New-York tribune., 1912-02-17
WOULD CURB THE CABBES
Alderman NiCOII Offers an Orol'
nance-ProteStS Follow.
"PRESENT SYSTEM ARCHAIC
Hotel Men and Taxi People JOIN
Issue on Statement Sup
porting Measure.

Hope would spring up in the heart OF
the decrepit cab horse, according 10 'he
taxicab companies gloomy view of the s't-
nation. a?ould an ordinance INTRODUCED
Yesterday afternoon by Alderman Cortlanu'
Nicou be passed This ordinance, SUD-
rnitted at a public hearing before the alder
manic Committee on Laws and Legislation
sought to reduce taxicab fares and TO 90
away with the present stands" The taxi
cab people protested against the hrst' the
hotel men against the second.
Alderman Nicoll offered the following
comment:
The present cab situation is universally
admitted to be unsatisfactory Inc Fe"-
sons for this are as follows: "a -,
Ii is expensive. First, on account OF ILe
geographical layout OF the &c eiTy Ky aHE Second nd
because the cab system Is uhutr Ger 'air a.
expenses and disabilities not imposed IN III
any other metropolis. examples bat oL 'be cabe
cannot pick up return fares, ana u'e PFC
tices growing up under the present i Ordi,
nance of forcing companies 10 ouy 'ieii
The present cab system is archaic, ~
that il was adopted before the adEent od ~
the motor vehicle we are stIlNIuS " ~
regulate by outgrown laws an ehtFelS i'eN
The responsibility is lodged not with the
Individual driver but with the colnpdiISS
If one happens TO be in place not SER ro, ec
~, reencnsihIe companies one cannot get
a decent hack or a responsive dIiESI, dIiE,i. hH, S,
cOrvicts and men OF no reSpuISioIitS Liic "a
as drivers Of many OF the so-Cdlieu pu'i'>
An outrage which happened only yester-
dev shows the necessity for the NsoI ouS
checking up of all hack dTN1Is ths Wisdom
snonsibie citv authorities and the WlsuolI
Of the provision forbidding any one ~. uo
the driver of the hack to ride on 'i'e Se'
IN front. , -. 49,, ardeay.
ors TO correct these abuses by the 1oIo"'
By placing all hacks in one Iai class; Ieae. ae.
iSurl4fst IN tba ISbGi bscks in first class condition
4 complete licensing system ioI ioIStb,o by
a reduction in fare. mace possiUItt eT. T.
the elimination OF some OF !Le P'N
penses of the hack companies
The alderman had received letter 1roIl
Harlem taxicab company which tol
three months gave service at o. cents lO'
The first mile and so cents for each o'"e'
mile. at a net profit of 90 TO 10 per ceiL @
The company said II was cohVlnceu l''1'
,oyyer rates were profitable Its drivers
deposit 500 security, receive s5l " WI
and work ten hours a day. The security
- nav, are higher than those of other
compsnies, the Harlem concern salo' ou'
that enioyed by private owners.
A K. Wing, of the New York Trans
portation Company and the Universal Taxi
meter Cab Company, said that the rates
could not be lowered prohtably; that twen-
weight companies had failed even at
rates as high as or higher than those no"
ir vogue w. H. Corbitt, of the Mason-sea-
man TRANSFORMATION Company, said MS
company would have to go out OF business
viIly-nillv. Charles ]. Campbell, OF the
Hotel Mems Association, said If the stands
were abolished "any irresponsible Tom
Dick or Harry could fleece guests OF suCn
an occurrence as that of yesterday msht
occur. Responsible hotel owners "ou."
neither ask for nor permit such pubic
hack stands"
George Cosby said the Merchants AS
ISOLATION was generally in favor OF the
prorosed ordinance but would not recon-
mend fare reduction, as it did not believe
the taxi companies were making any
ynonev.- but in some instances were losing