Evening star., 1909-04-16
WATCH ON TAX|CABS
Law to Be Enforced Against
Inaccurate Registers.
RATES TO BE FIXED LATER
Scale of Charges to Be Announced
by Commissioners.
POLICE POWER IN THE CASE
Have No Control Over Unlicensed
Vehicles or Their Taximeters,
Maj. Sylvester Says.

As a preliminary to the promulgation
Of definite taXicab rates for the District.
Commissioner West gave Instructions
this morning for the enforcement OF the
police regulation prohibiting the use OF
any inaccurate taximeter. 1t is realized
by the District officials that inaccurate
taximeters could practically nullify the
action Of the Commissioners in fixing
definite charges and providing for fines
for overcharging.
The regulation providing for inspection
of the taximeters was promulgated by
the Commissioners January 26, but Maj
Richard Sylvester, chief of the police de-
partment said yesterday that no steps
had been taken by his department to test
the taximeters in use in the city. Maj.
Sylvester declared that the courts have
decided that none of the taxicabs now in
operation in the District are public vehi-
cles and therefore do not need public
licenses to operate. Unless the vehi-
cles are licensed public vehicles. Mai
Sylvester said. the police department has
no jurisdiction over the vehicles or the
taximeters they use.
Likened to Grocers' Scales.
Commissioner West has given orders
that the taximeters be tested on an en-
trely different theory. He maintains that
II storekeeper cannot sell his goods on
an inaccurate scale. then a taxicab COM
pany cannot sell its transportation on an
inaccurate scale. The cases are exactly
similar. the Commissioner declares, and
he will see that the proper steps are
| taken to test the taximeters. on the
ground that they are measuring instru-
ments the same as scales
Tie regulation In relation to taximeters
provides that the use Of any inaccurate
taximeter or other measuring instrument
for the purpose Of gauging or indicating
distances travelled or for the purpose OF
fixing fares to be collected from the pub
lie is hereby prohibited, and 1t shall be
the duty Of the owner or lessee In pos
session. including any corporation or any
officer or agent thereof responsible there
for Of any vehicle mentioned In this ar
ticle using any taximeter or other meas
uring instrument to, at all times keep
said taximeter or other measuring instru-
ment accurate"
Must Be Guaranteed.
NO taximeter or other measuring in
| strument shall be used on any such vehi-
Gle mentioned in this article until the
same shall have been guaranteed and ap-
proved as to its accuracy by the manu-
facturer thereof, whose certificate Of such
accuracy shall be furnished to the police
department Of the District Of Columbia,
for the information Of the hack Inspector
Every such taximeter or other measuring
instrument in use or intended for use on
any vehicle mentioned in this article shall
be subject at all times to inspection by
said hack inspector or any member OF
the police department.
THE hack inspector is further author
ICED. upon the complaint of any person
or upon the discovery by any member Of
the police force that said faximeter or
other measuring instrument is inaccurate
to subject the same to such fair and reas-
enable test. upon such terms and condi-
tions will determine the accuracy of
said taximeter' other measuring in
strumcpf. In the event any such taxime-