THE TAXI STAND.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIV, 23 April 1927, Page 7

THE TAXI STAND.

1 - t Sir,—l beg space in your valuable paper to reply to letter signed “Smiling” re treatment of taxi-propriet-ors by the Waimate Borough Council. “Smiling” says he. has been rather amused by the attitude adopted by the taxi proprietors. How he could be amused by a position which is a very serious one for the taxiproprietors I cannot understand. There are some people who are not normal and the misfortune of their fellow-men appears to them as some pleasant episode. Where a class of honest men have been systematically persecuted by the present Mayor and his Councillors and placed in a position whereby they have lost one quarter of their previous earnings there is surely no cause for merriment. The taxi-men have their wives and families to support and a big loss in their earnings is a very serious (matter. The real trouble started with the present Mayor at the time be threatened to cause a very serious breach of the peace, proposing to spread a taxi-man’s nose all over his face. I was under the impression that the duties of a Chief Magistrate were to keep the peace, conduct him 'elf as a gentleman, and impartially administer justice, and not himself break the laws. His conception of

justice in another instance appears to me to be of a very doubtful quality—a sentence of three months’ hard labour given to an old man over seventy years of age found sleeping in a shed is a bit over the odds. “Smiling” would probably smile over this. The Mayor did his level best to remove the taxi-men to the railway gates practically putting them out of business; further, he told the Council that he would resign if his wishes were not carried out; and finally Glasgow Street was fixed upon as a compromise. Here we have the largest taxi-proprietor in Waimate pushing his opponents in business into a side street whereby they are deprived of a good portion of their previous earnings. For what reason? It certainly was not in the public interests, as the public is deprived to some considerable extent of the taxi sen-ice. Further, a very strenuous effort was made to force a five pounds charge upon each of the taxi-men for rental of the taxistand. This they refused to pay and the recent court decision in favour of the taxi proprietors clearly prov-

ed the illegality and injustice of this preposterous demand, and recent remarks passed at Borough Council meetings in reference to taxi-men’s licenses clearly indicate that the defeat still rankles. “Smiling” may be still smiling and perhaps the Mayor may tell him what amount this cost the Council, as I see no statement is made in the Mayor’s Gilbertian effusions on finance. Had there been any Councillor with some backbone or any pretensions to British fair play the taxi-men would probably have got some measure of justice from the Council. Mayors generally are the hub of the wheel, the present Mayor is the whole wheel. His choice of Councillors dished up for the benefit of the .ratepayers is sufficient proof. “Smiling” 'must realise there is no comedy in serious monetary loss the taxi-pro-prietors have suffered through the action of the Borough Council in removing them to a side street. It is an open question as to whether the Borough Council could not be made legally responsible for the loss sustained and in justice be compelled to recoup the taxi-proprietors some considerable portion of their loss—probably a large sum of money. It is to be hoped that the personnel of the Council will be changed at the coming election whereby the taxiproprietors will receive fair play.— I am, etc., MIGHT BE SMILING SdfiK.