The evening world., 1911-11-29
FOR USE OF PUB.
Lie STREET,

These private stands have become
enormously valuable" said Alderman
courtlandt Nicoll. who has studied the
hack question both here and abroad. to
an Evening World reporter to-day.
They ere bought and sold for huge
sums. A percentage as high az from
10 to Is per cent. OF every fare collect
ed from the public is paid by the taxi.
cab company to the owner of the prem
ises In front OF which it's cabs are per.
,mitted 10 stand.
Il believe. IL the abuses for which
the present city ordinances are respon-
sible y abolished, and It was made
possible to operate taxicabs under the
rules that apply In other large cities,
a reduction Of fares Of from q to %
per cent. is practical. But the city
must first have a new ordinance regu-
lating Its hacking"
On n 20. 1909. an ordinance pa sssd
by the Board OF Aldermen was ap.
proved by The Mayor. This ordinance
reduced taxicab fares to 10 cents for
the first half mile and 10 cents for each
succeeding ~one-quarter mile. A rate Of
80 cents for the first half mile and 10
cents for each succeeding one-half mile
for two-seated taxicabs was made, but
as ali tancab companies ave four seats
this was useless legislation.
On Nov. 10. 1910, Supreme Court Justice
Henry Bischoff declared the city ordin-
'ances which lowered taxicab rates UNI
constitutional because they discrimin-
ated between meter and
vehicles. n there Is no law which re-
qures a hack to have a meter attached.
Corporation ounsel Watson was asked
to-day: Have any steps been taken to
appeal from Justice Bischoff's decision %
Mr.. Watson replied: N appeal was
taken because his decision was believed
20 be clearly correct"
The city officials thought II better that
a new ordinance be passed to correct
tho defects in the old. but as this
has not yet been done. as the Committee
on Laws and Legislation OF the Board
has held up an ordinance drafted by
Alderman Nicoll which lowers taxicab
rates as well as ~reorganizes the whole
hacking situation.
Five of the eleven aldermen on the
committee who have opposed making
a report will not be on the board after
a,the frst of the year. They were de-
b,feated at the polls. An entirely new
AE,oiiiiiiittcc VIII po VI bhil6Vt, Nc'hf'SNN
~Epriucipally of the new Fusion members
of the board.
Chief OF the Bureau OF License Wal
lace said to-day:
THE Corporation Counsel. since. the
\, 1909 ~taxicab ordinance has been declared
" unconstitutional, has advised that the
rate OF fare for taxicabs Is the same
as the rate Of vehicles, thai
2 IS, 81 a mile for vehicles seating -four
persons inside and fifty cents for vehicles
seating two persons.
'"The majority of meters used In this
city are adjusted to register nifty cents
for the first two-ffths OF the mile and
' ten cents for each succeeding nth Of
a mile. AS all of the taxicabs are In
tended to seat four persons inside, thu
rate of fifty cents a mile does not apply
III the taXicab people should use thu
y rate specified In the ordinance a pas
y senger would pay a minimum charge o
\ Il for the first mile and nifty cent!
\ TOR each additional half mile. UndeI
the rate actually in rise, the rate for thu
drst mile Is eighty cents, and for eaci
! additional half mile. twenty-five cents
80 the present rate charged by TIT
} taxicab people Is within the law. w
are here to receive complaints. and w
: want all overcharges sent to u.s. Blu
/, the complainant should first satisfy him
self that there has been an overcharge.