The Washington herald., 1913-09-26
TAXI COMPANIES
FOR HIGH RATES
Shenuously Object to Control
by the Public Utilities
Commission.
FIX OWN PRICES NOW
Hearing in Matter win Be Resumed
Monday Morning in Board Room
Of District Building.

The taXicab companies are continuing
their efforts to remain outside the juris-
diction of the Public Utilities Commits
sion.
When The Washington Herald took up
| the fight last summer against the exorbi-
| tant rates OF the cab companies and their
doubtful legal right to an exclusive use
of parts OF the public streets for cab
stand purposes, the companies at once
| showed fear OF being placed under the
jurisdiction OF the Utilities Commission.
i They hastened to assure the commission
i that il had nothing to do with them:
that they were in no sense common
carriers"
Among other things explained in the
columns OF The Herald was the fact that
one OF the cab companies did a public
| business and had a license to do such
business, and was, presumably, public
| utility or a common carrier" The
company referred to gave up its license
TO do a general hacking business.
Has Not Renewed License.
This company was the Terminal Taxi
cab Company. II has taken out a Dis
trict license to do public vehicle busi-
ness every year since its organization.
This license expired June 30 last. 1t has
hacking business. with the giving up Of
! this license. the cabs of this company
cannot legally stand on any public stand
or pick up fares from such stands or
elsewhere in the streets.
The taNicab companies have no heart
for regulation by the Public Utilities
Commission. In the first place, that body
has given evidence in several OF its acts
OF its determination TO enforce just deal
sI lFs.-
tion. and to enforce this justice i'm
partially. Such even-handed justice is
not to the taste of the taxicab companies.
They are doing too well without It, How
they are doing so well has been carefully
explained and continually reiterated by
The Herald.
BY their contracts with the hotels,
clubs restaurants. and Union Station.
the taNicab companies have crowded all
competition to the wall. This enables
them TO charge ''as much as the traffic
will bear" and still he certain Of the
greater part Of the business. The cab
stands are the only handily situated
public stands in the downtown section
OF the city.
stands Arc MOnoI'oliEed.
These conveniently placed stands, by
a delicate fiction of renting exclusive
service 10 hotels, are monOpoltZed by
the taxiCab companies TO the exclusion
Of all individual enterprise. The cab
companies are thus enabled to enjoy the
exclusive use OF para - l.r o.. Ia
.thoroughfares for 'a INSIDE. r. H.
paid TO the Distr SUI % ... ..r.a.
and. Sin return, TIL comp. rel on
tically all the tax business OF the city
handed over to them.
The arrangement by which several
privileges OF doubtful property have been
grabbed by the taxicab companies and
the hotels has worked to the entire sat
isfaction OF both, and il is understand
able that the companies are strenuously
endeavoring to keep their monopoly plum
out OF the Jurisdiction OF the Public
Utilities Commission. One individual op-
orator of a taXicab has informed The
Herald that he could make large profits
charging a nat rate OF - cents a mile IL
he had equal opportunity to share in
the hotel. club, and Union Station bust
ness with the cab companies. The tax
icab companies charge IS cents a mile
The hearing before the Public Utilities
Commission TO determine its Jurisdiction
over the taNiCab companies will be con-
tinued in the board room of the District
Building on Monday morning at 10
o'clock.