New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-21

s,p>, sum which London Is willing to pay for
~,a,nc In cabs. If there too many drivers
,o share OF each will be reduced. If the excess
lumber is very great the share of each may be
roduced below the minimum which driver
,on subsst or below the living wage, in the
lang Of the cOllectvist who has never defined
n,s phrase: which indeed the eminent Mr.. John
rrrns not long since described as incapable OF
,e6nitlon What he really means by it is a re-
s,.tributon Of the profit fund between employer
,d employed so as to give the employed a
larger share and the employer. Of course. less.
7 Imagine this is the cause OF the discomfort
,oong the cab-drivers. so far as II is genuine and
reasonable. There $1,000 Of them. London
an probably pay fair wages to about $1,000 II
10 the competition Of the extra 5000, who are not
onted which makes all the trouble, or most
=, Il The effect clearly while the
,-,ke lasted The 5000 5000 cabs actually in
go earned large sums. Some drivers admit that
hoy gained from so 10 $50 a day. They were
=, constant employment. They often charged eX-
"rbitant fares For a drive of less than a mile
q; has been pad-almost as extortionate as New
vork itself OF course this could not last. Most
=, the cabs piled for hire with the Union label;
hoy were licensed by the cab-drivers' Union.
rno, belonged to drivers who own their cabs,
=. - small proprietors who had surrendered.
The larger proprietors have an association Of
.he,r own and have chung together fairly well.
,u, shown little energy and less generalship.
They succeeded In sending out a few cabs but
,r a few The drivers would not. or dare
mt drive The yards We're picketed. driver,
yhe got on the perch Of non-rnion cab. had TO
,un the gantlet Of jeers and threats from the
r,cketers. who coaxed and chaffed and threatened
alternately. and occasionally. by way of extra
moral influences. pulled a driver off his box or
embarrassed his horse or upset the cab. If the
owners had been equal to the situation. they
would have met picketng by picketng. force by
force and either cleared the yard entrances
brought on a conflict. which would have COM
neled the police to interfere. Even Mr.. Asquith
could not have sat quietly in his office while
trial Of physical strength going on in the
streets Of London. Order must be kept. 1t
would not have been possible TO let two
sets Of men, the law-abidng and the law
resisting classes. fight it out the police
Iooking on But the owners had not the
wit or the courage to bring matters this issue.
The public meantime, | said, sided neither
with one nor the other, decsivey. The weaker
brethren. and some Of the sisters. with Lady
Henry Somerset at their head, gave money and
collected money for the strikers; sometimes in the
yelled YET transparent guise of help for the wives
and children OF the cabmen. To give to the wife
was Of course. 10 side with the husband. AS the
prospects Of the men grew dark. the SOcialistc
organs turned on the sentiment stop. from which
their fingers are never far. and said: The
tiers are trying to starve out the men" OF
course they were. And the men were trying to
starve out the masters That is what a strike is
for But the masters did not begin. The men
began
doubt whether, in the long run, the men
will profit by their strike. even though they
have carried or partly carried. their point and
forced the owners to let their cabs at less than
what they think fair price The public will
have the last word Heretofore they have been
liberal and extra siXpences over and above the
legal fare have been plentiful. Sir" said
cabman 10 me once. in gratitude for a surplus
shilling a long drive. we live on the gener-
osy Of the public" He put il strongly. But
spprehend the spring will dry up The drivers
have excused themselves for appealing 10 the
generosity Of the public and for extorting
blackmail from the weak and ignorant and
especially from women. on the ground that they
had 10 pay too much 10 the owner for the daily
hire Of the cab. AS they have brought the
owner 10 lower terms their excuse is at end.
and perhaps the impulse of generosity will be al
an end too The pressure and annoyance Of the
strike lasted long The LondOner who knows his
rights and knowing dare maintain. will be
likely enough 10 turn round upon the driver with
the remark: That is your strict legal fare" The
remark is heard now often. when the driver Of
"fair-prioed" cab asks for bakshish. And the
men will lose more in tips than they gain in
lesser rates Of hire q. w. 5.