South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-26
HTNEYs AND INDEMNIFY.

Any man who, agItating regulation
OF the auto hus-commonly called the
''Jitney''-and proposing indemnity
bonds as the chief regulation, tells you
ne is not pleading the cause of the
street railway interests. is either play
Ing you for dunderhead. or display
ing his own ignorance. This whole
propaganda, calculated 10 mislead the
public by pretenses OF sOlicitude for
the public welfare was conceived in
the brain OF the utility magnates, and
has been bubbling forth from the
mouths end tainted type OF their dupes
ever since II also has the encour-
agement Of the accident insurance
companies which would like TO collect
a couple hundred dollars premium
upon each indemnity bond required if
furnished. and if not furnished would
Just as soon the things" would be
out of business as in.
There you have the real incentive
for indemnity regulation for the
'jitney' in a nutshell The public is
expected 20 fall over itself TO back up
indemnity regulations, but the other
eye OF the street car magnates is on
the fact that a requirement of such
q bond. for which the "jitney" owner
would be taxed $500 or more, as an
annual premium. would. OF necessity,
tax the ''jitneys" out of existence
the end that they devoutly wish. IL
is easy enough 10 argue that the av-
erage ''jitney" owner is financially IN
reliable. That is held forth as his
objectionable sin, just as though
other auto owners were all million
aires. and never had accidents anyway.
our contention is that the average
financial responsibility of automobile
owners. "jitneys" and all, isn't so far
above that of the '-jitney' owner as
TO make the distinction worth while
There are thousands Of "eminentIy
respectable" people sporting private
motor cars. in whose cupboards there
is a chronic hyatus and whose purses
owe the butchers for the meat on their
bones.
But even where financial RESPONSE
hility exists the indemnity is by no
means certain. Anyone who has had
$500, ..ence WIN the courts in accident
cases, no difference whether the own
er is wealthy automobile owner, a
street car company. or an accident in
surance company, knows what it
means 10 obtain a collectable verdict.
These pen and institutions have the
means for employing the best OF law
yers. qualified in all the tricks of their
trade. and II a settlement at practi-
cally nothing is not 10 be had, then
YOU fight it out. frequently through
long term of years. probably only in
the end to exhaust all you get, pre-
Stunning that you set it. Nothing to
begin with. would have served YOU
quite rs well, save the enjoyment that
you may get out OF the fight and pay
ing for It yourself DO not think for
an instant that an indemnity bond
furnished by an indemnity company
for ''jitney" owner, would of a GER
tainty obviate the necessity of a law
suit They are just as long on getting
rid of paying indemnities as anybody
else
The whole indemnity argument is a
weak subterfuge-but il is not taking
South Bend is reading the source OF II
quite Alright and avoiding the conse-
quence. There is a field for the auto
bus and we anticipate that it will be
left to occupy it. Taxing them out
OF existence that the street railways
might proet is a matter in which the
city is not concerned with any decree
Of favoritism.