Evening star., 1942-06-28
Randolph Asks
Hankin Report
On Cab Dispute
House Committee to
Seek Solution at
Meeting Tomorrow

the House District Committee to
present to the full committee to-
morrow a complete statement on
the taxicab situation and the atti-
tude of the commission.
The committee intervened in the
strike of several thousand drivers
Wednesday and was instrumental
In arranging a truce" that halted
the 17-hour protest against the
new rate schedule ordered by the
PUG.
After hearing Mr.. Hankins re-
port the committee will try to de-
eide on some course of procedure
to settle the differences. 1t was
indicated Mr.. Hankin may face
spirited cross-examination from the
committee members who have been
outspoken that there must be no
tie-up in essential transportation
here.
Hankin Delays Order.
There was also some criticism of
Mr.. Hankin by some of the men,
bers for his insiStence that drivers
observe either one schedule of
rates or the other and advise the
commission which would be used,
rather than use whichever was more
profitable on each trip. The men,
bers contended that this was not
brought out during the conference
at which the truce was arranged,
and at that time Mr.. Hankin had
agreed to let the drivers operate
under either rates.
At the District Building late yes
terday Mr.. Hankin. who had indi-
Gated he would issue a PUG order
that the drivers should adopt one
set OF rates or the other during
the interim, said the commission
had voted unanimously to withhold
issuance pending tomorrow's con-
ference since the House committee
has entered this field"
The major question pending, it
was indicated. was whether the
House group will undertake to study
the rate case itself and order"
some new rate schedule or whether
it will refer the issue back to the
PUG. Members of the committee
indicated they felt the situation here
to be different from that in other
Jurisdictions based on procedures in
other localities, as Mr.. Hankin in
dicated the new schedule here was,
should be disregarded at this time
The drivers have indicated pref
erence for a 30-50-70- -90-cent sched-
ule of zones in place of the present
30-40 -60-80 80-cent schedule. The new
schedule developed by the commits
sion and ordered effective June IS
divided the outlying zones into nu-
merous subzones with fares COM
puted for almost every possible
trip. Both drivers and the public
have found it difficult to under
stand the new schedule.
Mr.. Hankin said yesterday that
his statement to the House COM
mittee Wednesday had been that
the new rate order must stand,
but that in Difference" to the House
committee. since it called for a
rate investigation, no action would
be taken against drivers using the
old rates.
He said the PUG felt this does
not mean that drivers may shift
from the old to the new rates at
will. whichever may produce the
highest charge for each trip, but
that they should elect one and stand
by it. He said he had drawn up the
order to this effect, but on COM
mission action was withholding it
pending tomorrow's hearing.
Meanwhile E. A. Glenn. president
of the United Taxicab Drivers, Inc,
denounced published statements
about criminal element among
cab drivers in connection with the
vacation" taken by the drivers and
added he was not sure Mr.. Hankin
himself understands the new rate
schedule.
Mr.. Glenn cited a statement at
tributed to Mr.. Hankin in which
he said Mr.. Hankin gave the wrong
rate under the new schedule for a
designated trip which was itself i'm
possible because it would have ended
under the Capitol Building.
GIenns Statement.
Mr.. Glenn's statement follows in
full:
To-day the chairman of the Pub
lie Utilities Commission, Mr.. Greg
Ii, Stotpn1Pnt tn
the newspapers in which he openly
accuses the taxicab drivers of Grim
inal practices. A few days ago, this
same public servant" through the
same newspapers, accused the taxi
cab drivers of being Axis agents,
and endeavoring to sabotage the
transportation of the Capital City
of the United States. I am very
much inclined to believe that the
only place where the transportation
of the District of Columbia is liable
to sabotage is from the Office of
the chairman of the Public Utilities
Commission, in the District Build
ing. AS far as the taxicab indus
try is concerned, there is no sabo-
tage there.
I'VE, the United Taxicab Drivers,
Inc, want all our members to use
either the old or the new rates,
but not both rates. We say that
if you wish to use the new rates
for a few days, to try to see If you
can use them and understand them,
do so. But you must use them
for the entire day, and not for a
single trip. Or, you may continue
to use the old rates in exactly the
same manner.
Doesn't Know Own Rates.
Il am very much afraid that Mr..
Hankin does not know his own COM
pllcated rate schedule. Or, if he
did, he has not consulted a map
and he does not know this beautiful
city OF Washington. In today's
newspaper he is reported as saying
that the rate from Sixteenth and
Decatur streets NV to New JERSEY
avenue and South Capitol street,
under the old rate was 40 cents, and
under his new schedule Of rates and
zones is 80 cents. Reference to a
map will show there is no place
where New Jersey avenue and