NEITHER DRIVER NOR OWNER

Evening Star, Issue 20585, 10 September 1930, Page 3

NEITHER DRIVER NOR OWNER

TAXI-CAB ANOMALIES

LABOUR MEMBER'S BILL

[From Ouk Pauliamentakt Kri-ouir.i;,j

WKLLIXGTOX. September 9.

With lh« object of removing anomalies considered to exist at present, Air Mason (Auckland Suburbs) introduced the Motor Cabs Bill in the House lodiiv, (explaining the provisions ol the Hill. .Mr Mason said that it a private car and a taxi cab came into collision as the result of the negligence ol each driver, the owner of the taxi cab could sue the owner of the private car, hut the latter had no recourse of action against tho owner of the taxi cab, as under tho Jaw bo was neither the driver nor tho master. The owner or a private car could not suo a taxi driver because the accident was duo to joint negligence. The Bill was designed to overcome that position. Mr Mason said the drivers of taxi cabs were not regarded in law as employees, but as bailees, and therefore there was no control by tho Arbitration Court. There was no limit to tho hours a. driver might work, and there w*is the spectacle ol cabs being drnen for long hours. Under stress of competition, men in sleepy condition were driving cabs to’ tho danger not only ol passengers, but of everybody on the road. "The Bill sought to give the Arbitration Court jurisdiction over such cabs. A. t hird point was that the driver had no remedy mirier tho Workers Compensation Act, because there vas no relationship of master and servant. The Bill, said Mr Mason, had the sympathy of the Minister of Labour, as no understood the matter, although he was not in tho position to say whether tho Minister could commit himself to the details as dratted. Mr Mason said he proposed (o ask that the Bill be referred to the Labour Bills Committee, where lie Imped to have the assistance of the Minister of Labour to make the measure thoroughly practical ami placed on the Statute Book. It was tho hope of taxi drivers that tho Bill would bo taken up as a Government measure'. Mr Sullivan (Avon) urged that proper facilities, bo given for examination of the Bill and for its ultimate passing. In his opinion, if the workers concerned could ho deprived of the protection of the law. the time would come when similar methods would be devised to deprive other workers of tho same projection. The Bill was read a first time, the second wading being set down lor Wednesday.