Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-25
RECKLESS DRIVING
CHARGED TO TAX|S
AS WAR GOES ON
Traffic Officers Instructed to
Keep Close Watch on
Hackers.
RATES CUT BY YELLOW
AND BLACK & WHITE CABS
Some of Flat-Rate Companies May
Move for Truce Monday by
Adopting Uniform Price.

Complaints of reckless driving on the
part of Washington's taxicab drivers
engaged in an intensive "cut-throat
rate war caused Inspector E. w. Brown
in charge of the Traffic Bureau to issue
special instructions today Tor tranc
officers to keep the cabs under close
observation.
Inspector Brown also received COM
plants that the taxi drivers were cruls-
Ing along regular motor bus routes ana
street car lines, picking up fares, Dut
dust as long as the cabs observe tne
traffic regulations, the police can DO
nothing to stop this practice.
Some taxi drivers under normal con-
Giitions, Inspector Brown said. are reck-
less and take chances that the average
motorist would avoid, but since the rate
war started there has been an increased
tendency on the part of taxi men TO
speed UP in an effort to make money
on the lowered schedule of fares. mus
far, however, there have been no re-
ports of violence on the part OF the
keenly compelling taxi drivers.
Move for Truce Likely.
In the meantime, there were indica-
tions that some of the large nat rate
companies may bring the rate war u
an end Monday by agreeing to adop'
q uniform rate.
Leon Brill, jr., president Of the Bel
company, who has been instrumental
in steps already taken to bring the
warning taxi factions into agreement
said he hoped to arrange conference
some time Monday at which ot1cia
representatives of the fat rate COM
panies would be invited to participate
with a view to working out plan tc
end the rate hostilities. The Public
Utilities Commission, he declared, also
will be requested to take part.
Rate War Continues.
AS the rate war continued, taxi opera
tors who have stuck tenac1ouSly TO the
old 35-cent city proper rate finally sue
cumbed to the competition and an
nounced reductions that brought their
fare down on an even basis with the
cut-rate cabs. The latest to fall IN line
are the Black g. White and Yellow Taxi
Cos. which have a monopoly on the
Union Station and leading Motel ousl-
ness.
Notice of a reduction to 35 cents in
the so-called city proper zone was nleo
with the Public Utilities Commission
this morning by the Black & White
and Yellow Cos. The new rates are to
become effective Monday.
The Black g. White and Yellow COM
panies have operated on a meter basis
ever since the advent Of the f1at-rate
cabs more than year ago. charging
80 cents for the first mile and 20 cents
for each succeeding mile. Under the
new schedule, the meters will continue
to be used, but they will not SHOW a
charge in excess of 35 cents for any
where in the city proper zone. For the
second zone the charge will be 90 cents
The charge for transportation INTO the
third zone will be IS cents. Each zone
into which the cabs go WIN De 1eg,stele S
on the meters the companies explained,
TO prevent the driver from overcharglng
the passengers.
Commission Meeting Monday.
The seriousness of the rate war fnal-
~ moved the Public Uthltles Conl1ils ms:
sion. and preparations were made TINS
morning by both Maj. Gen. Mason M.
Patrick, chairman, and Harleigh n.
Hartman, vice chairman, to discuss the
situation at a meeting Monday. Rich
mond B. Keech, peoples counsel pelore
the commission, also planned 10 lake
part in the discussion.
What action the commission plans
to take, If any, was not indicated, put
Keech said he proposed to take steps
If necessary to bring about a sensible
solution" of the problem. II the com
mission fails to do anything, Keech
indicated, he would probably call
conference of the major taxicab oper-
ators and attempt to work out plan
that will restore the taxicab business
to normally.
The commission, Keech pointed out,
has the authority to regulate the taxi
cabs and establish reasonable" rates,
but its idea for some months has been
to do this by requiring all cabs to carry
meters Keech contends the installation
of meters will not solve the existing
problem, because it will force many OF
the hat-rate drivers out of business.
The situation can be remedied, Keech
explained, by the establishment OF a
fair meter rate for cabs that want to
operate on a meter basis and reason
able fiat rate for those that want to
run on a fiat-rate basis.
Keech declared the taxicabs cannot
give the public efficient and safe serv-
ice under the existing cut rates. Drivers.
he said, are entitled to make a fair
living wage, and that is impossible on
a lO-cent or 20-cent fiat rate.