Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-26
0DT Acts 10 Halt
Taxi Trips 10
Fort Be|voir
Ten-MiIe Trovel Ban
Invoked; Drivers
Eorn $72 in Ride

once OF Defense Transportation
officials today moved to stop taxi
cabs from transporting servicemen
to and from camps, in violation Of
a regulation prohibiting cabs from
travelling more than 10 miles beyond
the city limits, at an informal hear
ing.
Formal action will be taken at
another hearing later In the week
after the taxicab opera tors have
had time to consider the charges
and secure legal aid il needed.
More than so cab owners were
present today in response to sum-
monses issued Saturday afternoon
They were stopped at point near
Fort Belvoir by William E. .Yost,
liaison officer of the Division of
Transports ton. sometime between
and pm. At one time Mr.. Yost
was reported to have had eight cabs
lined up on the road as he filled out
the summonses.
s72 for Round Trip.
ODT of1icials said they have been
seriously checking cab activities in
this respect for the last two weeks
and that firm stand would be
taken to break up the practice. To-
days hearing was held before
Clewell Sykes. chief OF the Taxicab
Section, Division OF Local Trans
portation.
1t was brought out at the hearing
that cabs charge uniform rate Of
Sc per man, one way. on their trips
to the camps and $l2 round trip
Most OF them average six passengers
on trip, making a total OF $72 for
a round trip.
ODT, Mr. Sykes said. was not
interested in rates charged, but only
concerned with violation OF the
mileage limitations by the cabs.
Racketeering Seen.
Some cab drivers are working a
profitable racket at service mems
expense, it was learned, and many
have quit driving regular cabs to
cater exclusively to men trying to
get back to their posts.
One taxicob owner said three
drivers had quit his employ recently
and had purchased private cars to
go in business for themselves. These
men. he said, charge as much as SIS
a person, one way. and make enough
on week end to lay of the rest OF
the week.
Another driver said IS was the
absolute minimum charged, but that
the price in most instances ranged
from So to $40. Regular taxicabs,
however. are handicapped in this
trafnc by ODT regulations and on
each trip run the risk of being
caught and fined.
Most of the drivers said they con-
sidered transporting servicemen not
only an essential service but in some
cases patriotic duty.
r.. will Pay Any Price. ~.
snInssb1E us to take then1 back
when they've Just missed a train or
bus and they'll paw any price. II
they don't get back to camp on
time they're liable to lose their
stripes or at least get black mark
against their record You can't
turn down a fellow in a case like
that"
Chester E. King, attorney repre-
senting c. C. Cloe. jr.. and w. H.
Mountjoy., said the regulation al
lowing vehicles based in towns of
popula tons less than 10000 did not
cover the situation at Quantico. Va.
From Triangle to Alexandria is 2612
miles. he said, but you couldn't dis
charge passengers a mile and half
from town and let them go the re-
naming distance as best they could
1t was brought out that many
times buses and trains coming
through the marine base are so
crowded it is impossible for marines
at Quantico to get aboard. Con-
sequently, they have no means other
than cabs or private autos, for COM
ing to Washington.