Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-19
JTTNEY BUSINESS IS
PRACTICALLY KILLED;
CAN'TRUN AFTER TODAY
Director Porter Tells Commit
tee That He Must Enforce
Ordinance According to
Ryan's Opinion
TEST C A S E PROBABLE

| IESI & A ) f. PROBABLE
An extension Of time in the enforcement
of the jitney ordinance was denied to jit-
| uey owncra by Director Porter today fol-
! lowing conference with a committee
| from the Philadelphia Jitney Association,
| and the popular cars will be practically
wiped from the streets tomorrow. Only
one application for license had been
made to the Directors Office up to noon,
when he sent letter to the Superin-
tendent of Police ordering the enforce
ment Of the ordinance.
The letter is as follows:
"Tomorrow, the 10Th, is the date decided
upon for the enforcement of the so-called
| iitncy ordinance. According to an opinion
! from the city solicitor under date OF
| August H. | am advised that the entire
| ordinance Is effective, except for the por-
ton referring to zones of travel the en-
| forcement of which is cnjoincd until aftOU
the hearing on September 20.
You will therefore issue orders to The
police to enforce the terms of the or
dinance on all those who fail to display
temporary license which reads Auto Bus
License No. -, George -. Porter
'lltNAbl VI UNIV s'AlNNS'
"Jitneys operating as sightseeing cars,
are not, under the terms of the ordinance,
permitted to operate"
PORTER REFUSES EXTENSION.
William McGill. Richaru Costello and
Harry Sheath as a committee from the
Philadelphia Jitncy Association. were re-
Ccived by Director Porter at II o'clock.
They asked If an extension of time could
bp gpnntp6 Tho lirapfnt rEplin1
any extension he might make would prop
ably be misconstrued and, as much as
he was in sympathy with the men, he
would have 10 enforce the ordinance to-
morrow.
The Director and the jtneymen seemed
to be- Of the opinion that the enforcement
of the ordinance was the best thing that
could happen to both the drivers and the
public. They said the absence of the
cars would make the public realize the
convenience and time-savinE advantages
of this mode of transportation and would
make the owners and drivers realize the
effectiveness of n solid organization.
It was pointed out that while many of
the drivers. possibly 10 in the assoCa-
ton. could meet the fee and bond re-
quirements, they felt that they could not
afford TO carry on their shoulders the bur
dcns of the irresponsible drivers who
would not support them,
Again the men said they would be
practically throwing away money by put
ting up 5000 at this time, when they
would only have a short time to run be-
fore the cold weather begins, when they
would have to go to the added expense of
buying closed tops for their machines
Richard Costello, secretary of the asso-
ciation, told Director Porter that a meet
ing would be neld at 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning, at the headquarters, 673 North
Broad street, when an effort would be
made to provide the funds necessary to
make test case.
TEST CASE PROBABLE
I'VE realize that tho jitneys will be
virtually driven from the streets tomor-
row." he said. But 1t is perhaps the
hest thing that could happen at this time
1t Will probably bring the 1lOO drivers
to realize the value OF organization. Now
we may he able to raise the necessary /
funds to provide a test case. II Is GER
tain that an effort will be made anyway, /
hut the members of this association did |
not feel that they could afford after all /
these months Of effort, to put up more I
money for the benefit Of the others"
one OF the members OF the committee |
told Director Porter that It had been |
openly boasted by many. jtney drivers |
that the Director would not dare enforce |
The ordinance"
Director Porter smiled. Let those |
drivers run tomorrow without a license |
and they'll soon find out" he said. II was
then that he displayed the signed order
ready to be sent to the superintendent of
Police.
Mr.. Porter read the opinion Of City SO
.icltor Ryan on the bond phase of the
ordinance. Mr.. Ryan said, IN the letter,
that the jltneys should be encouraged,
but regretted the fact that neither ne
nor the director could modify the terms
)f The ordinance or make their burdens
any lighter in the matter of the bond
and license you see" concluded the
director, "all We can do Is 10 enforce the
ordinance even though we would like 10
lelp you,
Ryan also explained today the statement
hat was made yesterday IN which ne b
alleged to have asked a deposit Of $780,
90 IN cash IN this city from a bonding
company that proposed providing seour-
ty for the jitney drivers. Mr. Ryan said
hat the deposit Is required under an or
finance passed In 1887 for corporations
lot chartered under the laws OF Pennsyl-
'ania.