TAXI WARS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 615, 18 March 1929, Page 1

TAXI WARS

Chicago Gives Auckland Points BOMBS AND MACHINE-GUNS "Bombs and machine-guns are H sed between warring taxi factions in Chicago—Auckland’s taxi war is comparatively a tame affair.” This is the opinion of Mr. A. H. -Miller, boatswain of the American steamer Golden Forest, Wmcu Auckland on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Miller was engaged in the taxi business m Chicago, and related some of the belligerent methods used there. A volley of machine-gun fire was turned on to a stand occupied by Chicago’s Checker Company by the forces of the Yellow Cabs not long ago, and many men were injured. On another occasion, as the outcome of a fierce altercation between drivers of rival companies who occupied a stand ’in Macker Street, the stalwarts of one company formed themselves into a bombing party, and hurled their missiles at the enemy’s garages and stands. This occurred about two months ago. “Drastic measures have to be used sometimes to extract fares from passengers,” said Mr. Miller. “Most drivers keep their ‘fare extractors’ (solid steel jack-handles) close by. I have had to use mine on unwilling payers frequently. It acts like magic —merely to produce it sometimes suffices.”