Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-19
The More the Merrier.

The confused tangle resulting from
competition Between two forms OF COM
mon carriers one of them the street
cars. subject to strict regulation; the
other the taxicabs, practically free
from any regulation. promises to ADD
another knot. The prospect now is for
competition between the taxicabs on
the same sort of basis-one group Of
taxicabs coming within regulatory pro-
hibitions laid down by the Public Utufs
ties Commission, the other group re-
manning. for the time being, free from
any such regulatory prohibitions.
The Public Utilities Commission has
declined to grant the petition of the
Black e. White and Yellow taxicab
companies to reduce their rates to the
2O-4o- 6O-cent zone scale now used by
other taxi companies. The new taxi
cab code. supposed to have become e1-
fective on the 10th Of this month, pro-
hibits reductions in rates until all taxi
cabs have complied with the meter-ln-
stalling order. Yet the meter-installing
order is before the courts. Its validity
is at stake. and if it is declared to be
valid. it will not be applied until sixty
DAYS after the decision of the courts
Tn the meantime the House has gone
on record as opposing the meter order
To add lust little more confusion, the
meter-installing order is merely part
of the new taxicab code, while the non
rate-reducing order is another part.
The validity of the code apparently de-
ponds upon the validity Of the meter
installation order.
It is difficult to conceive any condi-
ton that would uphold the Public JUL
tiles Commissions view that a minority
of cabs must operate at high rate Oh
fare in competition with the majority
already operating at low rate. 1t Is
only natural that the Black & White
Co, and the Yellow Taxicab Co. have
taken the same view of the matter, and,
despite the commissions refusal TO
grant permission, have gone ahead and
adopted the new rates without waiting
for acceptance or refusal of its petition.
Apparently the city is in for a con-
vincing demonstration of the utter
futility OF attempting to deal with the
taxicab situation without specific leg
islation The Black g. White and the
yellow Taxicab companies are evidently
preparing for such demonstration py
bringing to Washington large number
of new taxicabs and operating them at
the prevailing low rates of fare. II this
precipitateS another @"war"> there IS
little doubt that its outcome will be
strict regulation of the cabs as common
carriers 1t is absurd to believe that
any group serving one class Of the pub
lie has the right to the special privileges
enjoyed by the taXicabs, or that they
can be allowed to compete. unregulated,
with other ferns of regulated trans
portation.
If a demonstration of how the streets
may be monopolized by unregulated
taxicab operation is the only thing that
can hasten reasonable regulation
bring on the demonstration! 1t is
high time that definite action be taken
to put an end to the dangers inherent
in such a condition.
Tremendous hubbub over locking the
stable after the horse is gone and seek
ing to discover whether the provisions
of the so-called La Toilette anti-merger
act have been violated in reported pur-
chase Of local companies by outside
interests will not accomplish much.