mi- mic, “will be that of a Turkish Trophy.” “Watch this,” said the Kink, with a sly wink at the Royal Chamberlain. “Iamsuspicious.” b “How did it strike your Ma- jesty ?” asked the performer, as he concluded his stunt. Yjwa GY Le Uy Yi Yy ere have been this way, and | the meter telling how much you owe. { amitar @istances, and many @ person (According to John Drennon, Chiet Inspector of Taxicabs.) This is what happens on a busy ter came up, {night around the Metropolitan Qpera|in one-fifth of a ny and {t has never been lawfully adjusted | House, where Mr. Drennon has arrested Yhefore us, and wé can'tell in an mestant | several casos himself. In two yegrs fines add up to #2,00% . “During the rywh h we? 6 theatres are teiting ot, 1 y the dishonest taxicab river, seeing tho front of the theatres assume the @p- Pearance of leaving-out timaibt @hdrs and pulls down ‘the flag; which im- the meter gotn Patron at such a time the meter to see If it fe at the starting point, meter har airendy been run up before he has entered the cab. u various complaints ent prices pald for ' 1 AsP FRESH what Do A&P Evaporate 490 Stores in the U. S, TALE 10-'THE BAD IMITATION “Punk! Just as I thought,” said'the Kink. “Turkish Tro- phies cannot be imitated. Try it again, and you shall read a page of the Congressional Rec- ord to your wife, every night for a month.” “Mercy” was a word not to be found in the dark lexicon of the Kink, Uy YY RON OF THE TAXICAB SHOULD IN- being opened, ete, rushes to the front f, and 90 the; Ree Cut Down Your Expenses | KIRKMAN’S SOAP 7-25° EGGS 13 = 25° Fancy Selected in Sealed Cartons Every Egq Guaranteed. MILK Goward SOUP cea Aflantic & Pacific These pri a a comes in her to complain if the small, When a comptaint map of the city, laid off Measurements, is what charge should have been made.” Mr. Drennon hdvises “EVERY PAT. IST ON SERING THAT HE 1S TARTID, Blow, AS TO THE ME. ER REGISTER BEFORE HB GOERS IN HIS JOURNEY. “Ot course this condition extsts moste ly with jo drivers, since it ts to thelr interest to run up the bill. But | with an authorized type of taxtmeter, Vand #01 tringent laws to ascertain the hon of the man before he te given the Hicense, we would secure @ | better and more polite class of chaut- feurs oe for heating great You ray? 27%c 7e 3~-25e A DOZEN 20 of, can reg. price 10¢ reg. price 10c acan Tea Co. “Yyjy gp Yih Wy, 7 ae eae eae f Mountain an extremely valuable boo and branch offices to those who call for them. In it you will find all that one would possibly want to know about where ito spend an ideal vacation, 4 r : |CENTS to detray actual postage and a copy will be mailed to you without charge, Drink ima a Glass of |8 Hold it up —see how it sparkles and bubbles with life; it suggests joy and laughter. Taste it—cooling, re- freshing, delicious— overflowing with vim and snap. Demand the Genuine—Refuse Substitutes THE COCA COLA CO. ATLANTA GA. - Beginning Tomorrow A Summer Suit Sale tor Me with no “STRINGS” to it. “Strings” is a bit slangy—but expressive. This is— Not a “‘Clearance”’ Not a “Clean Up” Not an “Annual” Not a “Backward Season’’ tale Not a “Sale” of garments made to sell at “Sales” 7 Just a simple Limited Sale with only One Reason behind it— A Simple Story that Rings Truth. We are trying to reach out for the man who believes that the only proper uay to buy a suit in July is at a Sale, We make a Reduction in certain lines so that many men merely attracied by prices will blunder into 7 ruth—not Promise. So we have MARKED DOWN all our’ $25.00 Suits . ‘ $1 , $22.50 Suits . $20.00 Suits : Every Suit SMITH GRAY & CO.’S own make. Built to a Standard, then—-and then only—a price attached. Our Suits are not made to fit a price. Under Same Control and Ownership Since 1845, ° ‘Two New York Stores! Broadway ai Warren &t, Across from City Ball, Sth Av., Bet. 27th & Sth Sts Two Brooklyn Stores! Fulton St. at Flatbush Av, Broadway at Bedford Av.. NOW READY—The New York World : ILLUSTRATED SUMMER RESORT GUIDE FOR 1912 _ A big and profusely illustrated volume, describing over. 2,000 Seashore, Country Hotels and Boarding Houses. Copies of this i are being given out FREE at The World’s main Get YOUR copy to-day. If inconvenient to call in person send SIX Address ‘ SUMMER RESORT BUREAU ‘NewYore cry’ NEW YORK CITY ce Bice et eae fe