The Express.
London, England, 1868-09-07 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 7, 1868.

they •tre fairly worth. It is certain that thus, in-
stigstod by the spirit of gambling, the cabman
cuts down hie average wages to an amount
below tlu average of corresponding trades.
the y over, there are few worse paid
men thin the London cabmen. Yet under the
pri..ent system it is impossible to mend their lot.
Any oiei. tweet filing higher fares would merely
t'.l.ln, competing against each other, to
fh r higher rent to the masters, and their own
pi ofits AS oull remain as small and as doubtful as
ever. On the public, again, this system acts
almost as badly. It forms a powerful inducement
to the cabman to cheat and extort, for
hatever be thus gains is his own, and he
needs it sorely. It renders the masters indifferent
as to the character of the men, as to tho good con-
dition.of the cabs,. as to the quality of the horses,
for if they get their fixed sum a day it covers all
losses and is all they need to care for. And the
returns are immense on the capital employed.
Fifteen shillings a day, even excluding Sundays,
amounts to about 2307. a year. The keep of two
horses will certainly not exceed 601., and with
shoeing, physic, and duty added, the whole ex-
penses will fall within 1001. It has been stated
lately by cab-owners themselves, that the value of
a cab and two horses is only 501. But this was
stated with a view to allow that the duty was ex-
cresive, and therefore it is probably much below
the truth. We may safely, perhaps, double it.
Here then is a nett return of 1301. per annum on a
capital of 1007. If our figures can be shown by
any cab-owner to be erroneous we shall be happy
to give his correction. But we believe they will
he found to be substantially correct, and if so we
must say we do not think the cab-owners have any
ground for complaint, in so far as their money
returns are concerned.
But we do not doubt that the system operates
badly oven as against them. There must be a
considerable loss from drivers bolting without pay-
ing all that is duo. The horses are often over driven,
and must wear out fast. Lameness and sickness
will lay them up at times for considerable periods.
Now it is pretty clear that all these disadvantages
are the product mainly of the system of hiring
out the cabs. A police certificate or badge is no
sufficient testimony of good character or conduct
in the men entrusted with this property. None
of us would take a servant on merely such a nega-
tive recommendation. The cab owners say they
cannot help themselves, that they could not find
honest men to work for wages, and bring in their
full earnings; that London is so large, and dis-
tances so great, that they could not exercise a per-
sonal superintendence, as masters in other towns
do, over drivers paid by wage.; ; and that, conse-
quently, no other plan is available than the
hiring system. It may be so. At least it
cannot be asserted positively unless the experiment
is tried. Is it really impossible for a cab proprie-
tor to find men of good character if be offered
them good wages ? And would it not be better
for himself as much as for the public, to be con-
tented with a lower rate of profit in consideration
of greater security, of freedom from bodies by
damage, of enhanced respectability, and of being
looked on as the benefactor instead of the enemy
of the public To the drivers and the public cer-
tainly the gain would be immense. The former
would have a certain fixed wage on which they
could live and bring up their families in respect-
ability, instead of a fluctuating chance—sometimes

bringing in a windfall, most rely to be spent in
drink, often leaving them in debt, and generally
reducing thorn to the point of starvation. The
men at present do not see that all agitation for
higher fares or freedom from restrictions would,
while they compete against each other, merely add
to the master's profits. and thus they are always
ready to join the masters in agitating. The masters
when any pinch of slack time comes look round to
see whom or what they can lay the bhuue ou except
themselves. But if the public understood the case
it would perhaps deem the system at fault rather
than the tariff of fares or the rules of the railway
companies. And certainly if it becomes thus con-
vinced it has a perfect right to compel a change of
system. It has the power of refusing permission
to ply in the streets unless on such terms as it
des ms best for its own interests and those of the
pieties who serve it.

where opinion is controlled. Duelling went out
of fashion in England in proportion as the
utterance of opinion became more and flier.,
tinancipntod from arbitrary. control. It la liberty,
not despotism, that puts an end to duelling, as it
will, sooner or later, put an end to standing
mini. ft and to international wars.

We beg pardon of tho Timer' for pointing out ono
or two slight errors in its account of the particular
effair bich occasioned its remarks. "As to the real

prim.ds of the dispute," it says, " wo aro left
" wholly in the dark." Now the grounds of tho
yueircl betwecn M. PAUL DR CARRAONAO wore
fully detailN3 in the Pays and the Aernir of Auch.
Tlicy were pertly political, juid partly personal.
" The two combatants had probably never seen
" each other." They wore cousins, and it was
Anted by M. LISAAPAHAY that M. PAUL DI MA-
MMA° bad been supported for many years by his
klaseAnAnAv'e) uncle. On the face of the docu-
ments which form so to spook the pilces jusfUlea-
tibes of the quarrel, there can be no doubt that
M. PAUL nu CAMAONAO had given the first
offence, and that gentleman has proved
himself on more than one 000ssion a worthy son of
his father both with pen and rapier. It would
be satisfactory to learn that on this occasion all
the parties to the duel, principals and agents, are
to be prosecuted, if we could forget that M. PAUL
DR CAA/MONA() has been in a similar serape be-
fore, and has received a free pardon from the
PEROR ; equality before the law being a prin-
ciple more honoured in ita breach than in its ob-
servance under the Imperial regime.

OUlt CONTEMPORARIES.
art IS DAY.)

FOREIGN NEWS.

(THIS DAY.)

(Tmcoouu ssurent's •ormcr.)
ITALY.
FLORFNCE. At pr. 7.

klignor Caderna, the Minister of Interior, has
resigned on account of ill-health, and his resigna-
tion has been accepted by the King.
Count Cantelli, tho Minister of Public Works,
will assume tho vacant ministry, ati interim.
The company formed for working the tobacco
monopoly have paid to the government the deposit
of 18,000,000 lire, required as guarsbntoe for the
carrying out of the undertaking.