Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-27
Independent Cab Driver
Attacks Meter Ruling
To the Editor Of the Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
1t is clear that the Public Utilities
Commission did not take into consid-
Grafton the most important questions
Of unemployment and the public's con-
venience when it decided that taxicabs
should be equipped with meters begin
ming January 10 next. It seems that
all it did was to listen to two of the
largest taxicab companies and to the
demands of the traction companies. 1t
did not take into consideration the
individual cab owner driver, who has
taken up taxicab driving in order to
make living.
I was out of work since last March
and tried every method possible to OBJ
tain some sort of employment that
would enable me and my wife and two
children to just get by, but down to
last August was still hunting for a
Job. Then a relative offered to turn
in his old car for a new one and con-
vert it into a cab If I would go into
the taxi business driving it for him, I
to get half OF the gross receipts. This
was little better proposition than the
cab companies offer to their drivers
and so I got into the taxicab business.
If the commissions ruling becomes a
law, my relative will withdraw his car
from the taxi business, because it will
be impossible for him to invest in a
$3.50 meter and at the same time meet
the payments on the car while allowing
me enough for my family to live on
out of the gross receipts. That means
I will be out of work again, or else
drive q cab belonging to one Of the
companies and make just enough for
And let me say right here that If q
canvass is made Of the taxicab drivers
it will be found that at least one
third of the driver owners will be put
out of work when the new law be-
comes effective, and they are men with
families. And If any one told you that
taxicab drivers make a lot of money,
that is but lot Of hooey.
The cab companies which have been
long in the business have asked for the
return of the meters because of the
competition they get from the individ-
ual owner-drivers. The companies are,
of course, In the business for profit
while the owner driver is in 1t to make
q living. The decision Of the Public
Utilities Commission was the result Of
not only the representations Of the
traction companies, but the cab COM
panteS whose cabs are, in the great
majority, already equipped with meters
These cab companies know that the
Individual oWner-drtVerS cannot afford
to invest in a meter. Thus they will
be forced to get out of the taxi busi-
ness and become drivers only for the
cab companies, or else remain idle.
And how about the public? But,
what Is the use? The public, as usual,
likes to be bunked. AS an example,
one of the cab company's cars Is get
ting the majority of the business now
in spite of the fact this company is
also responsible for the return of the
meter and the increase in rates. These
statements are facts and of record
They, the public, speak of not patron
izing the cabs after January 10, and
yet the cab company that helped to
raise the rates on them with the added
imposition of meter system is. the one
they are favoring now with their
patronage. r. E. EDWARDS.