Evening star., 1942-08-26
Cab Drivers Will Vote
Sunday on Whether
To Take Vacation
Union Chiefs Also Plan
To Submit Tire Shortage
Problem to Meeting

Fifteen hundred members of the
United Taxicab Drivers, Inc, will
meet at 2 pm. Sunday at 808 ]
street NV. to decide whether tht
issues involved in the current unior
dispute with the Public Utilities
Commission are grave enough te
warrant another "vacat ton"
The meeting was called late yes
terday by the unions board of di-
rectors, which also voted to ask the
House District Committee to set up
a group to investigate actions OF the
PUG.
Two other matters of Importance
to the drivers, cab rentals and
tires-the latter, according to union
officials, may also lead to strike
are on the agenda of Sundays meet
ing. The union membership will be
asked to take steps in connection
with the current tire shortage, which
is slowly forcing cabs off the streets,
union spokesmen declared.
Edwin A. Glenn, president of the
union, said his organization would
not countenance continuation OF
conditions which are compelling cab
drivers to go out of business "one
by one" because of the lack Of
rubber. He contended that there are
plenty of tires available in the city
and that they are being allowed to
deteriorate in storage or on unused
cars.
Many Cabs Tires Unsafe
IT don't know what can be done
about it," Mr.. Glenn said. 'but I
do know this-we're not going to
allow our members to drop out of
business one by one"
Asked what alternative he could
suggest, he intimated that, if the
situation is allowed to continue, the
union would withdraw all it's cabs
from the streets.
Mr.. Glenn reported that he had
received some assurance from the
OPA that cab drivers would be per-
mitted to buy new tires.
I'VE represent an important ele-
ment in the war transportation
picture" he said. "Taxicabs in
Washington handle 20 per cent of
the total transportation. We carry
more passengers per pound of rub
ber than the buses do"
He estimated that 80 per cent of
the tires on taxicabs today are un-
safe. 1t is difficult for cab drivers to
obtain recapped tires, he explained,
because after the long delay in OBJ
tanning rationing certificate, their
tires are usually too badly worn to
permit recapping.
Ceiling On Rentals Set.
The meeting also will be asked to
take suitable action to enforce CELL
ings on taxicab rentals, which Mr..
Glenn said had been ordered re-
Gently by the OPA on the basis of
March rentals Firms which rent
cabs to drivers, he said, had in
creased their charges several times
since March.
The latest controversy with the
PUG began when the commission
recently Cancelled a rehearing on
the new zone schedules, originally
slated for tomorrow. The session
was Cancelled, the PUG explained,
after the union had failed to post
a $3.50 assessment charge to cover
the costs of the hearing.
Mr.. Glenn explained that his
union was not interested in an
other hearing and maintained that
the House District Committee on
June "a had instructed the PUG
to hold a rehearing within 80 days
and review its order which set up
q new zone map and rates. Since
that hearing was not held within
the prescribed time, Mr.. Glenn said.
the PUG is now bound to review its
order without another session.
The commission yesterday in
formed the union president that
1t intended to take no further ac-
ton in relation to the zone rates
at this time.