Evening star., 1937-07-13
$50 Night Drivers Reported
0ut-Support Of Day
Hackers Sought.
AIM TO TIE UP ENTIRE
CITY, SAYS SECRETARY
Walkout Comes on House Failure
to Couple Cab Limitation
With Insurance.
BACKGROUND

For tUo years many taricob op-
orators hare sought increased rates,
teuer cabs on the streets. The
Public Utilities Commission granted
O rate increase In 1885 but the
number of cabs has no limit. House
District Committee last month
agreed to cab-limit bill, but House
bitterness at the Utilities Commits
sion led to noting the bill doun.
With $50 night-shift cab drivers
reported on strike, Morris Hollod,
secretary of the Industrial Brother.
hood Of Taxicab Drivers, a c. I. O,
unit, today launched a campaign to
persuade day drivers to join in the
protest against passage of the compul.
sorry liability insurance bill by the
House yesterday.
We want to tie up the whole city"
Hollod declared at a noon meeting Of
Is striking drivers at the Topographic
cal Temple, 425 G street. we want
every cab on strike. The job Of seeing
that this is done is your job" The
night drivers met at 3 am
Action of the House in killing leg.
slatlon which would force reduction
of the number of taxicabs in Wash.
ington and thereby pave the way for
higher rates with which to defray ths
cost of compulsory insurance angered
the cab drivers and brought on the
strike, Hollod said.
Method of Reduction.
The method Of reducing the number
OF cabs as desired by the brotherhood
would be through refusal to issue re-
placements Of hacking licenses for the
first 1900 drivers who turned in their
licenses and quit the business. There
are about 1000 cab operators in
Washington.
Hollod said the brotherhood Was
unwilling at first this morning to call
strike, but the stand Of the drivers
led the officers of the brotherhood ia
agree
When we saw that the men vera
out to strike We told them that tho
Industrial Brotherhood was with them
to the end" Hollod told the meeting
In the temple. The brotherhood
claims $50 members.
Hollod said he had received reports
that the big taxicab associations ara
threatening expulsion of drivers who
join the strike movement.
We will have to resist such action
Hollod said. L don't think We have
bitten of more than we can chew"
Insurance Bill Up to Senate.
Because the insurance bill has vet to
pass the Senate, Erwin Dollar. presi.
dent OF the brotherhood expects Ia
give some thought during the next few
days to the appointment of a drivers'
committee to meet with members Of
the Senate District Committee to ex.
plain why the hackers want either
both bills or no bill.
Buses and railroad trains are NOT
compelled to carry liability insurance,
Dollar said 80 why should We unless
We are going to be able to get soma
extra money to help pay the cost Of
the insurance."
At the close of his Commute ex-
hortation, Hollod asked the driverx
present to go out and induce hackers
still operating to join the strike. Tho
brotherhood has set this midnight AZ
the time for another meeting in tho
typographical Temple to coordinate
the activities Of day and night strik.
ing drivers.
Recruits Sought.
In connection with the meetings
cruising strike supporters have gone
over the city since morning seeking to
gain recruits.
1t was reliably stated, however.
that the strikers are for the time
being. at least, limited to independ-
ent nom association drivers, who will
ind 1t difficult if not impossible to
put up the large bond required by
the liability bill which must be ap.
proved by the Senate before it be.
comes law.
Bond Would Reduce Cabs.
The problem of the bond, it was
pointed out, would in the long run
DO indirectly what a taxicab-linita-
ton bill would have done directly-cut
down the number of cabs on the
street Most associations are ex-
pected to take care of the bonds Of
their members if the bill becomes 4
statute.
The strike is the first serious labor
trouble IN Washingtons transportation
field since June. 1885, when all cabs
refused to carry passengers for one
day at the height OF the Shrine con.
vention.
The taxi insurance bill passed with
(See TAxIS, Page A-5)