The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-06
CONSERVATION Among the Livery
Stable Keepers.
WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.
"NO Matter What the Laws Are tho Prices
Will Be The Same"
A NEW DEPARTURE FoREsHADowED.
The District Telegraph Company
in the Field.

The feeling against the extortonate dealings OF the
hack proprieors this city grows apacc and the
cessity for reform ths methods OF enforcing the
OF charge prescribed by the ordinance published
on Tuesday in the HERALD Is moro generally I'M
dersood The ordinance is fair one, when compared
with ordinances OF former years. but It Is Of little
value, because greater efforts are made to force
compliance with It, Undoubtedly the licensed hack
furnished with copies Of ''thc artice'' which
is to govern them In the uture but these they carry
in their pockets, and unless tho public familiar
with the ordinance check can be placed rapa
cious drivers.
In the arst place. the wayfarer has MEANS unless
previously Of the fact OF learning the distance
he has been conveyed, that he may be compelled to
pay the fare allowed for three miles when he has only
been driven onc, and in the second place. has
always permitted the driver to get his rates For
these the livery stable keepers and Of
cabs, when spoken to the subject OF shack cxtor.
on only ready to lay the greatest share OF tho
blame upon their employees. They say, deprecatingy,
that the public should not condemn them for what
they have not been able to control Their vehicles
sent out to tho stand at the disposal Of
the drivers, and the latter Invariably make their
own bargains with customers, which bargains not
advantageous they might be to the custo ners.
Tho truth is however, that livery stable keepers have
been in the habit Of making rates to suit themselves
so that scarcely any two in the city governed by
the same rates Ordinances worthless SO far
they are concerned at present, and complaints are
made by the hundred without producing any visible
reform or relief
COMMON RxroRTIoys
The abuses annoying to the public at large Of
everyday and prevalent that little atten-
ton is paid TO them. Even the sufferers do little
than demonstrate with the hackman. No one ever
hipks of no aido f rolic mi
versal custom is TO growl and pay. All sorts OF in
stances Of extortion related by people who have
been forced TO give rdicuously high prices for cabs
Their recital would hardly be deemed true. For
example, gentleman residing In the Ninth ward hired
hack to take him from tho French steamship dock to
Brooklyn He paid the fcrriagc to that city, and when
he reached his destination he dismissed tho hack or
ferng settle, he surprised to learn that bill
ST. He had occupied the hack not longer than an
hour He loaned, fretied and contested this charge
but the driver memorable, and TO unpleas-
ant scene the gentleman paid. The queerest part Of
the transaction foows:-Ths passenger hired another
cab at Millcr's stable, in Brooklyn, the day.
bring him back to tho foot OF Canal street in
New York. The charge for this second journey
was only So Again, the custom used to De,
and is undoubtedly still In well ordered livery stables
TO keep printed schedule of rates hung conspcuousIy
in the office, that could know what no was
bound to pay either for time distance. The usual
charge by time 81 SO hour below Forty second
street, II the horses were not kept continually on the
move Now, the livery stable ask what they please
as rule and nearly always unwilling to let hacks
time ut ALL They want distance liked and set
their own rate for IL
rmR LAW NOT RSyoRcED
Section OF article Of the ordinance referring
TO rates and prices OF iarc says that ITO and through
Central Park from any point in and between Four
tccnth and Forty second streets and returning, with
The fare shall be S." There Is not hack,
In this city that abdes by this
can control him. As a rule the charge Tor this drive
S. and Ut that fare the average hackman does
not care TO so. Section ., which reads that tho faro
shall be 50 for hack to and through Central Park
from point below Fourteenth street and north OF
l5th street TO Kingsbrdgo and returning, with priv
iicge Of keeping the carriage three hours is almost
totally dsregardcd OF course, the hackmcn acknow-
edge that It is the law but they do not consider them
selves bound to take a man such distance simply be-
he oilers the legal fare As the book ccper at
Rey's stable said TO HERALD reporter Tuesday
'.rhe ordinance is well enough in its way, but people
that want hacks viii paw the price that is asked Tor
them. Tho ordinance won't make any difference in
our business" said the clerk s.Things VIII 60 on
about the same
WHAT RATES worLp SUIT.
There IS great diversity OF opinion to the rates
that might be considered by both passenger aud pro-
prleor air. The latter consider the prescribed
by the ordinance very reasonable; the former as
rule, pronounce them too high. The propretors
complain. like everybody else, OF the ..hard limcs'
aud The high ges they pay their help. 'sIt
is all very well speak OF the London and Paris rates.
sand livery man yesterday bat you don't know how
much more II costs TO coach here than either
Of the other Cities
'.wcll, how much do you pay your drverss" said
the reporter.
.soh all the way from ST. week up Some men,
especially old hands We give as high as $ls week."
what do you give your stable hands.h
"well, various prices. Just like the drivers"
From these OF statements IL will be seen that
there are no actually fixed rates for the wages of the
ment as chcapIy as possible, The hands do not
slider themselves well paid For example, IN livery
stable the west side OF the town. below Tenth street.
the drivers say that they do not get $l2
an average. Where, then. the wages and other OK
pcnses OF running the business irregular II hard
to say, with any accuracy Just how cheapy a cab aud
It's outfit can be spiaced IN profitable service. No
men agree on this point The whole crai,, however,
from the pnblic. They know that, under existing CIR
cumstances they cannot be checked. The ordinance
may have been passed and printed but It cannot be
enforced successfully they think.
A SYSTEM TO ISrRopucEn
Among the expedcnts suggested Tor getting rid OF
the cab grievance In some degree modifying H. IS
the establishment OF cab system by the American
District Telegraph Company or their forming a
tract conjunction with nrm already en-.
gagged IN running such vehicles Ii thought that
u combination OF signals might be arranged by which
cab could be tclegraphcd for and despatched any
place having communication with the company's
oifccx This would do away with delays. and by hav-
ing stated schedule OF rates established arces
and the impostons much practice woudo DO
guarded against As there In many private resi-
dences and IN nearly all the hotels and other public
places Geographic communication with the District
companys Offices this scheme could be systema-
tized and reduced 10 practical working ORDER 70
facilitate IL offices might be established within easy
distance OF cab stands or cabs belonging TO tho
pany might constantly be kept in waiting.
Various business men about town 10 whom the plan
was preached regarded II with favor and stated their
convection that some sucn system Is sorely needed and
must sooner later be introduced They said that
the difficulty OF securing transit by means OF such
vehicles occurred 10 every having
their frequent use, and the well known aptitude OF
thor drivers Tor imposing upon passengers had created
a n SEES
OF urgent necessity. They thought that the system
proposed would be likely TO subscrvc the interests
OF every one, II would afford ready and commodous
means TO passage through the city fair rates and
consequently would increase the demand Tor cab SER
vice.
be HsRArD reporter called upon Mr. H. w. Andrews,
President OF the American District Telegraph Company
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