Morning journal and courier., 1882-04-06
COMMUNICATIONS.

To the Editor of the JOURNAL COURIER:
A few days ago l engaged a haekman in
front of the New Haven House to call at my
residence and take passenger to the boat.
1t seems that the man already had another
fur L. l-----:a- -LA--
What he did was to call at my house about
half an hour before the boat started and in
quire of the lady in whose behalf had en-
gagged his carriage whether she had any OBJ
jections to his taking in another fare. Fearing
that if she made any objection the fellow
might drive off and leave her, and having no
means of knowing whether 1 was privy to the
arrangement or not, she consented to the i'm
position. l met her at the boat and was
there informed by the driver that his ''boss''
had ordered him to take the second fare, and
that he was accordingly obliged to double
up" I was naturally indignant at my guest
having been subjected to such inconvenience
and told the driver that as 1 had had the use
of half his carriage should pay him but half
his fare, viz, "a quarter of dollar. This offer
he rejected, and used the customary language
for such cases made and provided. He re-
GREETED that l should make so many words
over such a small affair would rather make
me present of the fifty cents, etc, etc. A
policeman whom he summoned said that the
driver was right, and that he was entitled to
fill the four seats in his carriage with four
different fares if he chose. agreed to leave
the matter with the mans employer. On
calling at the latter's Office L was told by the
young person in possession that the driver
was perfectly right. hack, he said, was
public carriage and the hackman had entire
liberty.to fill up his seats with any passen-
gers whom he could pick up. Accordingly,
1 take it, if l getin hack at the New Ha-
ven House and order the driver to carry me
to the depot, and on the way down Chapel
l. L l. A.
may compel me to- admit them. Or if he
engages to call at my house and take a pas
senger to the depot, he may afterward drive
to three other houses and take in three other
parties, whether his first passenger protests
or not.
This view of the case was a novel one to
me but having agreed to abide by the de-
cision of the ''boss," paid my fifty cents
and withdrew. Now 1 wish to say, publicly
and for tie benefit of the public, that this
view of the contract between a hack driver
and his patrons may be law-though even
that 1 doubtful it most certainly is not
custom 1t is perfectly well understood that
when one engages a hackman to call at his
residence and take him anywhere, the car
riage is to be solely at his disposal for the
| time being. The party hiring the hack SC
| understands it, and the driver so under
stands it. The latter knows perfectly
well that such is the expectation of the per
son engaging him and that on no other CON
dition would he be engaged. But If livery
men wish to have their public carriages re.
| garded as a kind OF four-seated omnibus, in
to which the driver may put as many differ
| ent passengers as he can carry, by all means
| let the public understand it so. Let US un
derstand that they are prepared to uphold
and encourage their drivers in the practice OF
doubling up, +" and we shall perhaps know
then how to protect ourselves.
! A VICTIM