The times., 1899-06-21
HOfEL KEEPERS and
HACKNEN DISAGREE
Four Proprietors Complain to
the Commissioners.
Do Not Want Public Cabs to Stand
Before Their Doors.
Carriage Owners VIII Have Equal
Rights in the City Streets-Boni-
faces Denounce "CrabbinG.n

AS result OF the action taken by the
District Commissioners last week, when
they issued an order abolishing hotel cab
stands, local jehus and bonifaces, are at
odds with each other.
During the past decade the latter have
been privileged to establish private hack
stands in front of hotels in all parts of the
city, where vehicles furnished through
contracts with livery stables were on hand
to convey hotel guests to and from the
railroad stations and various parts of the
city These special stands have been of
great value to the travelling public. as wei
as TO the various hotels. Establishments
unprovided with private hack and cab
stands, have been regarded as provincial,
in view of the fact that almost every large
hotel in other big cities has such an ad-
junct Consequently all the leading 10 al
hotel managers through various under
standings and oral agreements with sue
cessiye District Commissioners within the
past ten years arranged to keep from one
to three vehicles standing in front OF their
buildings.
After the organization of the Hackmen' 5
Protective Association. its members took
the initiative in trying to secure an equal
right to stand cabs in front of hotels with
other privileged teams. Through their at
torney the matter was brought to the at
tention of the District Commits onels. 1t
was maintained that the latter had no au-
thority to grant special privileges in per-
mitting public streets to be occupied by
vehicles, and that if the hotels were al
lowed to establish hack stands those stands
should also be used by public hackmen
The protest from the jehus led the Com
missioners to investigate the matter very
thoroughly and resulted in their reaching
a conclusion that they could not autho. ize
stands for special vehicles. Accordingly,
an order was issued a week ago yesterday
annullng all understandings, oral or writ
ten, under which hack stands had been To-
Gated in front of hotels for the special
accommodation of guests.
Ii was this order in addition to the I'M
tiatiye taken by the hackmen that aroused
the ire of the hotel men, and yesterday
delegation of leading managers and po-
prietors called upon District Commission
ers and discussed the question Several
days ago the hotel men were informed that
hack stands might be established provided
all public hacimen were permitted 10 use
them also. but they would agree TO no such
arrangement saying that they wanted
handsome neat loking vehicles in front o.
their establishments. Tor which they them
selves might be responsible, and noe
large number of rickety liners con-
troIled By drivers without any respoasihil-
ty TO the hotels.
Included in the delegation which called
on Commissioner Wight were T. E. Roes-
sic. of the Arlington Hotel; Col Orren q.
Staples. of the Riggs House and National
and Willard,s Hotels; He. Bureh, of the
Ebbitt House and Mr.. Smallwood, rep
resenting the Shoreham Hotel. They were
accompanied by Attorney H. F. Woodward,
who explained that the order recently is
sued by the Commissioners operated so
as TO greatly inconvenience the travelling
public and resulted in a very perceptible
loss to hotels Commissioner Wight said
in reply that the Commissioners fully ap-
preciated that some Inconvenience would
be caused by their action but it was their
duty to obey the law and being without
authority to permit private hackstands in
front Of hotels they thought it best to
revoke all agreements TO that effect.
The delegation informed the Commis-
sioners that during the past week the
hackmen have become particularly OBJ
noxious to them by indulging in crab
bing," or marching up and down in the
street in front of hotels. for the purposes
of soliciting trade. All solicitation on
the part of hackmen is in violation of the
law and the Chief OF Police was requested
yesterday afternoon to direct his men to
use every effort to break up the practice
of Grabbing.
During the conference the delegation
desired to know whether the Commission
ers would permit hotels to stand hacks in
front of their doors il they purchased
their own hacks. II was pointed out that
parcel delivery and other wagons stand
in frcnt of various establishments, such
as department stores, throughout the day,
and it was maintained that hotels ought to
have the same right. No definite reply
was given TO this query by Commissioner
Wight, who informed the callers that any
statement or request regarding this
phase of the matter which they might put
in writing would be cheerfully received
and placed before the entire Board of
Commissioners and their Attorney for
consideration. The delegation signified an
intention to comply with this request, and
the Commissioners will do nothing further
until a formal application for permission
TO stand cabs owned by themselves is re-
ceived from the hotel managers.