The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-23

| SuAlll 20 pubic nOtlee, ucsu1iJ eNenilB, az
! Arthur ODonnelrs Ballroom, corner Of Circus
and Poydras streets There were between three
and four hundred persons present. The meeting
was called to order about halfpast seven O'Clock,
by Richard Condor, esq, being nominated as
President, LIB. Mack, as Vice President, and
William Boylan as Secretary.
| There being loud calls for Col. q. w Christy,
who, il was generally understood, mad been spe-
cially invited to address the meeting, that gen
tleman came forward and spoke as follows:
! Mr.. President and Gentlemen: / have under
taken the task OF addressing you on the impor-
! tant subject which has called you together, on
! very short notice 1t is proposed, by many in
| huential members Of your profession, to form
an association of the Cabmen and Hackmen of
this city, and it is proposed by doing, to pro-
mote the interests Of Woodworking and deserv-
ing class of the laboring and industrial classes
Of this community. II society itself were not
bound together By similar ties, although upon
larger scale, We might seek for happiness in vain
in this world. If | am rightly Informed, there
are about 400 or 500 of your profession in the
city of New Orleans, who are ever liable to vast
injuries from quite an inferior .ts,c, not perhaps
in all exceeding fifty fellows, whom You very
properly designate by the term "Rats." They
are for the most part Northerners, who, because
they happen to possess the price of horse and
cab, consider they have a right to come into
this city, where they have no interest at stake,
and make money legitimately or illegitimately.
One can easily tell those fellows, for they will
not let gentlemen pass or repass without annoy
ing them with their impertinent opportunities,
while your respectable cabman politely seeks
recognition of the services which, no fools ne
honestly and fairly render you. But here, where
true politeness is so much appreciated, they, it
seems, sometimes find it hard to exist upon
their own hook and So in order to enable them
to go back to the North, when New Orleans be-
gins to get little too hot for them, from the
fact of the public becoming too well acquainted
with their persons, what do they do? Why they
connect themselves with one, two, three, or more
boys, as the case may be, whose duty it is to
obstruct every one they meet, especially stran-
ger, and it they can ascertain that his business
leads him to any part Of the city, agree with him
to bring him there for fifty or probably twenty
five cents, Pleased with the proposal the dupe
jumps into the cab, and at the end Of his journey
tenders the amount Of the fare agreed upon.
He is then told with sneer that L" he can't come
that" and So SO demanded. 1t is in vain he
says he has agreed for twenty-five or fifty cents
He must submit to the imposition, for the reason
that he has to pay out two or three bully rats
their portion OF the plumber of the unwary pas
| seuger.
Gentlemen Continued Col. Christy,) have
! had experience myself that way. Fearful Of ever
| again being duped The victim will rather submit
| to a hundred Inconvenience than trust himself
again to the tender mercies Of a cab driver
Thus it is that the honest and Legitimate traffic
Of the profession is diminished--I will venture
| to say, to below one-feurth Of what it ought to
| be in such city as this. Imposed upon, the
| passenger, when politely asked to enter one of
| your vehicles, angrily replies D--n it, won't
ride at all'-so much is your reputation injured
by the ma practices of these rats daughter,
and cries of" you're rght.D advise you, then,
to single out yourselves from these contempt
bic few, and prove yourselves the legitimate
cab-mcn Of New Orleans. (Cries of 9" well do
that.')
There is another set of" rats" Continued the
Colonel who are known rs "Levec Rats"
Their existence is even more in furious to your
interests. Steamers are daily arriving, crowds
Of strangers land upon the particularly
number of Cafornians full of money. The
moment the boat arrives, Il crowd of :" Levee
rats, in connection with the other rats, tell the
passengers that they will be robbed---ruined =
and they recommend n dray, or wheelbarrow
rather than run this chance. And is not all
such work calculated to injure your reputation,
and defraud You of your legitimate earnings?
tees, It's your own fault. Do away with them,
and you will increase, not only your reputation,
but your so or so per cent. ut least. A man
would ride fifty times for once he does now, if
the cabs Of your city were all under the New
Orleans Cab Society" A friend of mine, an
American, who has lately returned from Paris,
tells me that the " one price" system works well
there. Fer instance, twenty-five cents ride of
certain distance, or within 4 certain time, if
you will. This rate may not be large enough,
but whatever the rate may be, let it be laid down
by the Municipal authorities. If any one at
tempted to impose an extra charge, let him be
reported at the police office, and let him be fined
or lose his license, if you will. If the tariff i'm
posed by your Municipal Councils were too
small, your association requiring its increase,
would not be turned deaf ear to the Council
would not refuse to establish Il remuneratng
tariff BY this, and other means, to be yet de-
vised by your association, you would soon get
rid Of your wharf, LeVee and bull rats. Form
yourselves into society, take list of numbers
of cabs belonging to the members of your assoc
citation if any wrong be done, you can remedy
it..
Every craft has its misfortuncs, CONTINUED
the speakcr,) but let me in conclusion, urge
upon you the necessity of forming society for
your own mutual benefit ut tho present hour; say
twenty-five cents Il member; and, more particu
arIy, to provide yourselves and families against
the probable effects Of dark day. The speaker,
at the conclusion of his address, was welcomed
by the hearty plaudits of the meeting.
A committee of twelve was then appointed to
draft bylaws, etc. and report progress at the
next meeting.
The following resolutions were then intro
duced and adopted unanimously.
Moved by Nathaniel Jenkins, seconded by
William Boylan.
Resolred That society to be composed of
the Cab and Hackmen of New Orleans, be now
formed, and that 4 committee of twelve be
named by the Chairman to draft bylaws and
report Of their proceedings, to be submitted to
this meeting ON Tuesday evening next, No
vembcr 10, at the present place of meeting,
ComniNee raan,ed-Nathaniel Jenkins,-
German, John McChrystal, William Bovlan, L.
b. Mack,-Thompson William Quaile Mi
chael Devine, Owen Campbell, Malachi Noon,
James Stanley, William Nose.
Moved by William Quae, seconded by james
Stanley:
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