The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-06-01
rent OF STREETS
and CAB FARES
For Purpose Of Protecting
Guests Hotels Lay Tribute
on Cab Companies.
GENERAL DENIAL IS MADE
Another Light Is Thrown on Real Rea-
son for High Rates in
Capital.
GENERAL DENIAL IS MADE

Rent of the public streets enters into
the extravagant taxicab fares charged
In Washington. On pretext or protect
ing the interests of their guests. the
hotels are said to lay a tribute upon
the taxicab companies In return for an
exclusive grant of the right to use the
public streets around their hotels
Taxicab companies have to make fair
profits their officers contend, as well
other businesses. Therefore, the
Washington cab patron pays the hotel
companies for their courtesy in allow
ing the cab companies to use the pub
lie thoroughfares.
officials of certain taxicab companies
declare that the tribute laid by the
hotels is not a small one. When the
taxicab people get through paying a
number of large hotels velvet" they
find that there is another large item to
add to the expenses of the operation
OF their service. Costs are added up.
to operate taxicabs with profit at lower
rates than 20 cents the first mile and
20 cents for each succeeding mile. In
fact. the officers OF the companies
point out. for every extra mile made
at 70 cents they lose money.
Hotel managers deny that they rent
the streets to the taxicab companies.
SOfle Vi lHtIn put IL lndl tntN operate
their own services. As an official of one
of the local cab companies explains, the
practice by which hotels manage TO make
even the streets around pay revenue by
the following CirCumlOcutory method:
The hotels do not rent the streets"
this official said in their defense. They
engage the interest Of a reputable taxi
cab concern to take care of their guests.
This is in the best interests of their
i EWNRa -, 1T.
pose to the chance OF mIstreatment at
the hands of irresponsible people. They
offer to rent the service of the cab COM
pany. II the figures submitted by the
company are right and that company Is
able to keep sufficient cabs on the stand.
the hotel people rent the service. The
cab company is given the exclusive right
OF standing their cabs around the hotels
and in return pays the hotel a percentage
on fares"
Proposition Seems simple.
In other words. the hotels rent a
taNiCab service by selling a privilege
which people feel is not rightly theirs TO
sell. They rent" the service: that is,
they buy the taNiCab company's service
for their patrons. and the rent which
they pay is the guarantee that public
funds will keep the thorsughfares in
good enough repair to make them usahle
as cab stands and, further. that the cabs
of the company receiving rent will
have the exclusive right tn rest their
cabs upon said sections Of said thor
oughfares. The hotels draw a bonus on
the rent they pay. Said bonus is
real money"
On account Of a high proportion of
dead mileage and other lrge items of
expense peculiar 10 Washington and
some other American cities. the officials
Of the taxicab companies say that It is
absolutely impossible for them to give
their services 10 the public for any
thing like the moderate charges made
in the large cities abroad. Conditions In
the European cities are so different, they
say. Yet, while the street car COM
panies in Berlin and other large Euro
pean cities operate AT the same or high
er expenses. the taxlcab companies there
are able TO give as good service for
from one-third to one-tourth OF Wash
ington prices.
These peculiarly unfavorable condi-
lions. when compared with conditions
abroad, are evidently confined to the
case OF the taxi companies. PROBABLY
one OF these peculiar conditions is the
practice of paying real money for the
advantage Of receiving an imaginary
rent"