The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-28 00:00:00

MEETING OF CAB PROPRIETORS.

Yesterday afternoon a numerous meeting of cab pro-
prietors, convened by advertisement, took place at the
National Hall, High Holborn, to consider the steps
necessary to be taken under the present circumstances
of the trade ; the proprietor of the Harp Cab Company,
Manchester-square, in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said they
were met to consider their position, suffering under a
most oppressive and unjust act of both Houses of Par-
liament, as must be known to those who read the reports
of what had recently taken place in the police-courts,
and especially of one case, that of Phillips, at the Bow-
street court. The act of which they complained had
been made by country gentlemen and Manchester men,
not one of whom could give an idea as to the working
expenses of a cab, and was introduced by a Ministry
guided by public opinion, having no merits of its own,
contrary to the expressed wish of the whole trade, and
to the estimate which they gave of their expenses.
(Hear, hear.) The Parliament could not know the loss
of horses to which cab proprietors were exposed, espe-
cially in winter, when a 251. horse might be kept stand-
ing for hours at a corner and die next day from cold.
(Hear, hear.) Why, he had known a proprietor to lose
120 horses in a year and a half, out of a stock of GO or
80. (Hear, hear.) He knew another case, of a proprietor
who had sent 45 horses to the slaughter in six months.
(Hear, hear, hear.) The hackney-cab proprietors were
not really an united trade. (Cheers.) Three months
ago, before that unjust and tyrannical law was at-
tempted, they were endeavouring to cut each other's
throats by competition, but now they would stick to-
gether. (Cheers.) Men had been in the trade for twenty-
five years, and had scraped a little independence together,
and now it was to be swept away by the act ; for their
business could not be carried on, and their property
could not be sold, as horses were now worth 51. each
less than they were a fortnight ago. (Hear, hear.)
They had given the bill a fair trial ; they had tried it for
a fortnight, and found that it coul not be carried on.
(Cheers.) They were told they might keep three horses,
but they knew that three horses could not be supported
at present prices. (Hear, hear.) Those who were there
knew that a time was coming, the winter, when the
driver would not be able to earn sufficient for himself,
without carrying anything home. Cabs would then
remain on the stands for hours, and then be taken off
for sixpence. (Hear.) The Government, however,
were beginning to find it out, for that afternoon Mr.
Fitzroy had sent a messenger in a great hurry to say
that the house had already voted a shilling beyond the
fare when the cab was four miles from the General
Post-office. (Cheers.) He (the chairman) was himself
at a railway station that afternoon, where he saw ladies
and children crying and going on in a way that no man
could wish to see ; but the Government had said that in
all great improvements there must be suffering, and they
must not be blamed if, in the endeavour to obtain their
rights, they were obliged to oppress the females to-day.
(Hear, hear.) He hoped, however, that it would not
last, but that the Government would so alter the bill
that they might go on ; but they would not go to work
again until they could have such regulations as they
could live under. (Cheers.)
Mr. BEADLE moved as the first resolution, "That
for any distance within, and not exceeding two miles,
the fare shall be ls." The people of London and the
Government had not expected to see that unity in the
cab trade which they now saw. (Hear, hear.) For his
own part, he thought the public had no occasion to
grumble at the construction of cabs now, when com-
pared with those used in 1820, and even in 1830. A
good deal was said about cab companies, but he would
like to ask any commercial man what dividend was ever
derived from a cab company ever started ? (Cheers.)
All the cab companies had parted, and he did not know
how people could be such egregious fools as to invest
their money in cab companies or the cab business with
prices at 6d. a mile. (Hear.) He was asked what he
had stopped at home for ? and he gave this answer—
that he had tried to conform to the low fare, and found
he could not do it. Look at the money lost within the
last fortnight by men who had come into the business
with a large capital, and found they could not get one
per cent. for it. (Hear, hear.) They were dependent
on the public, and lie thought it a great pity that they
should inconvenience that portion of the public who were
their supporters ; but at the same time he thought that
it would be thought they were only acting like English-
men, standing up for their honour and liberties. (Hear.)
It was time to show, and they would that day show,
that they were men, and determined to do their duty to
themselves and the community. The gentlemen who
sat at the Cranbourne-hotel had endeavoured to show
the Government that they could not live under the law ;
but they had met with few friends in the house, except
Sir R. Inglis, Lord D. Stuart, and Mr. Bonham Carter,
whose names, he hoped, would never be effaced from
their memories. (Cheers, and cries of " Mr. Bright.")
yes, Mr. Bright had spoken for them, but he had only
met sneers and jeers from those very men who now said
that changes must be made in the bill before they came
to work it. He understood that a certain gentleman,
who lived in Park-lane, said that threepence was enough
for half-a-mile. (Laughter, and a voice "He has got
turned out of Parliament for bribery.") Why, he would
ask them—would any of them have been there then if
they could have done it at sixpence a mile ? (No, no.)
The resolution which he had moved contained the first
change for which they wished ; and when a cab cost
50/., a horse 201., and harness Si., besides the Stamp-
office, he would ask whether any man could object to
pay one shilling for the use of a separate carriage ?
(Hear, hear.) They were now entitled to charge six-
pence a mile, but the return in reality brought it down
to threepence. (Hear, hear.) That very day their
movement had been referred to in the House of Com-
mons (the speaker here read Mr. Fitzroy's statement, and
he would like to know whether any other trade in that
country had been so soon taken notiee of by Government
under such circumstances. (Hear.) They had com-
menced a good work well, and let them finish it well, and
keep their cabs at home till they got the resolution as a
clause in the act. (Cheers.) If the public could do
without them, they could do without the public. Their
horses and cabs would fetch money in any part of the
country ; and if gentlemen wished to start cab compa-
nies, they would drive for them. (Cheers.)
Mr. GAMBLE seconded the resolution.
Mr. MINDON moved, as an amendment, " That the
fare for the first mile be is. ; exceeding one mile and
under two miles, is. 6d. ; two miles and under three,
2s. ; three miles and under four, 2s. 6d. ; and for every
additional mile or fraction of a mile, is."
Mr. RYDER, as the representative of a committee of
cab owners sitting at the Cranbourne Hotel, supported
the original resolution ; but thought it better respect-
fully to memorialise Parliament for a redress of griev-
ances, than to enter into details.
After a rather disorderly discussion, the original Imo-
and declared to be carried,
tion was put to the meeting;