Opinions from Others.
Page 14
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the use of commercial, motors. Letters should be on one side of the Paper only, and type-written by Preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for the views expressed is accepted. In the case of experiences, names of towns or localities may be withheld.
Taxicab Earnings, Fares and Finance.
The Editor, Tux COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,180] Sir,—Much ink has already been spilt, in the course of the discussion which has been taking place in your hospitable columns on the subject upon which I now venture to write to you briefly. I think that a moreuseful ventilation of this subject of taxicab finance would have been secured, had several of your writers, whose opinions I consider quite valuable, condensed their remarks and avoided ambiguity of " wandering round the subject." So far as I am able to deduce, the question before the jury is whether the actual net earnings of drivers and owners, both of which should, by this time, be quite-readily ascertainable, point to the necessity for an alteration in the schedule of London charges.
First of all, this correspondence has so far left me with no definite idea as to what the actual profits, if any, of the owners and drivers are. Any number of figures have been quoted on. both sides apparently, but they are all indefinite, and are of the nature of " from 4s. to 6s.," " somewhere in the region of be.," "about 2;s1. in the shilling," and so on. Cannot these well-meaning exponents of both the drivers' and the owners' sides of the question be asked, in order that some definite progress may be achieved, to quote for us, from their actual experience, or as the result of exact figures to which they have had access, definite sums, to which they will adhere sic answers to the following questions:—
(1) What, during an average day's work, is the average proportion of tips received to total fares (including extras) registered on the taximeter ?
(2) What is the average proportion, during an average day's work, of the extras chargeable to the fares received for time and distance only ?
(3) What are the total gross earnings (including extras) which should be registered on the taximeter by an average driver for an average day's work ? All the three inquiries above refer to London traffic, of course. The answers to these three plain questions should surely be forthcoming in the shape of three plain figures without, any equivocation or " hedging." J. Edward Davies would be much more convincing, did he publish his complete accounts for a period, like " Honesty " in your last issue.
There are just one or two points I would add to what. T fear, has already become too long a letter. I consider that there is a tendency amongst certain classes of motorcab drivers to regard their work as being of far-more skilled a nature than anyone who knows would admit it is. Speaking from an experience of many hundreds of public-service drivers in London and elsewhere, and of a variety of really-skilled occupations. I do not think that motorcab driving can, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered as a skilled occupation. That a man must have common-sense, that he must be able to hold a steering wheel, and he must know where to look for fares and where to put his feet, or even that he must have a 4' knowledge of London," I do not consider to be claims to skilled craftsmanship. The cry that the hours are long is a parrot cry only. The life is a pleasant one, and hundreds of tramcar drivers and bus drivers would give their heads to be able to change places with the motorcab driver, to whom monotony of employment is an unknown miantity. I may be wrong, but I personally do not consider that the taxi-driver's occupation calls for so much skill as, for instance, does that of the bricklayer, the loco, driver, or the telegraph wireman. I do not think there is much doubt but what there is a tendency towards swelled head amongst many cab-drivers, which state of affairs severely militates against any improvement for the steadier men, who quite realize the limitations and the possibilities of their jobs. It must be remembered that a first-class litter, who certainly is one of the most skilled of workmen, earns about 8d. an hour in the country and 9d. an hour in London. He certainly does not work such long hours as the cab or the bus driver, but it is only the fact that the latter classes of men do work long hours, that entitles them to the slightest claim to wages in excess of those of many skilled craftsmen. It should also be remembered that the vast majority of London motorcab drivers steer remarkably well and drive abominably.—
Yours faithfully, Esseecsoe.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL Moron.
[1,181] Sir,-The figures given by " Honesty in your issue of the 14th inst. are extremely interesting, though
cannot agree that they at all bear out his conclusion that there is much misstatement on the drivers' side. His average takings, working live days a. week, are 32s. 2d. a day, with a mileage income under 61-d. (6.444(1., to be exaet)—for the days in which both miles and takings are given. I am quite of his opinion, that his work did not pay the owner, and from that point of view his figures entirely endorse my reasoning. He returned his master only 4.833d. per mile, on an average paying i I of 24s. a day. As the figures are eight months old, And the decrease in takings and tips has been much greater proportionately since, I trust you can get " Honesty" to give us some data nearer the present time and, if possible, get his separate record of amounts clocked for extras, and his expenses ; otherwise, we are not much assisted. Frankly, I should have had more faith in his sheets, had he been less ready to accuse men of three times his experience of wilful misstatement, and much mere had his figures been a little more detailed.
There are, too, some extraordinary variations in the net wages and petrol consumption (I assume that he was paying 9d. a gallon). 23rd August: gross commission, 5s. 2d. ; petrol, 2s. 3d.; wages, 2s. 100. ? No charge for clothes, etc. Next, 25th August: gross commission, 7s. 10d.; petrol, at most, 3s.; yet, net wages only 3s. 2d. On 8th September, with a larger gross commission, the net wage is still less.
There are even-mare curious variations in the tips. Tuesday, 14th September: takings, 15s. 4d.; miles, omitted; tips, 8s. id. Presumably, since his gross commission was
3s. 10d., and net he used 4 gallons at least of petrol (.80 miles) to give his master 12s. The tip, presumably, was payment for waste mileage! There are several other days where the tip is unusual. I am sorry we have not seen the whole of the figures, showing the expenditure on all items eaoh day. Looking at them as they stand, and hearing in mind that last autumn was quite a good time (I was taking over a day at 8d. a mile then), the impression gained is that the meter takings and mileage are so far below the average that " Honesty " was helping himself at his employer's cost. I much regret he has not also given us the number of jobs per day. The figures show only that by neglecting his master's interests, a man can, late at night, get a big return in tips—a fact that no one has ever disputed, my suggestion being that both cannot live at present rates. The figures certainly corroborate the case for an advance of fares. Our arguments, of course, are based on this year's work,
not last. —Yours faithfully, J. EDWARD DAVIES.