Evening star., 1933-08-21
D. c. TAXI SITUATION
INCLUDED IN CODE
PLANS OF INDUSTRY
N. R. A. Is Asked to Appoint
Commission to Make
Local Study.
AGREEMENTS ON RENTALS
AND LEASES ARE BANNED
No Provisions Made to End Zone
System or Insist on
Meters.

The code Of fair competition of the
taxicab industry. carrying with it a rec
ommendation that the National Re
covery Administration appoint a COM
mission to study the muddled taxi STU
alton in the District with view to
bringing order out of its chaos, was
made public today by the National As
sociation of Taxicab Owners.
Tile code bans any rental or lease
agreement between drivers and cab
owners, and provides specifically that it
Is unfair competition for any taxicab to
be operated or driven by any person ex-
cept the bona f1de owner thereof or his
duly authorized servant, or employe, or
under any arrangement between the
owner and driver whereby the owner is
assured fixed income regardless Of
the earnings Of the cab.
The code does not provide for elimi-
mating the zone system or insisting upon
taximeters, but the Independent Taxi
cab Operators Association, operating
about a third of the cabs in the Dis
trict, today served notice that so days
after the code is approved it will appeal
to the President to make taximeters
mandatory here.
Little Difference for D. c.
Other than getting rid of the rental
system, the operation Of the code, as
written, would make little difference in
the District, as compared with present
conditions There is no minimum wage
or maximum hour provision for taxi
cab drivers. For employees of taxicab
concerns other than drivers or certain
supervisory workers. there is provided
a $12 minimum wage for 48 hours,
which works out at Is cents per hour
The code says in part: The taxicab
business is a 24-hour per day. 365
days per year service. Labor constitutes
large percentage Of the operating
cost Shortening Of work hours per
day and increasing rates Of pay to the
extent as provided in the blanket code
recently promulgated by the President
would greatly increase the already bur-
denSome amounts paid in salaries and
wages. Such increases in these items
| of expense would unquestionably throw
| great many operators not now in
such q state into bankrupt condition
| and the industry does not believe tha
such result is desired by the Feders
Government by enforcement of the Pre-
visions of the national recovery act"
The code contains the usual provisiC
allowing labor to bargain collective
but adds:
"The taxicab industry is open
| capable employees without regard to
their membership or on-membership
in any labor organization. The taxicab
industry firmly believes that the un-
qualified maintenance of this principle
| is In the best interest of both employe
and employer The selection, retention
and advancement of employees will be
on the basis Of individual merit with
out regard to their affiliation or nom
afiliation with any labor organization"
Rate Provision Text
The rate provision Is:
! When equipped with taximeters, the
fare charged by taxicabs shall be COM
puted by the taximeter. On all taxi
cabs, whether equipped with taximeter
or not, the rate of fare shall be based
on study Of operating costs plus rea-
sonable profit under local conditions.
| Operating cost must include adequate
reserve for depreciation, public liability,
obsolescence, etc"
| Most of the operating requirements
] are left up to local regulatory bodies.
For instance, as to insurance, long a
battle-ground Of the taxicab industry
| here, the code merely provides that cabs
shall comply with local ordinances.
There is no local requirement for insur-
ance here.
The resolution asking the N r. A. to
have a commission investigate the taxi
situation here reads:
| Resolved, That this meeting respect
fully requests the National Recovery
Administration, with which, and with
the President of the United States. this
convention is heartily cooperating in
the effort to increase employment and
stabilize industry, including the taxi
cab industry, to appoint commission
or committee to thoroughly investigate
taxicab operating conditions in the Dis
trict of Columbia 50 as to bring order
out Of chaos in the city of Washington,
where taxicab conditions are unsatis-
factory both from the public standpoint
and the operators standpoint, and
where conditions are such that both
operators and employees engaged in the
taxicab business are working at great
| disadvantage; and
Further resolved, that such commits
sion or committee also investigate con-
ditions with the object of determining
whether the taMcab-operating situation
would not be much improved if taxi
meters were installed on all taxicabs
operated in the District Of Columbia -