The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-22
PROBLEMS FOR AUTO OWNERS.
CHAUFFEURS SCARCE AND Willy
THE "HEATHEN CHINEE"
Fine Machines Owned by Prominent Men
Iced on The Quiet ~ Hacks for Gay
Theatre Professionalism Also
Enrich the Autocrattc Employee.


Hacking it, Ia an expression that has
come to have a peculiar meaning among
the men hired TO operate private auto
mobiles. Ask any Of the chauneurs at any
Of the big storage stations In town what
II means and he will grin. Ask II he does
n and he will utter vehement denials.
Yet hacking IL" 10 a practice that ex-
plains some Of the peculiar night scenes
Of the Tenderoloin in New York. A. auto
MODELLING Is still rather an expressive in
diligence. It Is puzzling sometimes TO un-
derstand the sight Of a party OF hashily
dressed women and hilarious youths In
n big, high-powered French touring car
There is an incongruity between the style OF
the machine and its occupants that at once
suggests that the owner Of the car Is not
one of the party. The fact that the few
places where cars are rented charge fancy
prices adds to the wonderment Of the OBJ
server. II he was told that the operator
at the steering wheel was the employee Of
certain very prominent and wealthy
man and that the automobile belonged to
that man, but was being used By the
chauffeur, unknown to tho ewibr. for the
sake Of picking UP q few extra dollars.
the matter would be plain. Under such
circumstances imported French touring
cars can be hired about a. cheaply a. q
one horse coach and II Is quite often pos
sibe to find such circumstances II you seek
them The owners Of the big cars such as
cost thousands and cannot be hired for
any length Of time except for hundreds
Of dollars are quite frequently out Of town
for two or three days, or longer, and this
makes the chauneur's opportunity. II he
Stands in with the Waterman Of the stor-
age station no note is made Of the coming
and going Of the car at night and he can
take out his friends and acquaihtances in
the car OF well-known millionaire and
pick up many an odd -fiver" or .tenner."
Those who know certain well-known cars
at night have seen some strange groups
in the tonneaus Of noted machines.
This practice Of hacking it In about
the worst Of several evils that have become
known as tricks Of the chaufeur's trade.
and both the Automobile Club Of America
and the National Association Of Auto
mobile Manufacturers have recently come
TO the conclusion that how to deal with
the chauffeur is one of the important prob
lens Of the day. Both organizations have
set committees at work TO investigate the
situation and report plans for amelioration
Schools for chauffeurs and licenses for
garages are being considered.
The idea Of licensing the storage stations
Is TO stop another custom that IL considered
an abuse. This is the practice Of paying
commissions to ohaufeurs. Since the i'm
potration Of a number Of French chaufeurs
the home product in this line has begun
to got wise to opportunities for
monsy making 10 the way Of getting fesa
and commissions and the practice has
mobile field as it is in tbs world Of horne
men. For half a century II has been the
custom to see the coachman whenever
any carriage. or harness, or feed or even
axle grease IL bought and not even the
the coachman the horses viii b shod elss-
where.
In CONSEQUENCE OF tho growth OF the
practice Of paying commissions TO chauffeur
eome storage stations In the city are always
filed. while othen ere nearly empty. The
commissions to them Sunday. SCHOOL,
The growth Of the practics y due 70 the
power the chauffeur have. Most OF them
have the full say on the subject OF storing
a car and caring for II. Tho owners DO
not want to be bothered by detsils. IL
chauffeur IL supposed 70 attend 70 II and
have the bill sent to his boss. Thus the
men are able to demand . commission all
around. II they do not get a percentage
on the storage bill. they take their en-
ployer's car or cars away. II they do not
get a commission on repair work and sup
plies. they go elsewhere for them. While
not all the men have the power arbitrarily
10 change the storing place OF . car, they
all have power 10 infuenoe their employers
a - Il
mobile il vehicle that readily lends itself
20 the designs Of . scheming chauffeur.
II he wants to queer q oerlain place. the
car is found TO be poorly cleaned, Il sets out
Of order often and the repairing work does
not give satisfaction. The chauffeur " an
90 much IL left TO him BY his employer
il Ii even said that some automobile owners
countenance the commission prActioe. They
want their men oontented and yield 10 them
when they propose a change.
The competition among the garages 20
&c, the car ~ weil-known Automobiles
has helped 10 incress. this custom. II 10
worth paying something, they think, to
have the cars Of notsbies In thsir placp and
the chauncurs Of such men are always b~ins
Argent inciden, illustrates ,hh whls
" II, Vanderbilt. JT was in California.
he chauffeur removed hs cars fron .
Ilaee on the east aide ~ town 20 one on
The west sids, When Mr. Vanderbilt re-
turned he ordered his cars back 20 the
old plao- The manager ~ the plao. 10
which they had heen taken during his
slssenoe remarked, howevef I'm hsy.
them hack again -. n ! don't
A chauffeur 10 conversation With . 20.
porter ~ Tar huk. sald We AZ. nos
foi,l,.fs, snd ~. acai f0ld w en- storage
,a~n. e. they s-y' Dsvns, iks ssl.ss pisss
90 u. ,s.s , ~ IL his E s,r H., 90, s.y
~ t-rT o.ni Well. pisi 10 iks dihsf-ilnsf
Tho bsss Isays The sam I,fnr 80 RsntI
si,lasi ssy and ~ sould have b. l.y the
rans Isflsss a. ois - tis sunday s.i.aals
sirfs tho seI-f.stsfa.sa y teo Sasdt.
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