Evening star., 1946-07-17
PrinceGeorges
ReaffirmsB Ban
On D. {. Taxis
Must Comply With
Regulations to Serve
Return Pickups

A request by District officials for
permission to allow Washington
taxicabs to pick sup fares on their
return trips from nearby counties
and to respond to telephone calls for
service in those areas has been re-
jected by the Prince Georges County
Commissioners unless such cabs
comply with county regulations.
Permission was asked by Assistant
Corporation Counsel Lloyd B. Har-
rison, special representative for the
District Public Utilities Commission,
In letter to Harry G. Mercer, Prince
Georges County taxicab inspector.
The county heads denied approval
of the request at their weekly meet
ing at Upper Marlboro yesterday,
following recommendations of Mr..
Mercer and their attorney, Waldo
Burnside. that such a practice would
be unfair to county cab owners and
drivers, who are required to pay a
s25 and s5 yearly registration and
Identification fee, respectively.
wartime fact EnQe0.
I'VE have to protect our drivers" I"
Commissioner James B. Bland de-
clared
Mr.. Mercer said picking up fares
on return trips had been permissible
for all cabs during the war when a
special reciprocal agreement was
passed to conserve gasoline. That
ended several months ago, he
explained.
In turning down the proposal,
Prince Georges remains the sole
opposition, it was revealed, since Mr..
Harrisons letter said Montgomery
and Arlington Counties and Alexan-
dria mad expressed favor for the
plan.
Meanwhile. the county commits
sioners added several changes to the
taXlcab ordinances, which went into
effect April l. Among them were
the proposed setting up of quarter
ly cab inspection system at stations
and times to be announced and
authorization to Mr., Mercer to make
personal inspections at any time.
Provide Certificates.
Under the plan, stations will be
established in both the upper and
lower sections of the county, and
cab owners and drivers will be pre-
sented certificates of approval, which
they must show when requested.
There will be no cost involved to
cab operators except for necessary
repairs, it was said.
Another change will be the issu-
ance Of all new owners permits on a
quarterly basis, instead of yearly.
Drivers permits, however, will con-
t1nue on an annual basis, the COM
misSioners directed.
Mr.. Mercer said there are IS cabs
and ITS drivers in the county with
permits this year
The transfer of S250,O0O from the
county's s1,O00,000 bond issue to
the Maryland-National Capital Park
and Planning Commission was di-
rected by the commissioners follow
ing a request from Irwin l. Main,
chairman of the park and planning
group, for such funds. Mr.. Main
said they will be used for mainte-
nance. improvement and acquisi-
ton of park land along the Ana
costa River and its branches.
The commissioners approved a
Board of Education appropriation
for $4,000 toward an option on 25
acres of land, adjacent to Sunny
brook. near the Defense highway,
Bladensburg, after G.. Gardner
Shugart, superintendent of schools,
said the site would be the future
home Of a new Bladensburg high
school, to be built when funds and
materials are available.
Following a request from the
Hillside Citizens Association, the
commissioners set a hearing for
II am, August 6. to consider the
citizens request for street lights
garbage collection and street i'm
provements in that community, a
part of county special improvement
district, No. 26.
Two Zoning Changes.
Two zoning changes. one from
residential to commercial and the
other, from residential to industrial,
were approved. The commercial zon-
ing was granted Alvin Epling, agent
for lots IA and Is, block 80, section
2, Maryland and Garret avenues,
Beltsville. and the industrial change
was approved for Bertha D. Brown,
owner, for 1-acre property at lot II
northwest corner of Ross and Cross
streets, Bladensburg.
An ordinance to operate a garage
and gasoline filling station at Fifty
seventh and l. streets, Capitol
Heights, was approved for William
B. Stokes and Anna M. Stokes, and
licenses to operate restaurants were
granted Barbara j. Greer for 7107
Central avenue, Seat Pleasant, and
John H. Mckinney at CheWton and
Central avenues, Capitol Heights,
A golf driving range In the 5400
block of Suitland road, Suitland,
was approved for A. H. Worden,
agent for DR.. Paul c. Van Natta,
the property owner.
Norris Hartman, Suitland grocer,
was appointed to supply the food
for the County Almshouse, near
Forestville.
A tax exemption was granted the
vestry of the Epiphany Church,
$500 Ritchie road, Forestville, for
nearly 2 acres of adjoining church
property.