Evening star., 1942-04-14
Cab Cost More
Than Income,
Hearing Told
P. u. G. Aide Uses
Bus Driver Pay as
Fair Wage Guide

Evidence to show that Washing
ton cab drivers are receiving less
than the cost Of operation plus rea-
sonable wages for time and service,
under existing rates, was presented
to the Public Utilities Commission
today as it opened public hearings
on a proposed new system of uni
form zone rates
There was pending for considera-
ton the detailed new zone and sub
zone plan and rate formula pre-
pared by the commissions staff and
offered for public consideration re-
Gently by Commission Chairman
Gregory Hankin. Later in today's
hearing the commission staff was
to propose schedule of charges.
Costs Exceed Revenue Figure.
v. A. McElfresh, chief accountant
Of the P. u. c., testified:
That the average operation cost
for Washington taxicabs, including
tires, oil, repairs and investment, is
5 cents q mile;
That, while there was no exact
comparative measure as to what
should be the wages OF cab drivers,
the commission staff had used as a
guide" 70 cents an hour paid to bus
drivers Of the Capital Transit Co.,
That use Of the cents mile op-
Grating cost and 80 cents an hour as
wages showed that the total cost to
the driver In the case Of all trips at
the present temporary rate Is more
than the revenue received;
That only about 48 to so per cent
of the taxi drivers time is revenue"
time, in comparison with the total
time he supposedly Is in service, and
that the ratio of revenue" mileage
to total mileage is between 54 and
81 per cent;
That the average net earnings per
day, for service in the District. is
s4.06. and that about per cent of
the overall mileage of Washington
cab drivers should be eliminated
from scientific analysis of cost
revenues and charges as not being
driven actually in taxicab service;
and that about 81 per cent of the
cab drivers service time also should
be eliminated as not being actually
in cab service.
Testimony Interrupted.
Several times during the morning
session the audience interrupted
testimony. Repeatedly Chairman
Hankin insisted that the hearing be
conducted in an orderly fashion. At
on time, when several cabbies were
shouting questions or protesting
portions of the testimony Of Mr..
McElfresh, Chairman Hankin gave
them fatherly lecture. He said:
This proceeding is very impor-
tant to both the drivers and the pub
lie. We want to arrive at the facts.
When came here Ito this commits
sion) I was told taxi hearings were
not orderly proceedings, and at one
time found that so. Such hearings
could be as orderly as any other
before this commission or a court.
We cannot decide these issues on the
basis of who makes the most noise.
Taxi drivers are just as much gen.
tlemen as other people-but if there
are those here who think they can
gain point by shouting or beating
the table-then we will have TO ad-
jorn to meet later, and then admit
only those who will behave"
Hankin Plan Subdivides Zones.
The best advertised plan so far
awaiting commission decision is that
known as the Hankin plan which
has four basic zones, with different
boundaries than the existing four
zones, and with the second, third
and fourth zones subdivided into 81
subzones. In an attempt to prevent
relatively high charges for a short
trip from one side of a zone or sub
zone boundary to the other side, the
plan proposes that on any trip, re-
gardless of zone or subzone bound
aries, of one mile in length or less,
the charge would be no more than
two-thirds of a one-zone charge.
Under the present temporary rate of
80 cents for a trip confined to one
zone, this would reduce the charge
for trip of one mile or less from
BE- 81 b.