RUINED TAXI-CAB TRADE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 135, 4 December 1909, Page 10

RUINED TAXI-CAB TRADE.

A THOUSAND IDLE, Mr. J. Hampden Davis, organiser of the London Cabdrivers' Union, informed a press representative that t!ho taxidrivers are much concerned by reason of a statement in a contemporary to Wie effect that a thousand cabs are standing idle for want of chauffeurs. At the Brixton garage, the largest in London, said Mr. Davis, there were a number of cabs awaiting or unoergoing repair, but, so far from there being a dearth of drivers to take the vehicles out, there were men waiting every day from nine in the morning until two in tho afternoon, who eventually had to come away without being able to secure a cab. There was very little work done during tho present off season,* and recently sope experienced men had to go home with less than 2s for their day's work, after their outdoor expenses had been paid. Mr. Davis declared that the restrictions placed upon drivers were too severe, and their treatment with regard to "bilks" was particularly resented. It was mot fair if an individual ran up a 20s fare^and then "bilked" the driver, to call on the latter to pay the company 15s, as well as to lose his own 5s wages, when he had to pay for working his cab at the same time. The average takings of tho large firms lately had been a pound a day per cab. The driver received 5s of this, and after he had paid for petrol and defrayed his other expenses he was lucky if he got 2s a day for himself, exclusive, of course, of the tips of the public, which were what really enabled him to keep going. "Many men," concluded Mr. Davis, "are standing down from their cabs for< a day or two so as to give their pals a chance of doing a little work. The The taxi-cab game is already practically spoilt. The masters, in their greed to keep others out of the trade, have overdone it, and 'taxi-cabs are lying about the streets and the ranks waiting for work."