The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-09
G II E AP CABS.
The King Of the Special Licentiates" Gives
the History Of the Business.
IRRESPONSIBLE DRIVERS AND EXTORTION.
A Comparison Of the Cost and
Receipts of the Trade.

The quarrel between the rival hack owners, now just
begun, promises TO be attended by good results. The
condition of the cab business in this city having been
fully exposed the HGRALD the persons interested
find TO their improve by complying IL
they better basis with the public demand for
cheaper The first steps in this direction have
already taken, and others OF necessity
low course there great reluctance on the part
OF either factonthe Public Hack Owners Association
and the special centatesto yield Jot each other
for the purpose Of enccng equalization OF rates
But they have begun TO indicate what bad In each
others system; hence benefit 10 the travelling
munity may accrue. Yesterday morning this journal
contained full account of the charges preferred by
the first named body against the second; today the
evidence OF member OF the latter replies in spirit Of
recrininaton. The statements OF both given for
what they are worth, that readers may SEQ for
themselves how much Of evil there the general
trade. II Is acknowledged now by the rivals,
testants as thcy may be called that cabs be
more cheapy than they present; but
zach says that the exiortons practscd are
occasoned by the avarce OF the other.
Their position on the question may be thus
defined present:-thc Public Hack Drivers Assoca-
tion opposed to the of stands. They want
fair competition the public streets, something after
the London cab method The special lcentiatcs stick
by tho stands and livery stables and oppose the effort
TO place in the hands of drivers the obtaining OF pas
sengers without referring them to the FORE
man OF the conveysnces
BRIEF HISTORY OF HACKS.
Yesterday HERALD reporter saw Mr. Van Ranst
who Is generally conceded by both parties TO be 1.-THE
king oi The special centaies He said that II would
be unwisc TO give hackmen the power to pick up pas
seneer along the Streets as strangers could easily be
overcharged dishonest drivers property would
be al the mercy of thieves has often been when
such irresponsible parties took charge OF trunks and
vaises IL have been in the hack business Tor a great
said | nj VA
charging now hotels, public stands and in livery
stables only such prices as VIII pay ~ Just in
terest investments. In 1874 tho sys-
TEN bad There were only
two kinds OF vehicles in the fourwheeler and
wheeler with It's door la the back They stroGg
and coarsey dticd up and could be probably at 81
aud s. 90 day respectively because oats could then
hundred and drivers for IS a week at the outside.
The lare twenty-five cents mile and there were
not more than Sky BOSSES in the city The stands
and nvefcs conducted on the principle that
they now are and nobody complained of cxtortion.
The first change Tor the all parties
about the year 1850 when there just such clanor
us that which has lately been raised against the
mi liveries, as well as against the vehicles. They
enough SUIT the fas,idious tastes OF
the wcltodn that had get up costly coac hes
and better dressed drivers The expenses the bust
ness were thus increased ana so had the pres to be
We found that charge iuy cents a m 10 to
make the business pay US Then competition followed
And any man who could raise money enough to buy and
lit out cab. 10 be driven by HIMSELF took advantage
the spirit OF opposition against stands and veries
under the control OF responsible men and started
warfare to beat They not only succeeded doing
Tor while, but they also succeeded cheating the
public. Up TO the outbreak OF the this con nucd
our citizens learning from hard bought experience
that they had done foolish thing trying upset
The ieglhmatey conducted traffic by favorng the prac
lice OF giving unknown ana irresponsible n chance
10 exer r. and Oh Sny ah es hhpg fbess
uuil the secession OF the Southern States and uhe
lroublous times that followed. We tried 10 do as
squarcly by the public then in the general stagnation
81 business, and Kept our rates down TO fifty cents
mile. We had harJ struggle, and many worthy men
had to succumb for the cost OF hay oats straw
nails snd labor ncary triple what il had
formerly been. aud currency deprecated to
half Its face value. Fifty cents was not equal in
commercial vane 10 twenty-five, and IL was
almost impossible to make living used 10 pay
nearly s., regularly 81 30 bushei Tor oats and an
equal sum Tor hay and straw by the hundred II was
,en hard to obtain II at these prices which we're
times large what had been in the habit OF
riving or them Horses so much needed by The gov
eminent, were at premium and hep almost out
OF the market stablcmcn aud drvcro could get what
they liked aud we had 10 accede to their cxorbtant
demands Fares slightly increased, but after the
they reduced, although the price OF things
the expense oil conducting livery stable remained
pretty much where they had been Tor nve years.
Everything had acquired fictitious value, which has
not uch decreased, that you tor long we
bad suffer IN business IN these later days the
public or portion OF it which scarcely rides IN
.oachcs shouted Tor reduction OF Gres and they have
Sept at 1t since, without understanding thing
at All OF the hack owners difficulties II rates had
oeeu lowered every time they were asked TO
be there would not lie hackney coach IN
lkis city to-day. can assure you that taking tho
hard times into consideration we arc not earning de-
cent percentage investments. Our convey
lnces to-day IS $50 Tor coach; from $500
10 81. 600 Tor u coupe, $3.50 Tor horse coupe;
$500 horses sl5o Tor set of harness. $40 80
week horses iced; S0 TO $l2 Tor drivers, ana $50
year for the shooting OF one horse In this state OF
things sensible ask TO expect US TO charge less
than our present prcess Al any rate there won't be-
much bcncnt 10 the public by the abolition OF stands
aud the removal from the trade OF persons who
every way responsible. This viii be the result OF
crowding the thoroughfarcs with hacks driven by
known individuals, who while they may be AFRAID
cheat persons known to them VIII not hesitate
muct Strangers
mn