Evening star., 1942-07-15
Taxi Operators
Compromiseon
Dime Rate Hike
30-9O-Cent Base,
Subzone System
To Be Given Trial

A lucent boost In the baSlc
taxicab rates to be applied to the
debated new zone and subzone sys-
tenn, pending further consideration
of what should be permanent zone
boundaries, is expected to be or
dered today or tomorrow by :ne
Public Utilities Commission.
This was the unwritten but still
definite agreement between the
commission and spokesmen for the
| cab industry. reached at a confer
ence of three and a quarter hours
yesterday afternoon in the Office
of Gregory Hankin, PUG chairman.
The conference had been called
to consider procedure for a public
hearing for reconsideration of the
commissions zone rate order, as a
result of the House District Com
mittee action that halted the one
| day taxicab strike June "a. But
out of it came acceptance of a new
compromise that would boost the
basic rates to 30-5070-90 cents and
give at least a short trial to the
zone and subZone system which had
been ordered by the commission to
60 into effect June IS.
Hearing is Promised.
Edward A. Glenn, president OF
the United Taxicab Drivers, Inc
which staged the June "A strike and
which has fought the subzone plan,
exacted from Chairman Hankin a
pledge that hearing would be
called by the middle of August for
consideration of requested changes
in the zone boundaries and other
notifications in the zone rate plan.
During most of the afternoon Mr..
zone system against all objections,
| insisting that it was not compli-
Gated but instead was simpler than
the old system He challenged op-
ponents to state why the specific
charges for trips from one zone or
| subzone to another should not be
posted in the debated "compli-
Gated" rate chart. During most of
the session. Mr.. Glenn declared the
members Of his union would not
accept the subzone system, and
John H. Royer, jr., president OF the
Premier Cab Associat ton and spokes-
men for the Combined Cab Serv
ices, Inc. protested that the man
agement group wanted "simpli-
fed four-zone system, as against
the commissions 21-subzone plan.
Four Compromises Rejected.
All afternoon there was rather
unanimous agreement that increased
costs of tires and gasoline and the
recent boost in the wages OF bus
operators (as related to the value
of the time Of taxi drivers) would
Justify a 10-cent boost In the pres
ent basic tax rates, but compllca-
tions arose time and again as to
what should be the zone boundaries
or use of subzones. No less than
four compromise proposals were Of
fered and knocked down before the
final bargain was reached.
James H. Flanagan, commission
vice chairman, argued that the
| practical solution was to act on an
| immediate boost in rates with an
| understanding that the commission
promptly would consider proposals
| for zones as soon as necessary evi-
dence could be collected.
He finally won out after Mr..
Royer and Mr. Glenn accepted the
compromise plan on pledges OF
prompt consideration OF proposed
zone changes.
In the case of Mr.. Glenn, it ap-
peared this was conditioned on con-
sideration of proposals for abolition
of the 2l-subzone system by August
| Is. At one point, Mr.. Glenn in
sisted that he had been advised by
his union attorney and seven other
lawyers that the PUG zone rate
order could not legally De placed
in effect until the PUG had acted
formally on one Of the union petit
tions which Mr.. Hankin agreed still
rests before the Commission.
Important parts in the by-play
were taken by Ringgold Hart.
counsel to the Diamond Association,
who served recently as moderator"
of the PUG conference committee;
and BY Harry Davis, the Diamond
president. After Mr.. Hart had de-
clared that "a good compromise is
better than a law suit. anyday, "
Mr. Davis said he would go
further than that" and declared:
Davis Gives Views.
OI ho ic
sions zone and subzone plan had
come from some people who have
preached the doctrine of hatred
He added that he thought the
taxicab industry shouldn't be in
Inundated any longer by threats of
strike" and that 80 per cent of the
men who went on strike June "a
didn't want to strike and that
''it was time" the taxi drivers be
given 30-50-70-90 rate.
Had such rate been ordered by
the commission at the time it is
sued its new zone rate order, Mr.
Davis declared, there would have
been no real opposition to the order"
1t was after these remarks that
m1. Slcilll Sdlu lie t1lOlSIlb HldSUe
the union members would accept
the compromise plan if they had
assurance of hearing by August
Is on the zone questions. Mr.. Royer
then said he would urge acceptance
by the management group if SINH
lar stand would be taken as to
union members by Mr.. Glenn. In
the windup there was something
approaching love feast"
Previously, however, members of
the conference group challenged or
, quarreled with other conference
, members. Mr.. Hart voiced sur
prise" over the attitude of Mr. Glenn,
who had reported 407 of the loo
members Of the union Monday night
had voted against the subzone sys-
. tenn. Mr. Hart had said he thought
this was different from agreements
that had been reached between Mr.
Glenn, Mr.. Royer and himself AS a