SPEEDOMETER FIXING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19133, 30 September 1936, Page 8

SPEEDOMETER FIXING

EMPLOYEE'S ALLEGATIONS

DRIVERS OP CITY TAXIS

EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY

(Per Pres 3 Association.)

OHRISTCHURGH, last night

An allegation that he had been defrauded of hundreds of pounds yearly by drivers who manipulate speedometers was made by Mr. G. S. Trillo, proprietor of Gold Band Taxis, this afternoon when the hearing of evidence was resumed by the commission of inquiry into the taxi and carrying business.

Mr. Trillo made the allegation when cross-examining a witness, Mr. George Bone, a former employee, who had been giving evidence about tho conditions under which drivers on commission worked.

Mr. Bono had said that when Gold Band Taxis increased its fleet some years ago the amount the drivers could earn had been brought dawn, so that it afforded only the barest living. This ied to tampering with the speedometer, driving in reverso and winding the speedometer with the car jacked up. Mr. Trillo then ■ said that this speedometer manipulation business was a serious matter. Drivers were getting .away with hundreds of pounds a year. He produced a sketch which, he said, depicted "Professor Eone, inventor of the speedometer manipulator."

Mr. Bone: You could never accuse me of robbing you. Mr. Trillo: What were you put off for?

Mr. Bone: I was put off on suspicion. Didn't you do a trip to Timaru foi Is Od?r—Never.

Or a trip to Soutbbridge for Is?— No.

Mr. Bone repeated his former statement that in Mr. Trillo's employ drivers could not earn more than 35s weekly and many earned very much 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 cars.

Mr. Trillo said he knew one ownerdriver who actually kept pyjamas in his car and put them on before going to sleep. This man also shaved in his car and cooked in his car.

Mr. Bone said he had seen Gold Band drivers curled up in a car tinder rugs sound asleep. He had soon drivers asleep on the floor of Mr. Trillo's garage, with cars on the stand unattended.