THE DAYS OF THE CAB.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 13

THE DAYS OF THE CAB.

A ?AD YEAR IN WELLINGTON. (From Oor Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, January 8. Wellington cabmen complain that they have fiad a very bad year, and what with the excellent tram service and the large number of motor cars in use no doubt they have. In addition, the cost of feed— has been high. To a* Post reporter a wellknown proprietor had some scathing remarks to make on the fanning fraternity and their " unholy combination to keep up prices," as he termed it. Chaff, he said, which he had usually purchased at £5 6s per ton, last year ran into £8. Oats, too, went up tremendously. Proprietors were compelled to pay drivers overtime, and this had considerably increased expenditure. "I have been feeding about- 60 horses on an average," said one man, " and I estimate that on horse feed alone I- have lost over £1000 on the year. Three years ago it took 10s a week to' keep a horse, and now ifc takes nearer 305." Another livery stable proprietor said that three years ago he used .to ■ bed. feed, and stable a horse at 16s a week, but now if he attempted to do it for 25s per week lie would lose money. He added that the heavy price of fodder was entirely due to the farmers' combination. " Look what they did with flour,'' he snid. "Recently in the south the combine broke for a few days and flour came down immed. :' >iv £2 per ton. The farmers, however, ro; ' 'ned again in b. few days, and flour w--ii up again to its former " price." The *-ame tactics were being , adopted with fodder, he said. He was convinced that if a combination of proprietors sent a man to Adelaide they could procure fodder and land it' in Wellington much cheaper than it could be procured from farmers who grew the commodity in New Zealand. Notwithstanding all this, anyone who has had experience of the. extortionate" charges : of some of the Wellington, cabmen will not wonder at the ..tendency of -'Wellington people to.talte-a penpy'-fc'rfSi to the theatreß, - or even- ".to 1 ; >tha, /-.-vicinity. ;^>f*f. tSo-yerripaehtS House when there is a vice-regal function

Moreover, ,-nany of . l hosc who once used cab-= now h.vo f V>o:v ->-«-n m^ior cars, and prefer these to the public cab.