New-York tribune., 1922-11-14
'TaxicabDrivels'
Legion of Honor
New Police I Plan
City to Drop 'sBig Stick and
Give Merit Shields 10
Deserving, Harriss Tells
Rockefeller Bible Glass
To Ban 5th Ave. Cruising
Enriglht Sees Time Near
TO Cut New Streets Or
See Traffic Paralyzed

The decision of the city authorities
to establish taxicab drivers legion
of honor was announced last night by
John A. Harriss, Deputy Police Com
missioner in charge of traffic, in the
course of speech before John d.
Rockefeller jrs. Bible class in the
Park Avenue Baptist Church, Traffic
problems were discussed at length both
by DR.. Harriss and Commissioner En-
tight
eve have decided said the deputy
commissioner, ''that this army of taxi
cab drivers can never be driven to do
better by the use of the big stick. No
such large body of men can be handled
that way, We have decided that We
must work from the other end, appeal
ing to their pride and their ambition
rather than the fear of punishment
That is the genesis of the legion of
honor idea.
How Plan Is to Work
"The plan will work something like
this: After the legion has been in ex-
istence for a year the records Of all
public chapfeurs will be examined
carefully Drivers against whom only
small number of violations have been
recorded will be awarded q legion
shield to atfix to their cabs. People of
New York will know at the first glance
at this insignia that the driver of the
car which bears it has merit, is to be
trusted, and should be supported and
hired. We believe that a plan along
these lines will work admirably"
In addition to bringing forward the
legion Of honor idea, DR.. Harriss an
nounced that the Police Department
soon would make public plan to re-
lieve congestion in the Fifth Avenue
section by eliminating the cruising
taxi from the district
According to this plan," he said,
"taxcabs will be permitted to stand
in the center of certain streets which
are to be set aside for their use. From
these parking spaces chauffeurs will be
summoned in order by signal system,
which will fash whenever a passenger
within the section of Fifth Avenue as
signed to the cars in that side street
New Streets, Enright's Plea
Commissioner Enright devoted his
speech to general discussion of the
traffic problem, in the course of which
he declared that unless new streets
were cut, the time soon was coming
when traffic would be paralyzed by
congestion which would stiffle COM
merce and drive business away.
"Ws hava Cono ahnut far na "
can 60 with regulation" the Commits
sioner said, land already congestion
has begun to drive business away from
the city The number of automobiles
is increasing at phenomenal rate, and
probably will double by 1925. The
problem Is tremendous one, and there
is only one answer--we must have more
space. We must have more streets,
not only north and south, but east and
west. That will cost lot of money,
but we can't escape it,"
Commissioner Enright also took oc-
casion to praise John D. Rockefeller
jr, who was present and sat at his
left, for his remarks of Sunday morn
ing, in which he decried criticism of
public officials, and urged, as stand
ard of good citizenship, that those in
authority be upheld and not spoken of
derisively while in office.
Fifty patrolmen Of the 31st Precinct
under Captain James G. Wall were the
guests of the class last night and
Deputy Commissioner barron Collier,
head fthe new department of public
safety, was also present. Mr.. Rookie
feller himself spoke only for moment
at the close of the evening, when he
promised the support of The church.
the class, and himself, to the quests.