FRANK WITNESS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19127, 23 September 1936, Page 2

FRANK WITNESS

'AN OUTER RING"

SUPPLEMENTINC4 EARNINGS

TAXI DRIVER'S EVIDENCE

Some exceedingly frank observations upon taxicab work we're made by a witness, who is a, driver on, commission, when giving evidence in Wellington before the committee appointed by the Government to inquire into trip operation of the taxi and carrying businesses throughout the Dominion. Witness said there were two kinds of drivers in taxi work, "legitimate" drivers and an outer ring known as the "booze squad." Legitimate drivers were those who confined their activities to meeting trains and boats and generally plying an ordinary business. The outer ring were those who secured liquor for clients and engaged in other forms of illegitimate work. The chairman, Mr. P. M. Pmtlef: Is much of this going on 7 Witness: Yes, quite a lot. We have all done it at some time or other. If we hadn't we would not have been able to keep going under the conditions that have obtained in the business in recent years. At present I am in legitimate I business. DISCUSSION ON "POLLING" Mr. M. R. Watterson, who appeared for several companies, asked if the operaLions of the "booze squad" constituted what was known as "polling" in' biisi ness. Witness: No. Polling is thievnlg. (Laughter.) Witness explained that "polling" was making money "on the side" that properly belonged to the owner of the cab. For' instance, he said, a fare might be picked up when a driver was returning after dropping the passenger Who had originally hired the vehicle. The money received'from the unexpected return passenger would be pocketed by the driver, and there were 10' chances to' one that the. owner of the cab would knovV nothing about it. Such a practice was difficult to detect. As for operating in the "booze squad," said witness, ho had made more money bv procuring, say, a bottle of whisky for a client and charging him £1 for getting it, than in legitimate work. Often the fare would be doubled as well. There were times when drivers had to do it in order to retain popularity with regular customers. Mr. 'Watterson suggested that the owner of the cab would not get much of the profits from the sale of the liquor. Witness: When T do a- sly grog job I always go fifty-fifty with my boss. He's a white man. (Laughter.) CHECK ON DECEPTION Witness said one company in its earlier years had an efficient check on "polling," by the use of a concealed instrument on the vehicle, which informed tho firm, unknown to the. driver, when and how long the engine had 1 been running.' Special men called "spotters'' were engaged in the United States to detect "polling." Indeed, Now Zealand was the only country in which some kind of espionage did not exist to catch the drivers who pocketed some of the cash. Witness described the Wellington taxi-drivers ns "a jolly fine, crowd." Mr. Butler: It was said in evidence that some drivers are criminals and undesirables. Would you agree with that? Witness.: Of course, I'm on oath t am [ ruH? Must I answer that question? Mr. Butler rtNdt necessarily. Witness: WfU, I'll' answer it by saying- that they rfre the exceptions.