The New York herald., 1922-11-07
10000 TAXICAB MEN
DODGE BONDING LAW
State Bureau Says Police
Fail to Enforce Acct
dent Measure.
JUDGMENTS NOT PAID
10000 Pile Up While the
Chauffeurs Ignore In
Surance.
DEATH RATE 3 A MONTH
Enright Says Trouble Is
Drivers Don't Have to
Produce Proof.
DEATH RATE 3 A MONTH

The eTalbot-kaufman law, Which be-
came effective July /, 1922, and re-
ouires taxicab chauffeurs III the larger
cities to furnish accident" bonds has
been ignored by between 10000 and
1900 of the 10000 taxicahs operating
in New York city.
Virtually all the independents
against whom in particular the law
was aimed-have failed to file bonds
the Police Department keeps its hands
Off
This fact is shown in the records of
the State license bureau. The bureau
thames the police for non-enforcement
of the law, but the police say it can
not be enforced as it stands, because
rhauffeurs do not have to show proof
they are bonded.
Meanwhile there are, about $4,000
uncollected judgments against taxi
drivers who have killed or injured per
sons and cannot pay. and the taxicao
death rate in the city is three a month.
II was consideration of these facts
that impelled the Legislature to pass
the law. Similar laws exist in twelve
bther States.
The Twentieth Century Brown and
White Taxicab Owners Association.
comprising aboutd, 500 independent cabs.
held a meeting last night to decide
whether its policy should be to force its
members 70 obtain bonds
Brown and White Complaint.
A taxicab accident" bond, or its
equivalent In liability insurance. costs
approximately s45 a month. None of
the Independent associations. except the
Brown and White. has attempted to
make its members obey the law and the
Brown and White drivers cannot sec
why they should be compelled to do So
especially when their tariff is from 10
TO 80 cents a mile less than most OF the
other independents.
David Rosen of Eatz & Rosen, at
torneys for the Brown and White Asso-
citation, said yesterday he personally ap-
proved of the law, but until the police
enforced 1t ii was an injustice to the
taxicab drivers who complied. His as
sociation has almost been disrupted
by ii.
As soon as the law went into effect.
Mr.. Rosen said, the Brown and White
chauffeurs were told they must carry
bode. About 800 refused. The associa-
ton now has thirty law suits on it's
hands to enjoin some of these men from
using the color or monogram copyright
by It. 1t expects to enjoin all OF them.
The way the law Is evaded Mr. Rose
taid. Is by the chauffeur obtaining a
binder from a bonding company for so
and showing this TO the State license
bureau as evidence that the bond has
been secured. AS soon as the applicant
gets his number plates and papers he
tancels the binder by refusing to pa
the premium.
The bonding company notifies the
State Tax Department, which informs
The Police Department that such and
such a public hack driver has lost hts
license. According TO Tax Commissions.
Walter II. Knapp that ends il.
so far the Police Department ap-
pears 10 have paid no attention to our
Offices" Mr.. Knapp said yesterday.
The Cfty's Opinion.
In answer TO this Commissioner En-
light said he had an opinion of the Law
from the Corporation Counsel, who
says:
''rt is obvious that this law imposes
TO duty on the chauffeur or driver 20
have In his possession any evidence that
the law has been complied with by the
owner OF the vehicle. The penal clause
islimited TO denouncing the owner who
shall operate or cause to have operated
such vehicle while the required bond
u not on file with the Tax Commits
sioner."
Mr.. Rosen said the public evidently Is
not Interested lie thought il was n
hardship 20 ask some chauffeurs 10 get
bonds when the police did not try to
prevent others from operating without
bonds. The Brown and White Associa-
lion began by about 1900 Of its 1900
members agreeing to pay the $40 a
month bond premium. Now, however
only about 500 are keeping up the pay
;nent
About the only other taxicabs in the
city that are bonded are those owned
by large corporations. Mr.. Rosen said.
such owners would be responsible for
damages In any case.
The Talbot Kaufman law has been
tested and upheld in the courts three
times---once In the United states Dis
trict Court. once In the State Supreme
Court and once In Special Sessions. the
latter to determine II violation was a
rrirdemeanor