Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-14

as ordinary machines. This was espe-
Cially true when called into the coun-
try.
Rep. Hale of Portland told the COM
mittee that he introduced the bill re-
quiring public automobiles in places Of
5000 or more population to be bonded
or to carry insurance as a protection
to the public and their nasscngar> He
said that under the present law those
who were y1crly irrcspuESiolc acre
operating public automobiles in all
sections of the State. 1t was a duty
which these people owe to the public,
said Rep. Hale.
l. X. 'Lib5ey. head of the Taxi Serv-
ice Co. of Portland. gave his approval
to the bill. He said that he would not
stay in the business a minute without
such security. 1t was a protection to
his company. to it's passengers and To-
pedestrians. His patrons appreciate
it. In Portland. he said, there were
many one-man cars; that is cars owned
and operated by their drivers, which
operated without any insurance. He
said that $4,000 policy on each taxi
cost 1919. This was cars that FUN in
all kinds of service. Cars used merely
for special hire. such as shopping trips
by women were insured for $175; that
was the first year rate; after that there
was reduction. He thought that small
places would have a better class of
drivers than the big places and could
see no reason why this would not be a
fair proposition for the city of Au-
gusta. His cars had had no serious
accidents since he took out the insur-
ance.
w. H. Fisher. deputy attorney
the proposed legislation was unjust
discrimination against the poor man
who was in the public car business.
He regarded it as move by the big
ger corporations to drive the little
fellows out and said that there was
no justification for it. They are now
double taxed, he said. because thew
nave to pay two license fees.
Philip II. Lovett of Portland.
head of the oldest taxi business in
Maine. who said that he operated
10 taxis. denounced the bill as a
scheme of Il few companies to drive
outithe little concerns-the one man
cars-with the idea that it would
help their business. There were
probably % of these cars in Port
land. he said. who would be put
out of business If this bill became a
"a w. hwy uiC CetIlilUS Il IlNlnE ana
are good drivers. he said.
There was spirited exchange of
comments between Mr. Lovett and
Mr.. Libbey of nature to indicate
that there is no loving exchange of
fluctuations each morning between
the taxi companies of Portland.
H. A. Shorey. Jr., Of the State
Highway Commission enforcement
stable. appeared in favor of the bill
which would incorporate the pres
ent regulations of the commission
with reference to headlights into
the statutes of Maine. He said it
was desirable for the moral effect II
would have. 1t would aid in prose-
cutting violators of the headlight law
In trial justice courts because. in
particular. it provided for a road
test. to determine whether lights
were legal or not.
Senator Brewster was in doubt nc
to whether this would make it pos-
sible to enforce the law any better
Assistant Attorney General Fisher
and Emery Wilson Of Portland ex-
pressed the opinion that under the
authority given the highway com
mission by the legislature these reg.