TAXI-CAB BUSINESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22999, 30 September 1936, Page 10

TAXI-CAB BUSINESS

A PROPRIETOR’S ALLEGATION MANIPULATION OF SPEEDOMETERS (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 29. There was no dearth of witnesses when the Committee of Inquiry into the taxi and carrying business began its sitting in Christchurch this morning.

The troubles of the owner-driver were laid at the door of Gold Band Taxis and their share-driving system by the first witness, James Samuel Mander, an owner-driver now on relief work. Before the Gold Band service was initiated seven years ago, Mander said, the owner-driver could make wages, but Gold Band placed its drivers on shares, enabling three or four cars to be on a rank in competition with one owner-driver. The latter found himself surrounded by cars which cut rates. Fares were still being cut, though recent prosecutions had effected an improvement. An allegation that he had been defrauded of hundreds of pounds a year by diivers who manipulated the speedometers was made by Mr C. S. Trillo, proprietor of the Gold Band Taxis. Mr Trillo made the allegation when he was crossexamining a witness, George Bone, a former employee, who had been giving evidence about the conditions under whic! drivers on commission worked. Bone said that when Gold Band Taxis increased their fleet some years ago the amount that drivers could earn had been brought down so that it afforded only the barest living. This led to a tampering with speedometers, driving in reverse, and winding the speedometer with the car lacked up. Mr Trillo then said that this speedometer manipulation business was a serious matter. Drivers, he alleged, were getting away with hundreds of pounds a year. Bone repeated his former statement that in Trillo’s employ drivers could not earn more than 35s a week, and many earned less.' If they could earn more they would not go on relief work.

Witnesses gave evidence of drivers making a practice of going to sleep in their cars. Mr Trillo said he knew one owner-driver who actually kept his pyjamas in his car and put them on before going to sleep. This man also shaved in his car and cooked in his car. Bone said he had seen Gold Band drivers curled up in their cars under rugs, sound asleep. He had seen drivers asleep on the floor of Mr Trillo’s garage, with their cars on the stand unattended.