Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-06
TAXI DRIVERSAT
ODDS OVER RATES
License Committee May Adopt
Ordinance Compelling Use
of Fare Meters.

That the taxi drivers are at odds
over local rates was shown by the
delegations attending the meeting Of
the license committee of the Common
Council last night. The license COM
mittee plans to have an ordinance
adopted by which every taxi driver
will be forced to pace a meter on his
car and charge uniform rate. Many
of the drivers declare they will be
given better rates than at the present
time, provided every hacking car Is
metered.
The majority. headed by George w.
Wescott, Daniel Mendl and Joseph
Benish, have canvassed the city, and
find that most of the hackmen are
In favor of having meters. They are
also willing to give better rates than
the present city ordinance calls for,
but insist that the meters should be
first placed in the machines. Forti-
ned with the signatures of men in
favor of meters, the committee will
ask the license department to take up
the matter and draft city ordinance
requiring the installation of meters
Under the present rate established
by the license department the men
are allowed to charge fifty cents for
the first two-fifths of a mile or frac-
ton thereof and ten cents for each
additional one-fifth of a mile there
after. This applies whether one or
more passengers are conveyed. One
taxi concern which has meters has it's
meter so regulated that when the
chauffeur starts out fifty cents is
shown as the rate This rate is then
held till the first half mile is trav-
eled, when ten cents more shows for
the next quarter of mile and an adj
ditional ten cents for the next quar-
ter. Thus seventy cents is collected
for the mile.
The committee wish to change this
to the nominal fee of thirty cents for
the first half mile and ten cents for
each additional quarter of a mile,
making fifty cents for a mile. This
rate is in vogue IN Manhattan, and
1t is declared that the hackmen are
saved many arguments and trips to
the station houses explaining that
they have not overcharged their fares.
Here under present conditions the
men have great difficulty in many in
stances and the police are often called
upon to adjust matters.
Wescott declared, THE establish
ment Of a city ordinance compelling
each hackman to have a meter and
charge a uniform rate would avoid
considerable trouble. have had one
man come to me and say, How Is il
that you take me home for one dollar
and when ride with So-and-So l
am compelled to pay more?' To this
answered, I am charging just what
the city ordinance calls for, and If
anyone else charges you more, that
is up to him.
with meters on tile cars, facing
the passengers, it can be readily seen
just what the charge is going to be,
and there will be no dispute, and one
man will not have to pay more to
one hackman than he will pay to
another The success of the affair
can be seen in New York. and l am
sure that the license department will
heartily indorse the idea"
THE compulsory installation or
meters in automobiles will be boon
to many thousands declared Daniel
Mendl. II am positive that many
persons do not ride in machines be-
cause they really think that the
charge is going to be too great. When
a person once finds that the rate Ii
to be- uniform the business will be
given gigantic boost, and the few
men that are now opposed will have
seen their error"
One of the men opposed to the idea
declared that he was against the
placing of the meters in cabs because
he owned a large car and believed he
was entitled to a. better rate than
some of the men that owned small
machines. He declared he would
charge the same rate for travelling
short distances, but wanted a fair
price when he went on long journey.