The sun., 1918-08-29
Taxicab Owners Say 1t Puts an
Awful Strain on Their
COnsciences.
ASK FOR INTERPRETATION
Want to Know Definition Of
Necessary Calls-Buses
to Run as Usual.

he has to do Is leave his car in the
to replace the flush that comes from
country breezes or other features Of
motoring.
But for the owners Of fleets of taxi
cabs. touring and sightseeing automo-
/ biles or buses depending on Sunday
as the weeks big business day the Fuel
Administrations request presents a
problem. which. as one of the owners
told THE SUN yesterday. has us wing
ing"
They would rather have definite
order. with a penalty for disobedence
attached. applying equally to all. rather
than have II left to their personal con-
science. They say 1t is subjecting their
condolences to an awful strain. to be
compelled to decide what are essential
calls. They will ask DR.. Garfield for
specific rulings. and at least the Sight
| seeing Owners Association OF New York
will try to have the prescribed day
changed from Sunday to Monday.
Disarranges Week End Plans.
| Protests or no protests 1t Is certain
that New York will heed the Fuel Ad-
ministration's appeal. One result will
be the destruction of many plans for
the Labor Day week end. Long tours,
including Sunday trips, are being can
celled. and many who expected to leave
by motor Sunday will either stay at
home or use railroads.
In the expectation of increased train
travel the Railroad Administration has
arranged for additional service. Thus
far the marlborough and Brooklyn
| Rapid Transit companies have not
scheduled additional trains. but will
have reserves ready.
As rule the taxicab companies will
respond to all calls within the city, not
obviously for mere recreation, but will
decline to send cars out OF town. Some
who rent touring cars. which are gener-
ally engaged by Sunday parties bound
Tor the beaches or country riding. will
close UP Shop for the day. Others
say they are going to keep on running
until ordered to stop. The majority had
come to no decision yesterday except
| that that they were as patriotic as any
body but couldn't afford to lose a Sum
days business and would learn what
their competitors were going to do be-
fore they made up their minds.
Many owners OF taxicabs and cars for
hire wanted to know whether the Fifth
Avenue Coach Company was going to
stop its buses Sunday. They con-
sidered their cars as necessary as buses,
Buses Will Run as Usual.
The question was answered in short
order by an official OF the Fifth Ave-
nue. Coach Company. Said he:
| we do not believe that the request
or the Fuel Administration affects us.
we are operating public utility under
n city franchise over regular routes Our
buses will run as usual.
A spokesman for the Black and White
and Town Taxicab companies said:
We will conform TO the request from
! w ashlngton as we understand IT,
Notices will be posted in our garages d.
recting starters and chauffeurs to ac-
cept no calls for trips outside the city.
Between hotels and railroad stations, TO
and from churches and to and from
PHYSICIANS offices our cars can be hired
as usual. The restrictions we shall pla &c
upon our business will save from 1000
to $500 gallons of gasolene each Sun
day. We are trying hard to discourage
waste. and have asked all chauffeurs TO
shut off the engine when the car is
standing still. We will accede to the
Governments request in the proper
spirit. and make no protest"
representative of the Westcott Ex-
press Company said It's baggage trucks
would be operated as usual. but as to
taxicabs he was not sure
I'VE do not understand whether they
are allowed to be run he said. I'VE
are trying to find out from the Fuel
Administration"
Would Cost $1,000 Each Sunday.
Herman Truell. Broadway Taxicab
Company, West Ninety-sixth street, has
twenty-five touring cars. each Of which,
with its chauffeur has usually been used
for Sunday taunts.
! IF the Fuel Administration reoues,
applies to u.s. he said. at just puts a
terrible cr!mp In us, that's ALL We fee
that we are patriotic. but our Sunday
and subscriptions to the Red Cross and
days In the week. II we cut II out we
lose about $1,000 every Sunday, for thi.
is our best part OF the year. With the
new Liberty Loan coming in. War Saw.
ings Stamps to buy every now and Their
and subscriptions to the Fed Cross and
other war organizations this loss would
be pretty serious. I don't know we,
whether we'll run the cars or not"
John II, Naughton. Astor Garage, Is,
East Fifty-third street, knew what h,
would do. He said
I'VE have a flock OF touring cars, MOI
one of them will leave the garage Sun,
day for any purpose. That's the wa,
l interpret the Governments request"
The owners of sightseeing buses il
their appeal to Washington to hav,
Monday substituted for Sunday hay,
an argument which they deem irresisti,
BILE. This Is that Uncle Sam will lose
more in decreased war taxes than hi
gains In gasolene If he eliminates tn,
Sunday trips to Coney Island
Parallel TO Theatre Fuel Case.
There Is an per cent. war tax or
their receipts and the Government get,
16 cents for each ticket sold. Weekday,
few Of the buses go 10 Coney Island
They do Chinatown and the other city
sightseeing tours. and on tickets 70,
these trips there Is no war tax, so thu
Government would lose at least half IL.
revenue, according 10 Eugene Johnson
president OF the Sightseeing Owners As
ISOLATION.
Mr.. Johnson adds that IL would us,
no more gasolene by changing from Sun.
day TO Monday. for the mileage OF tn,
cars is the same on both days. AS h.
Views the problem IL Is exactly like thai
OF the theatre owners last winer, who
burned as much coal and used as much
light on slim night as on a big one
and were permitted TO choose their wors,
night for closing in the fuelless days.
Mrs. Schlesinger. who has an office
a. Forty-third street and Broadway
from which she directs three of the
sightseeing wagons. told THE SUN that
she paid the Government about $500 a
month In war taxes, large part OF
which It would lose II the cars were
idle Sundays.