The evening world., 1919-01-09
TAXI "BUZzARDS"
IN HOBOKEN PREY
ON N.Y.PASSENGERS
EXtOrtiOn So Brazen a Regula-
ton. Ordinance viii BE
Passed There.

Buzz wagon "buzzards" that hang
around tho Hudson Tubes entrance et
Hobol,cn or tho piers and gra-
ciously offer TO bring passenger
10 the Grand Central station for from
$3.50 up 10 any sum they believe the
, Passenger viii stand arc being
tapped on tho wrist by the toboEcn
city officials. who propose in an or
| dinancc that the maximum for TINS
service snail bo fixed, at $3.50. The
| new ordinance which the city COM
! riissioners propose TO enact. although
| II involves Interstate trafiic. gives the
! taxicab owners about 81 moro trip
than reputable New York company
| charges for tho eamc service. The
rate from Hobokcu to tho Pcnnsyl-
vania station. under the Hobokcn or
dinancc. is $3.50. again about 81 more
J than is charged by the New York
company.
And a man can get tube train at
the same pot come TO the Hudson
Terminal, change to an uptown train
Iby taking dfty steps ana easily reach
I either station in ndlf an hour, and for
. 10 cents,
Complaints have reached The Eve
| ming World that extremely eNorbitant
+ charges were being made by the taxi
drivers. and that their principal prey
were army and navy men who ala not
understands tho workings OF the sun
/ way Whom "A reporter Tor Ihc Eve
ming WorlG approached one OF no
] i. . ts n
IT uch hc would charge To 20 to the
| Grand Central the driver said:
well, our regular price Is Sb6O'
bu, ri haul YOU over for $3.50 and
1t will take three quarters OF an
hour"
when inquiry was made at Mayor
GrifRn's office II was learned that
: complaints also had reached the Clty
Commissioners from army officers
and that the ordinance was pending
establishing rates for Hoboken and
for the trip to the New York sta
tons.
Tho proposed fares in part arc:
For each person within Hoboken CITY limits. $ as
10 rynnS'anls Railroad Dcpo, or oih.r psss
south ~ 3ith Street. New fofk CITY, one
Isr.on and trunk aud one grip. rslise or a.
IT, tArSss f,sss central Depot and piacrs north of
sith Street and South of lsth street. New
York Guy. prison and trunk and one q,
Heretofore IIobokcn attempted TO
regulate fares only in that city and
not TO New York. Mayor Griffin said
the new ordinance was the outcome
Of complaints to the Commissioners
and that they believed the New Yuri
fares equitable. He explained how
, they were Gcter.ancd. as follows:
I. Fare TO ferry.
(; .. Dead time" waiting on ferry o.
for ferry, fixed at 81.
3. Ferry charge OF 80 cents.
4. Fare from New York and OF ferr.
TO either station.
Thus person coming 10 New YoTi
from Hoboken would pay Is cents e
the ferry, 81 for dead time" 80 cent;
for ferry charge, and the New Norl
, tare, estimated by New York com
pany at about 81 TO either station
Tho total fixed charges would be $40
, the remainder being pruiits OF th'
business. 4 New York company VIII
haul a passenger from the Grand Cen
tral TO Hoboken for $3.50 and from
the Pennsylvania Tor $3.50. in compari
son 10 the llObokcn charges OF f.5'
and $3.50 respectively
we believe the figures we hGv,
hNcd in the ordinance are fair, al
things considered" said Mayor Grif
fin I'VE madL up the ordnance ii"n
by item and decided that the fares &
New York were not too high. Man
automobile owners have overchargo
| cut OF all reason, although there ar
some who have been carrying paS
sengers to New York for a long tim
at a reasonable rate. Their pas
sengers in sOrlo cases are so satistle
with the service that they tip tn
drivers"
Another official said that n drive
had been known to haul passenger
who wanted TO go to pier only
short distance away, all over HoboNCI
and then charge him $50.
II the ordnance is satisfactory 4
the city officials II appears 10 he n