Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-12
UTILITIES GROUP
TAKES ACTION TO
CONTROL "J!TNEYS"
Continued from First Page)

Continued from First Page)
cents per passenger caused hundreds OF
persons to shun us.
Many others failed to use the cabs
because they did not know that a CAP
marked 10 cents ana naming its doSti-
nation could BE- hailed on any street.
They can be hailed between 8 ana .
o'clock the same as any other hour OF
of the day.
THE Police Department had its hack
inspectors at most of the IL hack STANDS
where the cheap service began. and
some of the drivers stayed away fear
ing arrest.
1--WE are grateful for the words of
encouragement from many OF those
who used our service. They mean much
to our members. practically all OF whom
own their cabs and many OF whom are
Young university men, who operate CABS
to pay for their education"
Public Responds Slowly.
In accordance with their previously
arranged plans. the 100 Diamond cabs,
bearing a combination designation and
rate sign, were stationed at the IL dill
ferent public hack stands which serve
as termini promptly at O'Clock, I'M
patiently ready to introduce the unique
transportation service, but the public.
bit skeptical, perhaps, because OF the
involved situation, was SLOW TO RESPOND.
AS a factor to be reckoned with III
Washington's system of mass trans
portation. the first days operation
failed to make a decided impression
on the agents of the Utilities Commits
sion and the traction companies VINO
observed the inaugural of the Decent
fiat rate service in the vicinity of the
hack stands. The taxi operators had
enthusiastically contemplated hauling
1000 10-cent passengers at the outset,
but If they carried more than SUI tle
patrons must have been picked up en-
route to the downtown designations.
Business Fails to Rush.
Only a few of the cabs attracted
fares in the first 10 minutes OF opera
ton. and at no period in the hour from
8 to O'Clock was there what could
be described as O rush business, Some
of the taxis left the stands with one
and two passengers and others carried
three and four at the peak period, and
A few started on the journey downtown
with only the driver at the wheel.
There seemed to be an utter lack OF
understanding between the drivers as
to what to do, despite the tireleSS eifof's
OF Manager Davis, who made con-
tinuous Journey from stand to stand
in his own roadster to coordinate the
operation. In some instances the cabs
would start Just rs soon as pas
senger entered. In other cases the
drivers would wait for two, three and
four fares before leaving. Besides, the
drivers we're not certain whether they
should pick up additional fares along
their routes, or whethar they should
take only these who bearded the cabs at
the official hackstands.
Then. too. there seemed to be a mis-
on the part Of the riders
whether the fares should be paid on
the 'pay as you enter" system or
whether the usual custom should be
followed of collecting at the end Of the
Journey Either arrangement Sausfleo
the drivers.
P.U. c. Aide Takes Ride.
Although II was expected to be the
most profitable. the stand at IAipont
Circle drew only IL fares between
and O'Clock. One man was turned
on To the Chesapeake a. Potomac Tel
enhone S Office, on Thirteenth street
between q and Fl streets, for 10 cents,
whereas the designation Of these cabs
was Twenty-first and Il streets. OF
these IL passengers 4 were women and
| of them was an employe of the Pub
lie Utilities Commission who had been
instructed to take tho trip and make
a formal report,
sergt joseph y. Harrington. thu
Police Departments hack inspector
Police Inspector f. w, Brown, in charle
of the Traffic Bureau, and G, Me!'ln
sharpe, executive assistant TO Wiltam
+. Ham. president OF the washington
Railway & Electric Co. remained III
the vicinity OF the Dupont Circle stand
until the Decent service ended at
o'clock. Inspector Brown and Sargt
Harrington said they were not inter-
ested in the l0-cent service phase Of
the taxi business, but that they merely
were watching for violations OF the
hacking regulations which forbid more
than three cabs Of any one concern
from occupying public hack stand,
Sharpe Indicated that he was Just an
interested observ~v."
Cabs stationed at sixteenth and u
streets which operated TO the Navy
Building hauled nine passengers during
the hour OF service, while the ones at
Sixteenth street and Columbia road car
ried an equal number,
Business also was far from heavy OF
profitable for the cabs operating from
Fourteenth street and Park road TO the
District Building The first taxi 10
leave this stand carried an Inspector
from the Public Utilities Commission,
Others Report Few Fares,
Similar reports came from other
stands In different sections, with the
lone exception. perhaps. Of the one at
the intersection Of Florida and Connec~
tleut avenues, where the cabs left about
every 10 minutes with two or three fares, ,
The oabs on the stand at Twenty
second street and Pennsylvania avenue
hauled single nasaenger~v~a woman
from the starting point to the Bureau
Of En- eaving and Printing Cne pros
pactive patron was turned away ut aa1
o'clock three minutes before the close
of the first days operation
Reports from tn atands at Seventh