The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-19
CAR FARE INDICATOR.
Taxameter VIII Stop Oyerchnrsiny and
Give Owners Their Due.

When the fare indicators, such az now
are attached to the cabs at the Hotel In
perial stand, come into general use In the
city, the police sergeants and other offioia In
who are called upon to act as arbitrators
between disputing passengers and militant
haoIlmen will rise up and breathe sigh Of
relief The ordinary citizen who steps into
a cab with fear and trembling and during
the trip CANDLES with himself as TO what
the charge will be must pefforce be robbed
OF this form Of diversion, az he can see
exactly at every stage what he owes. The
cab owner who sends out his cab can tell
at night how far his horse has travelled.
how many trips il has taken and just that
money the driver has earned. 1t is all
simple. and oddly enough 1t is new nowhere
except in this country. For fifteen years
similar machines have been in use in Con-
tinental Europe, and many foreign countries
- especially Germany - make their use
mandatory.
The law Of This city allows a oabman TO
charge 80 cents mile on distance trip
and 81 an hour waiting time. This Is the
law but cabbies are lawless and it IA prac-
tically impossible 10 get one TO go any dis-
lance for less than 81, and after the dollar 1t
ie q fine speculation TO know Just what he
will insist on getting, even 10 the length OF
driving to police station.
This fare Indicator records an initial and
minimum fare OF 80 cents. and works on a
ten-cent fractional busis The mile is
split into dfths. and the hour into ak minute
intervals When a passenge. employs the
cab. the driver sets the machine and 80
oerts automatically appears on the dial
The machine is wheel cont rolled. A pneu-
matte pump On the wheel works through to
a gear wheel inside the machine When
thl1-e-ffths of "a mile ia traversed the
machine will Jump to 40 cents, and as each
additional tith Of mile Is travelled the
machine will continue to add io-cent in
oreases 10 the fare. When the cab Is or
dered 10 wait. a clock work arrangement
starts and adds 10 osnts every six MN
utes-conformiug 10 the legal rate OF 81
an hour. Thus whether going or stand
ing still. as long as the cab is engaged the
fare ia automatically indicated. The total
amount collected and the number OF pas
sengers carried are also indicated for the
information of the cab owner
The -takameter, as the German style
OF machine is called. was first introduced
in Hamburg in 1921. In that year the
police records showed n few less than 8 600
In 1898, five yea n later, the total number OF
complaints was seventeen and they we're not
disputes over fare. Thus wrangline has
entirely been eliminated in that city. The
German Government some years ago made
1t mandatory upon cab owners TO eotiip
their vehicles with the machines Last
August the Paris oabmen began 10 attach
taxameters, and they have been exoep-
tionally successful.
The idea OF the machine attachment is
.-,s,- t. l..
and graduated fare for distance travelled
that will always conform with the legal
rate and be an absolute guarantee to the
passenger. II il believed by those who own
the machines that. once the cabling public
know that an honest fare will be Indicated
and a small charge will be made for short
trips, many who now shun cabs will use
them The Imperial stand is a starter
and II the public approves Of the plan the
company will rapidly extend its area OF
oDern ion.