The times., 1899-06-28


District Commissioners to grant the Penn
sylvania Railroad cab service special privi-
leges in the establishment of hack stand
in front of the Sixth Street depot has
drawn the American Federation OF Labor
into the dispute and divided the Board of
Commissioners, and it is very probable that
there will be no adjustment of the diff
Guilty until Congress convenes.
During the last session of Congress the
District Commissioners were authorized to
permit the establishment of stands for
hacks by any railroad in the District of
Columbia. Last winter regulation was
promulgated by the Commissioners setting
aside a certain portion of the space IN
front of the Sixth Street station for the
exclusive use of the Baltimore and Po-
tomac cab service. This Immediately
aroused the local hackmen who alleged that
they were being Disseminated against.
This resulted in the formation of The
Hackmens and Cabmen's Protective Asso-
citation, which has about three hundred
members. number of test cases were
taken into the Police Court to determine
whether public haclSmen could be crosse
cuted for entering upon the space specially
allotted for the use of the railroad COM
pany's cabs. The cases were decided
against the hackrnen and were taken 10
the Court of Appeals which held that the
District Commissioners were without au-
thority to show preference to the railroad
company and absolutely prohibit puoiic
hackmen from occupying the stand
Following the announcement of this de-
cision the Commissioners on May 13 last
promulgated a new series of hack rules
and regulations, in which they set apart
16O feet on the Street front of the sta
ton for the use of the railroad and publlc
hacks. One hundred feet of the space di-
rectly in front of the main entrance was
given to the railroad company and the re-
naming sixty feet to the public drivers:
This was unsatisfactory to the latter anu
they protested again that they were stili
being Disseminated against. notwithstand-
ing the ruling of the District Court OF Ap-
peals Commissioner Ross was absent from
the city last winter when the matter was
sent to the Court of Appeals and he mad
nothing to do with the PRONUNCIATION OF
the regulations AS soon as he learned that
an arrangement had been made whereby
the railroad cab service was being favored
he forwarded a statement to the other Two
Commissioners informing them that ne
was opposed to the arrangement for the
reason that he believed that the Commits
sioners lacked authority to adopt the resu-
lations which they had promulgated. Com
missioners Wight and Beach looked at the
matter differently, and being in the ma
iority their votes overruled the contention
Of Commissioner Ross.
Organized Labor Protests.
In the mean time the hackmen had in
terested the American Federation OF Labor
in the matter and H. W. Szegedy, the
President OF the Central Labor Union,
wrote a lengthy letter to the Commiss on
ers. protesting against the nefarious dis
| elimination" against the public hackmen.
request was made for equal rights
Commissioners Wight and Beach, in act
( ing upon the protest, agreed to inform
the labor union that the Commissioners
are doing, and intend, in the matter of
hack regulations, to do what, in their
! opinion. is legal and right to all parties
| concerned, and that the present regula-
| tion is framed in accordance with the opin-
| ion and suggestions made by the court in
| its recent decision upon the case
Two Of the Commissioners favored this
reply and il has been mailed to the sec
| retary of the labor union, but Commission
/ er Ross refused to agree to such action,
and attached minority report to the pa
pers, in which he maintains that the prin-
| ciple embodied in section 13 of the hack
regulations which authorizes the railroad
company TO have an exclusive stand, is
| wholly unauthorized by the joint resolu-
ton of Congress of June T. 1898, and that
the section is wholly at variance with the
views expressed by the District Court of
Appeals in the case of Frank Curry, who
| figured in the test case in the Police Court.
COMMISSIONER Ross Demurs.
Commissioners Wight and Beach being
in the majority, their reply was sent to
the labor union, but Commissioner Ross
has placed himself on record as being Wig
orously opposed to the granting of any
privileges TO the railroad company which
are not granted to the public hackmen,
basing his argument upon the Legislation
by Congress and the decision of the Dis
trict Court OF Appeals.
Commissioner Ross, in a signed state
ment which he presented to the other two
Commissioners, says that House Bill 1887
which aimed to give the Baltimore g. Po-
tomac Railroad Company exclusive right
TO stand cabs and carriages in front oi
the Sixth Street depot, was defeated after
a Congressional debate in which the OPP
position took strong grounds against an!
exclusive right vesting in the railroad com
pany. Commissioner Ross called atten-
ton to the fact that the joint resolution
which was finally passed provided that an!
railroad in the District might be permit
ted by the Commissioners to establish
hack stan2 and also TO the decision of tht
Court of Appeals. which held that the regU
lation made by the Commissioners give!
undue preference to the railroad compan!
and absolutely prohibits all other persons
from engaging in a lawful and unobjec
tionable business at the place designated
Il have always taken the ground" SAT-
Commissioner Ross, that no matter hoy
much convenience might attend the in
) stitution of such a hack stand with exclu
} sive rights within a certain territory t
: be named that the act of Congress di
! not confer any such power upon the Com
} missioners; and / attach to this opinion
? one prepared by me on January 3, 1888
2 containing excerpts from the debates Il
both houses of Congress, which imply tha
no such power was claimed TO be conferre
e by the act which passed, even by tn
2 avowed friends of the Pennsylvania Rail
road Company.
u know of no plan" added Commits
sioner Ross, "by which the cabs of III
] railroad company can be accommodate
in accordance with the law under the opin
ion of the Court of Appeals, except b
alternating them with the cabs of privat
: owners and by giving TO each equal privi
c leges upon the public space; and l there
9 fore do not see how this police regulatiO
g can be amended so as to effect the pur
; pose had in view by the railroad company.
Il Keep Well This Hot Weather
y by eating wholesome food. Havenner
:, Domestic Bread is a perfect food. Con
| toipc oil ba nil Of