The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-08
WHAT is A JITNEY?
1T Is Up to Geo. p. Mattingly
to Find Out.
City License Collector Finds a
Bunch of Trouble.
JITNEYS MAY QUIT BUSINESS
Chance That All of Them viii
Become TaxicabS.
E. f. Maxwell Drops a Hint at
the City Hall.
JITNEYS MAY QUIT BUSINESS

George T. Mattingly city license col
lector, returned from two-weekS va
cation on the Pacific coast and found
trouble in large quantities had been
accommodating for him during his alb
sence. While he was away the city
commissioners made second attempt
at a jitney ordinance. The new ordi-
nance tries to separate jitneys from
taxicabs and omnibusses. The old or
dinance is left unchanged. Jftneys
have been operating under this Ordi-
nance. paying a license of $40. The
new ordinance is intended for the reg
ulation of jitneys only and the license
for jitneys are increased, being $25,
S35 and $50 according to the size of
the cars.
But neither ordinance describes
definitely what is a jitney and what
is not and in this Mattingly meets
trouble. Mattingly declared that he
does not expect much of the new jit-
ney ordinance.
persons who have taken out a Ii
cense to operate under the old ordi-
likely to ask for a new license costing
them more. They will simply call
their cars taxicabs instead of jitneys, -
declared Mattingly
When George P. Hayden, city at
thought of the new ordinance, he
showed some heat. Hayden has been
making a special study OF jitney
ordinances.
Says Drivers Know.
THE Jitney drivers know whether
they are in a jitncy OF taxicab bust
ness, and if the new ordinance does
not hold, we will patch it up until it
does. We are trying TO be fair with
the jitneys and it will be to their in
terest to be fair with us, and as for
Mattingly, If he can not tell the diff
ference between a jitney and a taxi
cab il is time he learns" said HaV-
den.
Yes, but the ordinances do not de-
fine. the difference, and anyway, what
He declared it easy to make the
distinction. In this w. C. Tandy
city commissioner of streets, and w.
l.. Porter, city commissioner of parks,
agreed with him, and both declared
there would be trouble for the city
license collector, if he failed to dis
cover tie difference. E'ut none of
them stated what the difference is,
except that jitney license hereafter
is 10 cost more than taXicab license.
When a Jitney Is a Jitney.
An attempt to draw a line of diff
ference by describing a taxicab as
car answering only special calls, while
a jitney was one out looking for buS1-
ness was made, but failed when it was
pointed out that taxicabs are stationed
at convenient points wa iting for pas
sengers. 1t was admitted that should
n taxicab, while on a special call be
hailed on the street and take on
passenger that it then became a jitney.
E. F. Maxwell of the Topeka Jit-
ney company called at the city hall
and talked with Mayor House and the
city attorney. He said that his COM
pany was preparing to go out of the
jitney business and engage only in
taXicab operations. He wanted per-
mission, however, to continue in the
jitney business until after fair week
without paying the increased jitney
license. He was told that no special
privilege could be granted him.
Mayor House stated that he would
leave the matter of jitney regulation
to the other members of the city
commission. He will decline to take
a part in jitney legislation, giving as
his reason that the Crawfords, L. M.
and Roy, principal stockholders in the
Topeka Jitney company, are his per-
sonal friends.
According to the new ordinance all
persons who have been operating jit-
neys under the old ordinance will be
given until Saturday to report and
have the unused portion of their Ii
censeS applied on a new license under
the new ordinance. After that time
they will not be given credit for what
they have paid, should they desire to
take out a jitney license. The old
jitney licenses run to December 1,