Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-17
WHAT'S A TAX|CAD?
A MOOT QUESTION
Common Councils License
Committee Debates 2 Hours
and Is Still uniformed.

When is a taxicab not a taxicab?
This question was debated for
nearly two hours by the license COM
mittee of the Common Council last
night without result. 1t was finally
referred to the law department for an
opinion At times the proceedings
waXed warm and were enlivened by
a wordy tilt between Aldermen Diener
and Welsh.
Argument was started over the pro-
posed amendment to section 8 of the
new ordinance to regulate the opera
ton and charges by taxicabs. A
month ago the committee inserted
section that left It optional with own
ers of cabs, automobiles and motor
driven vehicles for hire, to place
taximeters on them. In the mean
time the ordinance was presented to
the Common Council and in some
manner it found its way back to the
committee last night. 1t was found
that the section in question had been
stricken out and in Its place were
the words:
1.-THE use of taximeters are compui-
sorry only on taxicabs."
ASKS, MnntB n IaXlcaD1
Alderman Welsh wanted to know
what taxicab was. Alderman Die
ner and License Inspector Ward
contended that any cab which car
ried a taximeter was a taxicab, and
that the other auto hacks were Just
automobiles and were not affected by
the change. A representative of the
cabmen who own their own ma
chimes said he believed any automo-
bile doing hacking was a taxicab.
Alderman Schuck admitted he did
not know which was which.
While trying to find out who was
responsible for the change in the
section, Alderman Welsh turned to
Chairman Diener and said: IF you
did that you overstepped your au-
thority."
what do you mean by that" re-
piled the chairman.
81 mean that any change should
come from the whole committee and
not any one or two men," was the
response.
THAT is sufficient, come to order"
ia the threatenened storm passed
aWay.
Later while explanations and
counter-e explanations of the mean
ing of the new section were being
made for the tenth time. Alderman
Welsh started again to give his
opinion and was interrupted by the
chairman:
Were not here for instruction,
alderman"
"But sometimes we can learn"
countered Welsh.
Taximeters No Protection.
That the taXimeters were controlled
by monopoly which charged $40 per
year for the rental of their machines
and that they were not protection
to the public. as a dishonest chauffeur
could tamper with them. was the
contention of Alderman Welsh. He
claimed that the enforced hiring of
the meters would work a hardship
on the individual owners of hacking
automobiles by placing an added ex-
pense on them and offered a motion
that the original section as first
passed by the committee be again
referred to the Common Council
This was objected to and for the
second time Alderman Schuek moved
the section be referred to the law de-
partment for a definition Of taxi
cabs and also for an opinion as to
the legality Of the proposed change.
II was then carried.
The proposed new dance hall ordi-
nance, which, as It now reads, sets
the license fee at $75 quarterly-$300
per year-instead of So per year. as
now, and placing a penalty of 800
fine and the revoking Of the license
for any infraction of the law, was
read and laid over until the next regu-
lar meeting. The members of the
committee said they wished to have
time to fully investigate conditions
before making such a radical change
in the fee. They also appeared to
favor a fiat rate per. year instead of
the quarterly system. The other sec
lions of the new ordinance are similar
to that now in force.
communication from the Walls
burg Improvement Association OBJ
jecting to the granting of license to
new moving picture theatre in
South Orange avenue was also laid
over, as a request for license had
not been received yet.