The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-17
REMARKABLE CABBlES.
Those in the italian City Of Milan
Actually Do Not overcharge.

Consul / e, Dunning of Milan makes
the following report on the public CABS IN
that Italian city, which, owing to the sug-
gestion that some American cities ADOPT u
service similar to that so successfully estap-
lished In Europe, may be OF interest Inc
consul writes:
MILAN has a service of about 90 one
horse cabs. three-fourths being vlctorias.
while the rest are broughams; In winter the
former can also be turned into broughams.
All cabs have the taximeter system, py
which the charge is Id American Genus LOT
the first three-ffths of a mile, and cents
FOR every succeeding three-tenths OF a mile,
euual to from 10 to 20 cents per ordlnary
fare between two city points; Inc lhrses
part of the victorias have rupper prss a =
the broughams nave iron tires. Cap drivers
are paid in two ways, the concern Wnicn
owns the greatest number OF tne Hillan
cabs paving the men 20 per cent OF tne
cab earnings each day, whle tne otnea
companies pay a fixed salary OF 5S cents a
day' or about 81 a week, Plus tips, Whlen
bring the earnings up to 81 10 " a Week.
The cabmenis Morklhg Jay q IL hnIidav each
week. unpaid. The cabs run day ana hfSht'
always with the same charges. .hon
Fares are rather lower IN Milan una ~
elsewhere In Europe. Street-car rare rs
only 2 cents, except before $3.50 o'clock IN
the morning, when II Is ! cent. Inc az
sence of trolley transfers ana the low price
OF cab fares make the cab attractlxe WIZ" ne
more than three people are In a party. Inc
nrJd,nerv victoria cab carries four persons
comfortably. ,nolaI n
'sThe taXimeter is Of European make.te
10 afixed to the right side of the driver 5
sent In plain view of the passenger. VINO
can read at any time on the DIAL the
amount of fare due and the extra rare lor
heavy baggage. The mechanism Is WORKED
from fine wheels when the cab Is in motion
and nv clockwork in the taximeter, wnen
fine cab is still. The machine Is set by the
driver by means of a lever when, r ehlaad
carries a small red metal flag printed Win
the word I.ibero' Qree) for the informa-
ton of the public. n
| there are now about twenty-five run by a
private company. also have the .taximeter
system. The charge is IA American cents
for the first quarter mile and 2 cents Tor
each following one-eighth Of a mile for a
fare of not more than four persons, inc
company has In service two types OF cars
driven by benzine and by eieetrlcItyit 4 tnnSy
The benzine cars cost about $500 each and
the ~electrics 5000. The outer coverings
Of the tires cost $40 and the inner tubes 80
each. which means for each car SlzO ia
tires alone. The outer coverings OF the
tires have to be changed after every SN
miles, so that each one costs about ~ cents
per mile. The cars themselves are eX-
pected to last ten years. These cars carry
a supply of about 80 quarts of benzine and
consume about / 2-3 quarts per mile, giving
the car a radius Of 80 miles without relil-
lAlH IhlNN tfef'N - 1000
| per quart.
"The electric cars are fitted with aecu-
mulators of German make. which so Tar
have been found satisfactory. The accumu-
lators run the car for thirty to forty miles
without r~echarglng, Fares are higher than
in the horse cabs, from 80 cents for an or
binary trip between two single points with
out a stop, to 81 for a drive of an hour.
The chauffeurs get the same pay as cab
drivers, although their working day. Is
only ten hours. Uniforms are supplied
them free. They are Obliged to go over
the car every morning and clean and thor
oughly examine 1t. The service Is emil
nently satisfactory to the public, and the
cars are in great demand at all hours;
"All cabs In Milan are under municipal
control, and there are heavy penalties Tor
overcharging or refusing fares. Even be-
fore the arrival of the taximetres over
changes We're practically unknown in MI
Ian. a system of carriage men is main
tained in the chain of city squares upon
which Milan is laid out, and they keep a
nearly equal supply OF cabs at all the
stands or move them from one part of the
city to another when occasion requires.
"a certain proportion of the drivers work
all day and all night, thus earning. a
slightly larger salary and considerably
more IN tips. These men live in their cabs,
eating and sleeping there in. winter as
well as in summer. They belong to the
comparatively limited class Of cabmen who
operate more or less independently