Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-27
Keech to Meet With 0per-
atorS Later in Effort to
Avoid Official Interference.
CUT IN STREET CAR
PATRONAGE EVIDENT
Police Watch Low-Fare Machines
for Traffic Violations, but Make
No New Arrests.

Inc ta$lcab rate war marked time
To-Day pending two meetings at which
some efforts will be made to straighten
out the tangle which has resulted from
indiscriminate rate-slashing in the past
week This afternoon the taxicab sit
uation will be the only business before
the Public Utilities Commission. Some
Counsel Richmond B. Keech will pre-
side at meeting Of members OF the
industry in which some effort will be
made to straighten out the rate war
without official interference.
Corporation Counsel William w
Bride was requested early this morning
to furnish the commission with an opin-
ion as to what its power over taxi rates
are. Mr.. Bride said afterward that 1t
was not a subject on which he could
speak at moments notice and pointed
out that his expert on public utilities
matters William A. Roberts is on leave.
The public utilities act nowhere men
tons taxicabs, and whether the COM
mission has the power to step in and
fix a uniform rate for all cabs or a
minimum rate is debatable ground.
Will Seek Some Solution.
Nevertheless, the commission will en-
deavor to find some solution to the
present rather chaotic situation, when
there are almost as many different rate
schedules as there are taXicab concerns.
More hope of a real solution is ex-
pected from the conference of the fiat
rate concerns with Mr.. Keech. This
will be held at the suggestion OF Leon
J. Brill of the Bell Cab Co. and AL
bert w. jacobson of the City and Stop
Me Cab Cos. They requested the con-
ference of Mr.. Keech by telephone this
morning, suggesting that it be held
today. Mr.. Keech. however, suggested
that the operators might better wait
until after the meeting of the Public
Utilities Commission this afternoon to
see what the commission intends to do
Mr., Keech will attend the commits
sions meeting. No definite date has
been set for the conference, over which
Mr.. Keech will preside.
Three Drivers Change Rates.
Meanwhile three individual drivers
filed new reduced schedules today, all
of them different. j. B. Carroll of 633
street southwest, who previously had
rate of IS, so and IS cents by zones,
dropped his rate to 20. 40 and so cents.
]. r. Johns of 1908 Twenty
street sent in schedule for four zones,
but failed to mention the boundaries of
the zones. The schedule is is. 80. As
and 60 cents.
F. P. Burke Of 8l1 D street north
east contented himself with two zones
for which he announced charges of 25
ard so cents. He also failed to men
ton the boundaries of these zones, but
added that he would make no charge
for baggage.
None of the larger concerns an
nounced any change Of rates, nor is
any expected until the Keech confer
ence is held.
Favors Low Fares.
Mr.. Keech said today that he had no
definite ideas to put before the con-
ference He said that he is in favor
of low fares for taXicabs as for all other
! public utilities and that the public
seems satisfied with the low fares now
obtanable. He said he believed that
there was room for zone fares and
meter cabs both in town and did not
think that either system should be
adopted to the exclusion of the other.
He was likewise doubtful as to what
the power of the Public Utilities Com
mission was over taxicabs, but thought
that some satisfactory arrangement
would probably result from the industry
itself without any official prodding.
Meanwhile traffic policemen were con-
tinuing to keep close watch on drivers
of the various cut-rate taXis as result
of complaints that some of them were
driving faster and with less care than
before the fee-slashing competition
| began.
No Arrests Since Saturday.
Although this surveillance resulted in
the arrest Saturday of several cab
drivers for speeding and violation OF
! parking regulations, no such arrests
| have been made since then.
Despite the complaints, however,
many Washingtonians continue to pat
ronize the cut-rate taxis instead of the
street cars, riding to their places OF
business for next to nothing by the
simple expedient of dividing the price
of a 10, IS or 20 cents cab between
two or more persons.
While officials of the two street car
companies declined to discuss the sit
uation, 1t was understood noticeable
decrease in the number of car and bus
riders had resulted from the COMPETE
ton offered by the taXiS.
Cab drivers continued to practice
! inaugurated when the ce-whittling
contest began-of cruising along street
car routes in an effort to pick up fares.
hH0rN