Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-13
CHAUFFEURS FAIL
AT EXAMINATIONS
Inspector Bert Cochran Spends Yester-
day in Moline Quizzing Jitbus
Drivers Who Operate Here.
SOME OF ANSWERS RIDICULOUS
Many Drivers Know Only How TO Start
and Stop Car by Ordinary
MeanS-Periury Charged.

Startling results are being had from
the examination of chaufeurS VINO OPP
crate jitney busses in and out OF Mo-
line by Bert Cochran, state inspector.
Of the 26 chauffeurs who were called
upon to answer questions approximate
ly 76 per cent failed to give satIsfac-
tory answers.
To many of the questions the Chaut-
feurs made ridiculous replies. Many
| betrayed absolute ignorance regarding
operation of an automobile beyond
starting it and stopping it by the ordi-
nary means. 1t became very apparent
why there have been so many acct
dents during the last is months IN
which jitbusses were involved.
On the other hand there were about
six of the 26 who showed that they
were thoroughly competent to operate
a car. They will be allowed to do so,
as their licenses will be continued. Lii
censes of those who failed to pass will
be revoked.
AS jftney busses are public utilities
and upon the capabliJy of the driver
may depend the lives and safety OF
passengers it is essential that all jit
operators be competent drivers.
Alarmed by the number OF accidents
reported this spring in which jit-
busses figured, Commissioner A. c
StouffeT made quiet investigation and
quickly convinced himself that the ma
iority of men operating jitneys were
not competent drivers.
They all had chauffeurs' licenses,
however. and Commissioner StOutfer
began to wonder how they got them,
as he was convinced many of them
could never have passed the eXamina-
tons honestly AS a result he wrote
RI Ia a ~ Of ct = a
special inspector be sent here to con-
duct an investigation.
The investigation yesterday had
hardly gotten under way before II De-
came apparent how the incompetent
drivers had procured licenses-they
had had other people answer the ques-
tons for them. There are several OF
the 26 examined yesterday who are
open to charges Of perjury on their
own statements, according to Commits
siOner StOuffer. because when they took
the original examinations they swOre
falsely before a notary public that the
answers were their own In a number
OF instances the incompetent drivers
had had friends fill out the eXamina-
zion blank and had then taken the pa
pers to a notary and had sworn that
they had filled it out themselves. In
one case a drivers wife had answered
the questions for him.
In several instances Examiner COch-
ran was obliged to write after names
Of those examined: Can answer absO- !
Iutely no questions about an autOmO-
bile"
A Moline police patrOlman was busy
all day today with Mr. Cochran round
ing up other jitney bus drivers to have
them take the examinations. Chauf- /
feUr5 OF private and business machines /
will also be examined.
Those Examined.
The % jitney bus drivers examined /
Yesterday are:
Andrew Gibbles, John Adams, 2209 |
Fifth avenue. Rock Island: John Gikas, I
zoos Fifteenth avenue, East Moline, 4
Sam Lucas, 1854 Eighth d-a-haIf 3
avenue. Rock Island; Jim Bowovich, \
6121a Fifth avenue. Moline: H, a. .
Hoist, 450112 Fifth avenue, Rock Is /
land; Louis f. TOfte. 32212 Twentieth \
street Rock Island; Charles Halpern. /
71513 Fourth avenue, Rock Island; ,
Jake Falkowitch. 1920 Eleventh avenue. I
Rock Island George Nicholas, 1915 .
Third avenue Moline. II. Goldman, 4
1914 Third avenue, Moline; Dave Hal .
perm, 1924 Eighth avenue, Rock Island
J. II. Perry. 1904 Eleventh avenue A. !
Moline; Sam MOskOwitZ, 62912 Ninth /
street, Rock Island; l. Brockman, 1913 .
Tenth street, Rock Island; William
SackviIle. 3O7 Forty-ffth street, Rock
Island; Harry Stein, 9O7 Seventh ave
nue., Rock Island; Stephen Gilka, Ill .
Fifth avenue, Moline; Moe Zukerman,
1925 Third avenue. Rock Island; CLYDE
H. Pouder, 2900 Fifth-and-a-half ave
nue.. Rock Island: Tom Williams. 1908
Seventh avenue, Moline; WoIlner Han
sen, 111S12 Fifth avenue, Moline: Jonn
Denies, Twenty-third street and Fourth
avenue. Rock Island; George EcOno-
nous, 941 Fifteenth avenue, East Mo
line Dan Licena. 14O7 Nineteenth
street, East Moline; Gust Theodore
kopulOs, 1893 Sixteenth avenue, East
Moline