Evening star., 1898-12-31
Comparison of Old Laws With Pres
ent Day Regulations.
THE HACK LINES And RATES OF FARE
Rules Under Which the Cabbies
Earned Their Living.
THE FREIGHT VEHICLES

No better evidence of the progress of i'm
provements in Washington can be found
than in a comparison of the current
municipal regulations with the old Ordi
nances II is not without interest that
those who now speed along in cars minus
horses may read or hear from some old
relic OF the ulden time Of the rules govern
ing ptbIic travel in those days, and it may
well be imagined that for the period of the
IUmbering hack Ger country roads, and
mean ones at that, how crude the early
hackney laws were. And it may be readily
conjectured from the absence of reference
to streets or avenues in some of the acts,
that in the early days but little heed was
given 10 such by the ancient cabbies If
they could find or make a cross lot cut
with their fare
An act to license hackney coaches was
approved October 2S. 1892, and to tax pri-
yat- vehicles In Nav 1Sl3. This subject
was frequently before the councils, in the
first quarter of the century. no less than
fifteen acts having been passed. For pri-
vate carriages the tax ranged from So
down TO s. per year, and the rule, keep
to the right was crystallized into the law
Of the corporation. For evidence that the
colOTed race was regarded as "Chattels" il
IS only necessary to refer to the act of
July - 1917, by which the enumeration OF
carriages and slaves for assessment was
provided for in the same paragraph, and
the act Of 1S21. which required of all free
negroes a license or permit of the mayor
and "A bond for good behavior to be given
annually before they were allowed to live
In the corporation limits.
Ancient Provisions of Law.
The ancient hackney laws contained much
that Was absolute and have been lasting
In some provisions, not little Of the pres
ent regulation being nearly century Old.
The rates oE fare of the century's first
quarter would make a curious placard in
these days, that prescribed by the act of
1876 reading as follows: From daybreak to
O'Clock p-m.-Fr0m Capitol Square to the
Eastern branch b.idge, 81 cents; to the
navy yard, - cents; to the south end of
South Capitol street, - cents; to Green
leafs Point. - cents; to the President s
Square. - cents. For any distance be-
cents, and more than One-half to be reck-
oned as the entire distance. From Green
leaf Point to the navy yard. % cents:
from the navy yard to the Eastern branch
bridge - cents: from the President S
Square to Greenleaf's Point, % cents; to
the Hamburger wharf (near the old OBJ
servatOry), % cents. and to the western
limits of the city, p cents; for any dis
eance between Greenleafs Point and the
navy yard between any of the two
places named, not over half, l2Iz cents.
For detention over five minutes. 12lz cents
was allowed for each fifteen minutes, and
for places not specified the rate of fare was
t21z cents per mile. After oclock pm. 80
per cent additional to the above charges
was authorized.
A penalty Of s. was imposed for over
charging, and when two persons in hack
agreed TO pay for three, the hackman was
prohibited from taking up another without
permission Licenses to run from the first