Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-27
TAX|CAB WAR HELD
IMMINENT HERE AS
BLACKLIST RESULT
800 Meter Machines Are
Reported Idle by
Drivers Union.
TANGLED SITUATION
FACED BY LABOR BODY
Operators of 35-Cent Lines Are
Placed on UNFAIR List" by
Organization.

With the local taxicab drivers union
reporting 800 meter cabs idle here as
the result of operation of four new
companies which offer taxi tranSporta-
ton in the 'city proper" for IS cents.
and the new companies, according to
the union, mot interested" in enrolling
their drivers in the union and placing
their pay on the same basis as the
meter cab companies pay, one union
official today saw a taxicab war inn
minent in the District.
Meanwhile, operators of meter cabs
today denied they were forced to keep
cabs idle, while the two largest OBJ
orators of meter cabs reported business
was normal IN spite OF the operation Of
the 35-cent cabs.
Pending final acceptance or refusal
OF the terms of the union for enroll
ment of their drivers, operators of the
35-cent cabs have been placed on the
unfair" list by the Central Labor
Union, 1t also was learned today.
Says Drivers Face Blacklist.
e. G. Rayford, business agent of the
chaudeurs' union, the local organiza.
ton aff1liated with the American Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor in the taxicab busi-
ness, today declared the union is faced
with a gigantic task to unravel the
tangled taxicab situation that has been
presented with the opening I'D of the
35-cent cab business here.
He declared an ultimatum has been
given operators of the 35-cent cabs
to employ only union men or have
their drivers blacklisted. Already.
Rayford declared, is union men who
have gone over to the operators Of the
S5-cent cabs have been blacklisted,
while so more face blacklisting If they
continue to drive for the 35-cent cab
operators.
Rayford declared his union, which,
under an agreement with the operators
OF the meter cabs, is charged with fur
nishing drivers for the meter companies,
has named committee to recruit driv-
erS Tor these concerns. He has, he said,
request from one firm for 200 drivers,
but so far has not been able to hll
the order.
Opposing forces In the situation
chiefly disagree, he said, on the percent
age to be paid drivers. The operators
OF the 35-cent cabs, he declared, nav
the drivers only 80 per cent Of their
daily fares, while the other drivers get
40 per cent Of their fares.
Operators Deny Charges.
I'VE have taken the matter up with
the operators of the 35-cent cabs,
ana asked them to put their
drivers on a 40 per cent basis and
employ only union men. Their answer
has been that they are not interested
In organized labor"
Operators of the IS cent cabs today
denied they have told Rayford they are
not interested In organized labor. Heads
Of two Of the IS cent cab companies
today said they have put the unions
proposition up to their drivers, while
the other two companies report that
they are considering the unions
proposition.
Operators Of all four of the IS cent
cab comp anies, however, report 1t viii
be impossible TO operate IS cent cabs
on the basis proposed by the union.
Rayford declared that the 35-cent
cabs have driven from the streets 100 of
the cabs of firm which two months
ago operated 500 cars on the streets
Of the Capital.
Another company, Rayford declared,
has been forced to take 200-meter cabs
on the streets as the result of the oper-
alton of 35-cent cabs.
Rayford declared action by Congress
is the only ray Of hope the union has
Of cleaning up the tangled cab situa-
ton.