Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-12
Owners of 10-Cent Fare
TaxiS to Be Required to
Show Cause.
FIRST DAYS BUSINESS
POOR, OBSERVERS FIND
Drivers Appear Uncertain of Pro-
cedure as Few Passengers
Seek Rides.

Within four hours after the Diamond
cabs OF the Independent Taxi Owners
Association had introduced to WASH
ington a unique form Of cheap rush.
hour service for Government workers
the Public Utilities Commission made
its first definite move to exert control
and supervision over what it construes
as an unauthorized public carrier
service.
The commission decided, after careful
deliberation, to serve notice on the indi-
vidual drivers of the Independent cabs
to show cause why they started COM
mon carrier business without first hav-
ing obtained its permission as required
by the public utilities act. This will
have the effect of forcing the taxi
operators to appear before the COM
mission, step that they have thus far
deliberately avoided, feeling that the
commission had no jurisdiction over
them or the type of service they pro-
posed to give during the morning rush
hour.
Acts on CounseIS Advice.
The commissions action was taken at
the regular semi-weekly aneeting fol-
lowing advice from Ringgold Hart, as
sistant corporation counsel. that the
service started by the cabs today con-
stitutes a public carrier service and is
contrary to the rules and regulations Of
the commission. The commission also
had before 1t at the time official reports
from seven of its inspectors who rode
In the cabs this morning soon after they
began operation from IL designated pub
lie hack stands to downtown cffice
buildings. These reports contained the
name of the driver, his address, number
Of his permit badge. the route followed,
the time of starting from the hackStand,
the time Of arrival Of the cab at its
destination and the number of paSSen-
gers carried on the trip.
It was explained at the commission
that the notices would not be served
on all of the drivers who operated the
10-cent cabs, but only those seven In
whose vehicles the commissions inspec-
tors rode and collected evidence against.
The notices to the drivers will be
drawn up by Corporation Counsel VIII
liam w. Bride, who is the commissions
general counsel, and served on them
tacheS of the commission. No time
limit has been set for the drivers to
answer the notice.
May Issue Warrants.
Should the drivers refuse to respond
voluntarily to the commissions orders
Earl v. Fisher. its executive secretary.
said that warrants would be issued for
their appearance in court. Prosecution
could be instituted. he pointed out, un-
der section IS Of the public utilities act.
which preScribeS a penalty Of fine OF
5000 for each offenSe for the failure
OF a public utility to obey the orders
Of the commission.
Engineer Commissioner William B.
Ladue, a member OF the commission.
explained after the meeting that the
cabs, in the opinion of the commission,
had inaugurated q conlmon-carrier
service without the approval of the
commission. and had. therefore, clearly
violated the public utilities act The
commission now, he said. intends to
force them TO comply with the law.
We are going to call upon the tax
drivers to show cause why they hays
failed to comply with the law" de
clared Col. Ladue. If they refuse to
do SIS then We will decide upon anothe,
course Of action. What that might be
has not yet been determined Our Law
yerS win decide that"
Transit Lines Seek Protection.
There had been indications tina;
steps would be taken as soon as this
taHis began the jitney service TO in
Stitute injunction proceedings but this
procedure was abandoned temporarily
IN favor of what the commissions
counsel had advised would be more
logical course of action at this time.
The question also was unsettled as to
whether the commission should eStab-
iiSh precedent and take legal action
or whether IL should be done by the
transit companies, the parties injured by
the lo-cent taxi service. The tranSpor-
tation companies. however. have indi-
Gated TO the commission that they ex-
pect that body to protect them from the
unfair competition" which they claim
the cheap-rate taxi service constitutes,
The new l0-cent taxi service was
started as planned at 8 o'clock this
morning by approximately 100 Diamond
cabs, which operated under no fixed
schedules from II different public hack
stands to various designations in the
vicinity OF Government buildings
Burden on Drivers.
The venture. on the other hand.
proved 10 be financial burden 10 the
taxi drivers, who ran their cabs with
only one and sometimes only two or
three passengers over route which
ordinarily would have netted them rs
cents The public. II seemed. was
apprehenSiye that the su-
thorities might interfere and only the
Government workers with buoyed
apparently rode to work in
taNicab for a dime.
The taxi operators. however. we're not
discouraged as the result OF the firSt
days business and they have q feeling
that there viii be material increase
Just as soon as their unsettled status Is
adjusted. AZ the close OF the firSt days
operation, Harry c, Davis. general man
ager of the independent association, Is
sued an optimistic statement thanking
the public for its corporation and
placing the blame for the few number
II fares hauled on the Public Utilities
On behalf of the owner-driverS OF
the Diamond cabs, which today started
a new and cheap transportation service,
| wish to express our gratitude for the
cordial reception given by the public"
said Davis statement
Drivers Feared Arrest.
Threats emanating from the offices
of the Public Utilities Commission that
-