Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-25
TAXI MEN APPEAR
AGAINST JITNEYS
Street Railway Company Insists Jit.
neys Should Have Fixed Routes
and Schedules.
JITNEYs CUT TAXI BUSINESS

Representatives OF the regular
taxi lines appeared before the city
council committee Of the whole with
charges that jitney drivers are cut
ting into their revenue by operating
as taxicabs during part or the day at
half of the taxi rates. Vice President
Leussler of the street car company
intimated that IL the jitney men are
not required to follow definite routes
and schedules and take the long as
well as short hauls, the traction com
pany may be compelled in self-de-
tense 10 adopt zone system OF fares.
The council listened to many Ideas re
garding jitney regulation and agreed to
hold another meeting on Tuesday morn
ing, June /. before directing the legal de-
partment TO draw an ordinance.
JItneys Take short HnuIS.
Mr.. Deusslet made this statement to
the council: THAT the attitude Of the
company may be understood. / may state
that we do not ask for any jitnsy regu-
lation that would not be fair to both the
htney men and the public ! maintain
there should he q license fee Of an equiv
alent to per cent OF the gross earnings.
Practically all Of the fares collected BY
jitncys would otherwise 90 to the street
car company. and the city is now losing
3 per cent occupation tax on this money.
Many cities are now collecting Jltuey
license fees in advance. | have received
fr.U 4.
find that as rule the bond requirement
Ia not less than tiOOO our company
should know what conditions to meet W
we may regulate our service accordingly,
therefore. believe the jitneys should be
required TO follow fixed routes and main
tain schedules. II ls not fair to allow
the jitneys 10 take only short hauls"
Jitney Part of Time.
Pressure was brought TO bear on the
council to include In the new ordinance
provision that jltney should be a
jitney all Of the time and not converted
into taxi just to suit a particular occa.
sion. as II Is alleged is now being done
II was stated that 30 per cent OF the 1T.
rcy men are engaged in other buslnesse:
part Of the time, one man said to work
In a grocery store during the day and "a
a jitney driver in the evening.
k. NJ Switzler representing the Omaha
Motor Bus association operating seventy
jitneys. maintained that bonds of $500
and $4,000 would meet all requirements
lie also urged that provision should b,
made to allow jitneys TO operate ms "spe
Gals II signs on the cars would b,
changed. Commissioner Kugel objected
TO allowing jitneys to be operated Cor an,
other use.
willing 60 Pay Tax.
Stewart Dale, secretary OF the jitne!
association, asked that the ordinance al
low titney men to carry jitney and tax
licenses at the same time, adding tina
his association Is willing to pay Z pc
cent occupation tax and furnish bonds
! Commissioner Hummel said he want
provision made to prohibit these cars o.
boulevards or park drives. and he an
nounced that he would not stand for an
ordinance which did not contain an ade
/ quate bond protection provision OF no
less than $4,000 per car.
John o. Yeiser urged the commission
era TO think we'll before taking definit
! action. He called attention to alleged An
disoretlons committed In some automc
biles, ana one OF his points was tha
sitting on laps should not he allowed 4
jitneys.