The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-29
fraction Opens War On l0-Cent Taxi
SLATE PITCHED
COURT BATTLE
FOR THURSDAY
Car Company to Cite
IS Alleged Inju,,c-
tion Violafors.

The Tri.City Railway com.
pany started its open attack
against 10-cent taxicab opera.
tors at 1:3O O'clock this afterA
noon. Deputies from. the sher.
ifips Office halted the cars as
fast as they came across the
bridge from Davenport Writs,
in notice to the drivers, pre-
pared them to believe that un.
less they Immediately ceased.
after serving Of the writs, to
operate their ears in carrying
passengers, they would operate
ut more dire peril under the
complaint that is to be filed in
circuit court Thursday morn.
ing Of next week by the atter.
ney generals Office, for the II.
linois public utilities commits.
sion.
Its many lines Of intricate STRAIT
egems interviewer in the maze of
its campaign, the Tri-City Railway
company will enter critical
pitched battle of its war on the
ten-cent taxicabs in the circuit
court of Rock Island next Thursday
morning.
Attorney c. j. Searle, represent
ing the company, will have the asa
sistance of an adviser from the Of
fee Of Edward ]. Brundage, attor-
ney general of Illinois.
Mr.. Searle announced this morn
ing that there are Is taxicab OWL
ers who are to be cited in the bill
of complaint, for violation of the
permanent Injunction issued by
Judge W. T. Church in 1917 against
the operation of the so-called jit-
ney busses In competition with the
street cars.
The company has taken the case
before the stata-- public utilities
commission, and the persecution
will be in the form Of complaint
of the people Of Illinois through
the state utilities commission, rs
by the office of the attorney gen.
eral.
While 10-cent taxicabs have been
in operation in Davenport for some
time they began plying between
Rock Island and Davenport for the
first time on Jan. IL, the date when
the Scent fare became effective.
The street car company has no re-
course in the case in Davenport
against the taxicab operators ex-
cepting through the city council,
but in Illinois the public utilities
commission has the first power and
was responsible for the injunction
against the jitnies in 1917.
May Ask Damagesi
Attorney Searle would make 10
statement this morning whether or
not the company intends to ask
damages paid-by the taxicab men
for reducing the volume of busi-
ness that would have gone to the
street car company had the auto
!. mobiles not been put in use as
i passenger carriers. However, ne
said that the names Of the opera
tors of the cabs are known and that
each will be served with writs IN
the case, and will be compelled to
answer to the charge Of violating
the injunction against running OF
automobiles in competition with the
street cars.
The legal papers served on the
drivers today notified them of the
decree of the court in 1917. in
placing under permanent injunc-
tion the operation of so-called jit-
neys in competition with street
cars. While it was intimated by
an official Of the company, who
was watching the work of the dep
uty sheriffs, that coming court pro-
cedure might not recognize nor al
low leniency for any proclaimed
lack of knowledge on the part OF
the drivers, of the Injunction, he
declared openly that for the driy-
ers to continue operation after be-
ing served with the writs would
cause the full force Of the law to
uS CollCu UpOu tuc uCduo Va lAS
t2xicab men. 1t has been under
stood for some time that such linn
its Of the prosecution would include
efforts to obtain damages for loss
es In patronage On the street cars
While the work of handling the
stopping of the ta1icabs was car
ried out efficiently, many passen-
gers Of the cabs were at a loss tc
know what was going on, and when
the cars were brought to a stop
they hurried forth with puzzled ex-
pressions and asked numerous
questions.
| Men were noticed in the crowd
evidently workers for the company
who were busy jotting down state
license numbers on the cars, and
seemed to be making notes Of signs
on the busses prOclaiming the cars
"a In the passenger-carrying busi.
ness.
| WILL FIGHT CUT.
! Springfield, ILL.,, Jan. 29.-Presi.
dent John L. Lewis Of the United
Mine Workers of America, who is