TIPS AND TAXICAB TROUBLES.
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N,. BRANCH of the industrial-vehicle industry has to its discredit more labour troubles than , the mato-real& business. Strikes and threats of strikes, and disputes of all kinds have been all too frequent in the short, history of the trade. As we write, the owning companies and their drivers in the Metropolis are still at variance on announcement of the intention to increase the initial fare from eightpence to a shilling. The initial fare, with slight exception, throughout the provinces has for years past been a shilling, but with proportional subsequent increments. The reason for the difference has always been assumed to be the higher frequency and greater chance of return fares in all parts of the Metropolis during most of the hours of the twenty-four. it is stated that 30,000 drivers of taxis are involved in the latest disagreement. The figure is probably exaggerated, and in any case includes provincial workers who are only indirectly concerned. The owner-drivers, of whom there are many thousands in London at present, are likely in reality to be little affected. What they might lose on the tips they would gain on the takings. The company's driver, however, has always regarded any suggested rise with suspicion on account of the anticipated shrinkage of his tips. , There is no doubt whatever that. the system of tipping is a bad one. The men should be enabled to earn a fair wage taking into account the relative importance and difficulty of their work, but there should be prohibition of actual or implied tip solicitation. c20 The public owes nothing to the cab-driver. Periodically, after a phase of passable civility, he is rude and independent, if not insolent, to would-be passengers and to other road users alike. The owner-driver has made an honest attempt to earn a better reputation for the trade, but the result has only been partially. successful. The public cares little as to the claims of the cabmen, we fear, for this very reason. It cannot in all probability abolish tipping which has become established by custom, but it resents its existence in the case of the cab-driver, where in no sense is it more than occasionally earned. The public will care little if the fare go up to a shilling; but additional coppers as tips will frequently be withheld. The owner-driver would gain, and in most eases he would not he begrudged. The cab companies would benefit and the drivers' percentage being increased, they will not lose. We would like to see a refusal of licences to unsuitable men, and their cancellation in the case of any man behaving improperly, and the total prohibition of tipping. The last may be a counsel of perfection, but we do urge the industry to endeavour to earn the goodwill of the user public, so that, when such questions such as the present come up, more than the mildest interest may be evinced in the manner in which it will affect the driver. If he must be Upped, let there at least be some reason for it. It may be queer to have to purchase civility, but one can hardly even do that nowadays, as things stand.