The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-15
SWINDLlNG HACKMEN.

4 STATEMENT By MARSHAL KELLY Fon TIE
pENEFIT OF THE RIDING PUBLICAN EASY
MODE OF HAVING YOUR WRONGS REDREssID.
Why do so many people allow themselves to be swim.
died by haekmeny Is question that may fairly b
asked in view OF the complaints OF hackmen's exiors
tons which appear and then In the HERALD'a
"Complaint Book" The subject beng investigated
yesterday Il became manifest at once that the main
reason why these complaints continue IL that they are
not addressed to tho proper authority, who Is vested
with The power OF Furnishing abusive or swindng hack.
men-namely, the Mayors Marshal, Mr.. John Tyler
Kelly. This gentleman is the mighty potentate wha
rules with absolute sceptre the unruy band Of
hackmen, and q complaint having once been made ant
been fairly established the guilty Jehu does indeed
trembe whom he is brought before his
inspiring presence. Mr. Kelly, who may be found
every day at his Office in the City Hail. says that
how other ne receives very few complaints indeed
although he is Mt all times ready and glad 10 redress
any grievances that may be brought before him.
AN EXCELLENT
His principle of adjusting the that are brought
10 his notice. he says, is this Whenever IL Is show
that hackman has swinded .iare," even out Of
half dollar, he compels tho impostor to return not
only the extortionato amount but the whole
ccivcd Cases occasionally In which the driver
charged So SO while he only entitled by law to 81
and the compainanis these the whole
amount OF their fare. In aggravated cases Mr.. Kelly
rcvokes the hacknan's lccnse altogether q" suppose
have driven about forty men out OF the business"
said no; "and believe the hackmen OF New York to-
day arc better set OF men than they ever be-
fore The trouble is that few people who are i'm
posed upon prefer complaints ut this ofhce but many
probably ignorant Of tho fact that this step ~
that Is necessary IN order 10 obtain redress"
"LISs BALLa
Mr. Kelly being questioned regard recent let
ter OF sMaria" IN our Compliant Book" said that
owing the immense number OF carriages required u
the Academy balls the slime sysem haa be adopted
Were all OF private carriages allowed draw up
before the Academy toward the OF ball thu
confusion would DO endlesa According this system
however, hackney coaches that had been thoroughly
inspected by the police were provided in line, thai
any couple issuing from the Academy could procure
carriage without delay. Nevertheless, ''Maria,"
she wanted TO have her coach, could leave In
Irving place, above Fifteenth street, ana by applying
o The officers could have II called at the close
OF the pail from It's waiting place II maria" had 70
pay So she certainly swndled unless four persons
occupied the COACH The raes ON these Zine balls"
were these:-$2 Tor one or Two passengers 70 any
each additional passenger
REDUCE THE RATES
Mr. Kelly gave " as his OPINION that the present
liked ny tho last ordinance altogether toe
high That ordinance was vetoed by Mayor W ickhain,
but The Aldermen passed his Its greatest
fault that provided the horse
cabs Tor TWO horse coaches The tariH pro-
posed by Mr. Kelly is:-For ono horse CABS, nfty
cents tor nrss mile twcnty -ve cents every I'd.
tonal mile Tor one or more passengers tor two horse
coaches 81 tor the nrst mile ana twenty-five cents
every additional mile Tor one or more passengers The
hackmen would probably ut first OBJECT TINS tari
being too low. put alter short time they would ind u
promoted their own interests Even the legal
often dIsrcgardcd IN the sharp competition and
the anxiety TO "make livIng," and hackmen wien
barganed with by their patrons often took less than
they were strictly allowed by law Tines terri
bly, hard with all Of Them Tor people could not ndord e
TAXI ram NUMBER or rHR cABl
In the interest OF Tue readers Of the HERALD and the
pubic at large II may be stated here tuat every
licensed cab provided with legal safeguards
inenued to protect the stranger against imposition.
ger will IND the number Of the coacn the card Of the
driver ana tho printed rates OF legal fare. Now the
| first thing every who Is not thoroughly iamiaI
with legal rates should DO look number
Of the vohIce which is fastened in large conspicuous
figures Al the back OF his head II tho driver demands
extorionae iare let the passenger simply inform
HIM that he VIII complain a. tue Marsnul's office,
where tho driver. Y he persists IN his imposi.
iare. The driver Will teen prefer to take his legal fare
and be SATISFIED with II. The Marshal does not only
enforce the Icttor Of the ordinance, but that
spirit OF fairness and openhan ocang observed
by the hacxmen. Take, Tor instance, this case In
which the technically the right, but
yet compelled 10 dIsgorge hail the OF his iars
Tor unjust and dlsinscnuous conduct
uNDERnAxDED CABMAN PUNISHED
A poor lady the other day named q cabman az tho
Chambers street Jerry, and, telling him that she could
afford 10 pay but hitIe asked how much he would
charge her drive to her home East Eighteenth
street. He told her In very reassuriDg tono that
would her much and when sho arrived At nsr
home he demanded - The poor lady said shc hud
thought no would take her home Tor 81, but she paid
the amount Tho driver, bong cross-examned BY the
Marshal substantially admitted that the reason why
lie ana not tell her that would cost hcr So was that
he believed she would not then have engaged him. but
| got into q Upon this showing the Marshal COM
pcllcd him 10 pay tho dinercnce-$l although 81 was
only The amount Of the legal tare for the distance
Tho M,rshal also rebuKed him for this deceisfu and
improper mode OF doing business, declaring IL to be
the duty Of every hackman 10 plainly state his charge
when asked do II may be added IL Is al
ways best ITO make bargain avoid dispute
OUR cADMES's DoDGEA
An amusing chapter might easily be written on
| all the INGENIOUS lodges and sharp devices By
which our Jehus succeed IN trapping the unwary.
VINO does not know the story of the stranger who
rived NJ tne Grand Central Depot, and, desiring 60
70 the Grand Union Hotel (Which Is on The opposits
side of the street) was driven up Madison avenue 10
Tooth street, then back down Fifth to
dozen OF the spot lie had started romf Or the
s more laughaDle experience vi two young men bent
a nights spree who nad arrived at certain house,
and, seeing CAD, desired to go To the very place
front OF which they stood, and were driven all over
town until they finally alightcd, when one OF them
declared hc believed this was the very place they
started FROM aud Uoth were icklcd by the drvcr'i
| clever dodge that they hughingy paid him the
So demanded by HIM ana treated him TO u drink
Such are rare but they are nevertheless 10 bt
guarded against, arc the more ordinary and com.
known TO HERALD readers Much trouble arises from
people engaging carriages al the ierrIes upon the
lcilation o unlicensed runners or sbuckes" rs they
called In the professional lingo. These may be
easily recognized by the absence OF the license badge
from their coats, and people who desire 10 avoid di-
cultes should rcso utcy set their faces against their
persistent solicitations. complaints need not
sariiy be made personally 10 Marshal keily. Even
postal card giving the number OF the cupoblc
gressor viii receive attention, although tho presence
OF the ompsiuart is, OF course, preferable Nobody"
saysthc Marshal nced be swinded who will only take
the slight trouDie OF making a complaint"
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