New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-09
CAB RELIEF In SIGHT.
LIKELY TO BE
PASSED SOON.
MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION JOINS THE
FIGHT SUGGESTIONS FROM
HACKMEN'S LEAGUE.


adhered to win be presented 10 and signed
by Mayor Low.
Alderman Herbert Parsons said yesterday
that such a resolution would be introduced In
the Board of Aldermen within short time. He
would either introduce the resolution himself
or it would be presented by of his colleagues
1t is settled that such measure is to be drawn
up along the lines suggested by The Tribune
Once presented in the Board of Aldermen there
is no doubt that il will pass and receive the ap
provaI of Mayor Low
In The Tribune yesterday were printed reso-
lutons passed by the West Ed Association.
which resolutions pledged the support Of that
organization to The Tribune and the City Inn
provement Society in their efforts to obtain bet
ter cab regulations
MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION JOINS.
Following hard this aggressive support
comes the Merchants Association. which has
again stamped it's emphatic approval of the cru
SADIE by filing with George W. Brown. chief OF
the Bureau Of Licenses. in the City Hall. three
more protests and complaints against cab driv-
ers The letter is signed by frederick b De
Berard for the Merchants Association. and
reads as follows:
Dear Sir: We hereby make complaint against
the drivers of cabs Nos. 614. LBS and 1I6 for
charging illegal rates of fare. We inCiose here
with specifications. and shall cause the conn
planants to attend hearings at your office at
such time you may name. II necessary We
request that the licenses for these cabs may
be revoked. in harmony with the ordinances.
In accordance with our previous conversa-
tiOns with you since December last we shall
within few days submit suggestions looking
toward effective revision of the present ordi-
nanCeS governing public vehicles, especially those
relating to hacks. Our investigation shows that
there is effective inspection at the present
time and. therefore, that the existing ordinances
are in effect unenforceab1e. primarily because
the great mass of detail relating to the subject
is imposed by statute personally upon the
Mayor; It is physical impossibility for that
official to take proper cosnizance of it. We
shall suggest. therefore. enlargement Of the
discretionary powers of the chief of the Bureau
of Licenses as a prime essential of the desired
reform. Our suggestions will likewise cover
many details to the form and scope Of the
provisions for inspection and regulation.
JOHN C. EAMEs's SUPPORT
John c. Eames second vice-president OF the
Merchants Association, yesterday registered his
approval of immediate reform in the city's cab
service. His argument follows;
The people of Naw-York are at last awaken
ing the fact that the system of evercharging
practised by the public cabmen Of New-Tork
City is doing large amount of injury TO the
business interests of the city. Merchants from
the country who come TO New-TOrk to buy
goods are unfamiliar with the streets of the
city. In order to- insure certainty and speed.
/ they are accustomed to taking a cab, which will
deliver rLern directly at the address which they
/ desire to reach. In other large cities which
they have visited they have found the cab ser
vice good and The rates reasonable but in New
L
r&geousiy high The rates nave a tehGency 20
disgust the merchant with the whole city. and
TO drive away the cut Of town trade.
The Merchants Association is conducting an
active campaign in this matter, and viii well
come the receipt of protests and complaints
from any cittZsns who have been 0Vercharsed IN
using the public cab service They will see
when an overcharge has been made that the
excess is returned.
The complaints should give the following in
formation: The date. the number of the CAB.
whether a two or four seated conveyance the
L ,,ioC y1ir wa IA <p1 n
; tor. whether any stops were made. and If so
how many and for how long. how much fare was
demanded and how much was actually paid
These complaints should be made in writing and
signed by the person who was overcharged,
/ with his address.
John Flynn, of the Hackmen's Protective
League. which organization is allied with the
American Federation cf Labor called at the Of
flee of The Tribune yesterday. ard talked In an
interesting manner on cabs and cabmen- He
spoke freely, and gave a nurnber of practical
hints on how the relations between the cabmeu
and the public could be made more happy.
A MONOPOLY AT THE PIERS.
Many of the complaints OF overcharge OF
W hich one hears" he said. come from travellers
who reach this city by steamer. When the vis-
itors leave their vessel they see line Of watt
ing cabs on the street end of the pier. and with
out asking any question. step into carriage
and are driven to their hotels stopping places.
cab service at these. piers is controlled by two
companies which have monopoly on the privi-
Iege of carrying passengers. The fndependenr
Cabmen who hover about the street some dis
tance from the end of the pier are forced to
content themselves with what little trade they
can pick up from stragglers who wander
through the line of privileged cabs. This monop-
oily means high prices The drivers pay the
company a certain amount each day. and at the
same time manage to turn half dollar or so
to their own account.
"StabIekeepers are also in the cab business for
what they can get out of it, These men have
one thousand cabs on the street The surpris-
ing thing about it is that these cabs are there
Illegally. They are unknown TO the Bureau of
Licenses.
The person who rides in New-York cab
should treat the driver much he would treat a
streetcar conductor. He should Jump into a
cab. give the address to which he wishes to be
driven. and on his arrival, pay the regular
fare When one gets into streetcar he never
asks the conductor what the fare is. That is
settled by custom. and it should be the same
way with the cab service. There should be no
necessity for the making of a dicker; the
cabman should be given to understand that
there is one fare. and only one. for a given
distance or a given length of time.
THE 'cabbies' hurt their own business by
charging the prohibitive rates which many Of
them ask for Take day like this. for instance:
many a man would willingly pay 30 cents 70 be
driven to his home. and escape a ducking- But
the cabnan's reputation for taking advantages
of a prospective customers predicament under
such circumstances frtghtens away the would
he passenger Common sense tells the latter to
run the risk of being rained a little il he
can pay five cents BY riding in car. instead OF