The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-20
The Hack Rohharx
The Davenport Gazette's Rock Island

hacks shall charge to convey persons be-
tween this city and Davenport, we should
like to know it. The law fines any hack
man from S. to $50 who charges more
than % cents to arg part of the city. This
cannot be construed to mean from Daven-
port to any part of this city, and, as the
two cities are in different states, we are
not certain either has power to regulate the
fare across the line. Neither city has at
tempted it, 1t is certainly an outrage to
charge strangers, Of citizens either, more
than 25 cents. At the same time, in the |
absence OF any iaw,the attack of THE AR |
GUS on our police force is Hncalled for. Let |
that paper suggest way in which the fare |
can be limited by law, aud we venture to
say the police, having something to stand
by, will do their duty
No city can regulate the matter outside
of its limits. The lawful fare in Daven-
port is the same as in this city-25 cents
for adults to any part ofthe city, and for
children under IA years of age Is cents;
and nothing for children under 5 years of
age when accompanied by a person paying
fare. These rates hackmen are required
to have printed and posted, inside their
hacks, and they are liable to fine Of from
| IS to $50 for not having them SO posted,
aud to revocation of their license-and. to
the same fine and penalty for oyercharge.
If hackman takes up a passenger in
| Davenport he is entitled to 25 cents for
bringing him to the limits of that city, He
I is also entitled to 25 cents for taking him
from the limits of our city to the Peoria
depot. This would make SO cents, and
that is the sum the Peoria road pays to
Lorton Il Co. for transferring passengers
who have coupon tickets
But the wild hackmen claim that (al-
though our city limits were extended over
the Island to our old township line by the
amended city charter of Feb. Is, 1851
the state Of Illinois having coded. the jur-
isdiction of the Island t. the United
States, We cannot punish them for what
they do on the strip Of territory between
the south end of Sylvan Water Bridge and
that portion Of Rock Island Bridge south
vi IllG uidIl illitltl vi liz VI ShO
Mississippi river; and as there is strip OF
rround batwaan tho two cities, over which
they pass, they have right to charge what
they please over that strip of ground.
| The hackmea are more nice than wise,
and more tricky than honest.
First, The territory they are 50 cur
ming about Is within the city limits, and
the city or county can punish for any crime
Or offence under the city or state law com
mitted there, provided the Z. S. authori
ties decline to do So IF Col. Flaglel
would give Instructions to the guard to re
f fuse passage to all hacks reported to thu
guard by the chief of police, on either sid
, of the river. for overcharging passengers
that would soon put an end to the robbery
] Second. No hackman can collect, il
D court, over % cents for bringing passen
? gers from Davenport to the Peoria depot, 70
( the reason that it can be proven that tina
e sum is the usual and we'll known rate fxe
and agreed on by the hackmen themselves
; The law provides that they shall not charg
! over % cents in either city-which woul
+ make so cents for both; but they havin
- made il a custom to charge 25 cent;
} instead of 80 cents no court would give
i hacknian more than he himself had mad
y it custom to charge the public general
d No more law is needed on the subject,
/. We ask Col Flagler to instruct tn
Is guar! refuse passage to all hacks RI
n ported By the chief Of police, in Rock L
land or Davenport, as having overcharge
X passengers,
?. We ask passengers to refuse to pa
more ta4n the hackmen themselves hay
u fixed as Il reasonable price.
y And we ask the police to be prompt an
vigilant in seeing that travellers al
protected from hack robbers; to act as tn
- friend and protectors of travellers, ard I
y inform them that no hickman can, by Law
= collect more than % cents between tt
: two cities, as they themselves have mac
! that a rule as a reasonable and propt
&c charge, and often carried for less sum.