New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-23
YELLOW TAXI CO.
GIVES UP FIGHT
Will Charge Same Rates
as Others, but Wants
a Revision.
WON'T CONTINUE
LONG LITIGATION
Meters TO BE Changed-Inde.
pendents May Aid Their Old
Foe in New Effort.

Foe in New Effort.
The Yellow TaXicab Company. which
for more than year has fought to es-
cape the provisions OF the ordinance
intended to give New York cheap
cab service, spending a fortune in the
courts in one injunction proceeding or
another, only to lose each time, and
then spending another fortune in try
ing to escape the effects of the law by
operating as a ''livery service" has
decided to surrender.
William II. Barnard, president Of the
Mason-Seaman transportation Com
pany, which now owns and operates the
cabs of the Yellow company, told a
Tribune reporter at his home, 347 West
89th ST., last night that as soon as the
necessary changes in meters can be
made il will make its minimum charge
80 cents for the first half mile, as con-
templated by the ordinance, on all cabs
operated by it, instead OF 30 cents for
two-ffths Of mile as it has insisted
on charging.
On all cabs that IL sends in response
to telephone calls it will charge 10
cents for each one-ffth OF a mile in
stead of dime for n quarter OF mile
as the ordinance provides.
Cabs not needed for this telephone
or "livery service" as il is technically
known will be fitted with meters to
conform with the charges fixed by the
ordinance. Before this is done, how
ever, an effort will be made to induce
the city fathers to amend the ordi-
nance, making the legal charge for all
taxicabs after the first half-mile 10
cents for four city blocks instead Of
the five that one can now ride for a
dime.
The Yellow Taxicab Company, formed
TO give what its managers were pleased
to term a de luxe service, had practi-
cally a monopoly Of the hotel and other
private stands in the city. paying there
for many thousands Of dollars an
nualy. With other taXicab compsn :cs
holding similar leases from hotelkeep-
ers and others it fought every step TO
cheaper cab service. fight in whi'h
they had the assistance Of those from
whom they rented the city streets.
The ordinance finally became law,
but the city was stopped from enfoic-
ing it by All injunction secured by the
Yellow and other companies. Justice
Seabury dissolTed this last summer,
but meter companies and others acting
in tho interest OF the Yellow Taxicab
Company brought new suits. keeping
the matter in the courts. Before the
final decision was reached most of the
companies decided to comply with the
law.
The Yellow company, by hiring va
cant lots in which to store cars, and
alleys, such as Astor Court, in the rear
of the Waldorf, which is on privfte
property, continued to charge its old
rate, holding that it could do so as IL
served only upon order and was liv-
ciy service under the ordinance. This
contention was held legal.
The other taXicab companies and the
independents contended that the com
pany was not doing a strictly livery
business. On several occasions the
Mayors bureau of licenses caused
chauffeurs in its employ to be arrested,
the last case within week. In that
case a fine of 500 was assessed and
the company denounced as law
breaker.
Two months ago the Msson-Seaman
Tran sportation Company absorbed the
Yellow Taxicab Company, and last
night William II. Barnard, president of
the company, told a Tribune reporter
that il had been decided to reduce
rates to practically conform with the
ordinance and attempt to secure a
slight modification Of the charges now
permitted so as to place all its cabs
under the provisions Of the ordinance
in fact as we'll as in theory.
Inquiries among the independent
taxicab interests last night developed
the fact that the independents will aid
the effort to revise rates upward as
far as they can, as they too declare
they could use the money which the
riding public would not, in their opin-
ion. object to paying.
"The key TO the whole situation
said one Of the Independent leaders
twas the private stands which the
YoIIows and n few others controlled
leaving us out in the cold. Now, with
every one getting an even break on the
stsnds we won't object 10 that slight
change in the rates"