The evening world., 1912-11-26
LOWER TAXcAb
TARIFF WOULD
SWELL PROFITS
More Persons Will Ride When
Rates Are Made Reason
able.
ARE PROHIBlTIVE NOW.
Aldermen Must Make a Com
plete Change to Have a
Popular Service.
ARE PROHIBlTIVE NOW.
By Sophie Irene Loeb.

In talking with owners Of taxfcab
companies In the hope Of . moro popu.
lar and reduced rate service. this 10
what they say:
The idea Of Abolishing the private
hack stands 10 absurd. II can't be done.
I'VE should have to have twice ~
many cabs on the streets TO do the Same
amount Of business. II the stands were
abolished and rates lowered.
AT the present rates We can do Just
~ much business a. We can properly
handle.
There are . certain class Of people
who will ride in taxicabs at any price
with the present private hack stands
We have 30 worked out our system that
We eliminate dead mileage every day
and can practically tell where every
cab Is working.
I'VE have on several occasions re-
duced the rates and did not have any
more calls that At the higher rates.
''Of course We have times during the
day when we do not have enough cabs
There are also seasons when train.
loads of people como at the station from
football games or any other public af-
fairs when we do not have a. many
cabs as necessary. but we must have
the paying average.
The people who ride In taxicabs do
not want cheap rates.
Prices make NO difference to our
present patrons. for II they want . cab
they want II and are willing to pay
for It,
Where taxicabs are used the area 10
small and we have to make our money
in that area-which 10 different from
Europe
I'VE would have to revise our entire
systein II the taxicabs were all maze
public cabs with 40 private stand privi-
kges.
THE credit system we have worked
out for our patrons would needs b.
changed.
IL the public taxicabs, aside from the
companies. were to come In on the pri-
vate stands OF hotels and restaur ants
we would not be able to carry on the
telephone system we now have. which
minimizes our dehd mileage.
1--WE are Wiling 60 keep paying 10
Per csat. OF our eAxniAgu OF moro
20 hotel men 70 keep thiags - they
are.
I'VE are not making money.
THE public hackman is not Q re.
oponsible party"
a few of these questions, and espe.
cially those concerning dead mileage :
AREA Of business" rival means OF
transportation. may be answered In q
letter just received from r. s. Brad.
10y. for twenty-five years Chief OF
Transportation in London.
Low TARIFF PAYS WELL
ENOUGH IN ENGLAND.
For business purposes the area Of
operations by taxicab Is. general,
speaking. four to five mics In London
Deal mileage Is a consideration In de
termininy tariff. but a factor whicl
largely operates against this item !,
low tariff. which popularixes tn
vehicle. and so creates demand which
does no; exist with a high tariff.
Notwithstanding the enormous tran
at facilities Of cheaper forms OF loco
motion In London the taxi does a goo,
business. which Is directly attribut Ia bl
"a the tariff. In fact. in the season
tnxicabs are frequently engaged to 4
to tine race meetings. TO the seaside
Journeys varying from 40 to 100 mile,
With n prohibitive tariff these woul
disaapear.
"The license fees are used for upkee
Of the department carrying out tn
duties
So IL would seem that the area @
taxicab business Is. In reality. more
New York than In London. taking
the hotel districts and the doe ntow
business districts. OF course only
small percentage OF population ride
taxicabs at the above rates.
New York has never had a popula
service. as there are not 1000 cabs |
the city entire as against 5000 In LoI
don. That In London they make none
and that everybody rides II certainl
as Mr.. Bradley states. Attributable
the tariff"
More answers to the companies col
tent.on would seem from the publ
standpoint to he as follows:
There are no private haoksta ADS In
London, where all tsxioab owners
here claim IL the best system.
Everybody has a right to the eli
streets In all localities where they a
p serving the public as common carrier
According to the owners, taxicabs a
In New York "private" carriers limit
to an established clientele. which.
broken, would make them put on twl
as many cabs to do the same amou
OF business.
But the public would be the ben
factors.
Win s,OOo CABS on the streets
New York at 1G cents mile VI
wouldn't rider Folks OF very modera
means indeed ride In London and Par
Getting In a taxi is almost as much
a habit as getting on a street C
there. And, as Mr. Bradley says, /
rival means of transportation are enc
nous az compared to New York. a
the prices OF these only cents
long distances.
They have trans, street cars. bus
subways. thousands OF horse-cabs. >
5000 taxicabs according TO this authc
ity whose business II Is to talk fro
exact figures are doing good bu
ness" Why? Only on account Of Il
great popular service which the N,
York citizen has never enjoyed.
Granting licenses for private hac
stands to companies instead OF e
larginE and popularixins the system
New York has made the compani