Evening star., 1942-05-30
Taxi Drivers
Defer Date
For Strike
June IS Is Set;
Plan Legal Fight
On New Rute Plan

With the effective date of a
threatened taxicab strike postponed
until June Is, new move to prevent
the Public Utilities Commission from
putting into effect its new uniform
taxi zones and rates was being pre-
pared today by officials of the United
Taxicab Drivers, Inc.
Edwin A. Glenn, liaison officer of
the drivers union, announced that
q temporary injunction would be
sought to prevent the Utilities Com
mission from inaugurating the new
zone and rate system. He said a
suit for the injunction would be
filed in District Court probably on
Monday.
Mr. Glenn made the announce
ment at mass meeting last night at
which members of the union and
number of non-members agreed
unanimously to postpone the strike
call, originally set for midnight to-
morrow, until June Is.
Zone Inauguration Defined.
This action followed by a few
hours an announcement by the Util-
tiles Commission that the effective
date of the new zones and rates
would be postponed until June Is.
The new schedule was slated to go
into effect at midnight tomorrow,
but Chairman Gregory Hankin said
the postponement had been ordered
because the commission had been
unable to get mimeographed copies
of the zone rate order to the taxi
industry until today.
Called together to determine a
course of action in the light of the
commissions move, approximately
100 taxi drivers attended the mass
meeting at 808 I street NV. and
approved a motion to postpone the
strike The vote was unanimous,
although two or three drivers took
the floor to demand that the strike
60 on as originally scheduled.
Chairman Hankin was severely
criticized by Mr.. Glenn and several
others for allegedly refusing to con-
slider the demands of the drivers in
revising the zone and rate schedule.
Mr.. Glenn said petition was being
prepared requesting members of
Congress to impeach Mr.. Hankin"
and to make thorough investiga-
ton of the P. U. C.
Member Drive Urged.
Drivers who took the floor to
advocate postponement of the strike
urged that members of the U. T. D.
use the time between now and June
Is to recruit more members for the
union Without a strong member
ship, I'VE haven't got the backing
we need" said one man, who
pointed out that the union, organ
lied less than three months ago,
had only 62 members. A number
of non-members attending the ses-
sion took out memberships at the
conclusion of the meeting.
Mr.. Glenn charged that the new
system of zones and rates would
result in taxicab drivers getting less
revenue than they did in 1885, when
the rates were 20 cents for the first
zone, 80 for the second, 80 for the
third and 10 for the fourth.
Under the new schedule, he said.
so per cent of the present third
zone trips would be in the second
zone, with the result that drivers
would be getting 20 cents less for
such trips than they are getting
now. Similarly, 80 per cent Of the
fourth zone trips would be third
zone fares under the new system,
he said.
Sees S1.50 Daily Loss.
These and other reductions will
mean a revenue loss of about 81 150
per day for every driver" he de-
clared.
Discussing the demands the
U. T. D. has placed before the
Commission, Mr.. Glenn said men,
bers of the taXicab industry should
be permitted to elect man from
their ranks to sit with the P. U. c.
on all matters affecting the drivers
or the industry. The elected mem
Der also should be a member of
the Board of Revelations and Re-
view, he said.
Instead of the present 30-40-60-80
rate schedule, the fare for any trip
covering more than one zone should
be 80 cents for the first zone and
20 cents additional for each addi-
tional zone passed through or en-
tered, he said. Mr.. Glenn also
urged increases in the rates for use
of cabs on an hourly basis and for
waiting time.