Evening star., 1934-04-09
PATMAN PREDICTS
APPROVAL Of AUTO
INSURANCE BILLS.
House District Committee
Due to Report Measures
FavorabIy.
COMPULSORY FEATURE
FOR TAxIS OPPOSED
Cab Counsel Proposes Alternate
Plan for Drivers Meeting
Court Judgments.

Indications that the two automobile
financial responsibility bills will soon
be favorably reported from the House
District Committee was given today by
Chairman Patman of the subcom-
mittee on streets and traflc at the
close Of lengthy hearing.
Mr.. Patman announced he favors in
principle the Mcleod bill, sponsored
by the American Automobile Associa-
ton, which has been rewritten into
the McCarran bill, following confer
ence with representatives of the prin-
cipal associations interested. This bill
covers motor vehicles in general.
Representative Patman advised the
District officials and representatives of
various taxicab and other transporta-
ton agencies regarding his views on
the taxi responsibility measure and
suggested they cooperate in drafting
bill along those lines which he said
he would be glad to support. Mr..
Patman said he was opposed to COM
pulsory insurance which had for its
principal purpose putting out of busi-
ness a large number of independent
taxicabs and drivers. He also favored
strong legislation that would reward
efficiency and carefulness in driving
for taxicabs as well as in the indi-
vidual operators bill.
High Cost Is Cited.
Calling attention to testimony that
the experience of the Diamond Taxi
cab Co. shows that it costs that con-
Germ IS month per taxicab to meet
the judgments for accidents, Mr.. Pat
man argued that it was gross injustice
to require such company to take
out insurance that would cost $50 a
month, saying that If the public re-
ceived only IS out of $50 in protec-
ton, the cost of protection was ex-
cesSive
Ringgold Hart, former assistant
corporation counsel, representing the
Diamond Taxicab Co. and the Inde-
pendent Taxicab Association, sug-
gested a system Of self-insurance for
the taxicabs. either through bond or
tAAA odSA4 . SA4A1AiS Aa41o WAAlSA1 WoA4a
be sufficient to meet all court judg-
ments.
He advocated that each company
file with the Public Utilities Commits
sion an admission of financial re-
sponsibility for each Of its drivers as
essential to proper protection of the
public. These suggestions met with
favor from Chairman Patman. Harry
L. Wender, representing the Fedora
ton of Citizens Associations and the
Southwest Washington Citizens Asso-
citation. and District ofncials as well
as taxicab representatives.
Van Duzer Present.
Among the District officials attend
ing the round-table conference were
Traffic Director Van Duzer, M. O. Ed
ridge, assistant traffic director; Riley
E. Elgin. acting chairman of the Pub
lie Utilities Commission; e. Barrett
Prettyman, corporation counsel. Other
attending the conference were Melvin
Sharpe, representing the Capital Trac-
ton Co.: Harry e. Davis, president Of
the Independent Taxicab Association;
T. S. Behler, representing the Amer
ican Automobile Association; Thom-
as j. O'Keefe, representing the Amer
ican Motorists Association, and Leon
J. Brill, representing the Bell and
City Cab Associations.
Representative Patman asked each
of the taxicab representatives to re-
port to Traffic Director Van Duzer
the number Of accidents that they had
in 1892 and in 1893 that resulted in
physical injury.
He also asked those sponsoring this
measure the three major reasons why
the hearing had been asked. Mr.. Van
Duzer said: First to equalize condi-
tions with contiguous States, like
Maryland and Virginia; to correct
habitual offenders, and third to pro-
tect the public generally from an ex-
ceSsive number Of cars in the city
and to bring about more stringent
rules for regulating the number and
kinds of cars being operated in the
District, where injured persons have
no recourse because Of the lack Of
insurance by individuals or companies.
Corporation Counsel Prettynan an
nounced he is In favor Of both of the
auto responsibility bills. He, however,
placed as Of first importance protec-
ton Of the public against accident
prone" drivers. He said the pending
bill represents the best thought of the
country On this problem.
Chairman Patman, Mr.. Wender,
representing the Federation of Citi-
zens, the District officials and others
emphasized the desirabiity of self
insurance either through a bond or
sinking fund as very desirable in that
1t would place curb on the rates
charged by insurance companies
which would be reflected in an In
creased taxi fare. Mr.. Elgin esti-
mated that compulsory insurance
should not result in an increase In
the charge Of more than cents on q
present zone rate.