Motorcab Topics.
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H. Pulham and Co., of 27, Sackville Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, are running a 12-16-h.p. Vinot taxicab.
Before the Court of Appeal, on Monday, the Hall Spare Motor Wheel, Ltd., lost its appeals against the Stepney Spare Motor Wheel, Ltd.
A petition for the winding up of the Express Motor Cab Co., Ltd., is to be heard on the 19th inst. A receiver for the debenture holders is already in possession.
Clerical Preference.
In the course of a visit to the Festival of Empire buildings at the Crystal Palace last week, his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury made use of an Argyll town cab.
Emulating Manchester.
The motorcab by-laws which Wolverhampton Town Council submitted for approval to the L.G.B. are to be adopted. The taximeter is rendered useless by the regulations, as passengers must hire either by time or by distance.
Provincial Licences Transferred.
Bournemouth has 52 taxicab licences in force ; these belong to 14 proprietors. The Provincial Motor Cab Co. has withdrawn its 16 vehicles from service in the town. A local owner, Mr. Richmond, is to have six of the surrendered Provincial licences.
Recent Registrations.
Producers, Ltd., with an authorized capital of S:2,000 in 11 shares, and with its office at 20, Bucklersbury, E.C., to carry on the business of proprietors and manufacturers of motoreabs, etc., also to acquire from A. W. Southey an invention relating to producers. Empire Motor Cab Co., Ltd., with an authorized capital of £1,500 in I:1 shares, and with its office at Hay Depot, Christchurch Street, Chelsea, S.W., to carry on the business of motorcab and carriage proprietors, etc.
Sharp Motor Cab Co., with an authorized capital of £30,000 in Li shares (15,000 pref. ord.), by Jordan and Sons, Ltd., 116-7, Chancery Lane, W.C. to take over the business of motorcab proprietors carried on at Lillie Hall, Seagrave Road, Fulham, S.W., as H. G. and F. G. Sharp. First directors, H. G. Sharp (chairman), F. G. Sharp and C. Sharp.
West Bromwich Motor Cab and Car Co., Ltd., with an authorized capital of £1,500 in Li shares, and with its offices at Lewisham Garage, High Street., West Bromwich, to take over the business of a motorcab hirer and proprietor carried on by R. Fellows at West Bromwich as the West Bromwich Motor Cab and Car Co. First directors, B. Fellows and I. B. Whitehouse (manager).
That 7s. a Day.
In connection with certain evidence which has been given before the Home Office Committee on Taxicab Fares, we have had our attention drawn to a reprint of a speech which Mr. Edgar Cohen is reputed to have made at the Horns Hotel, Kennington, on 22nd March, 1907. Certain drivers and witnesses have laid considerable stress on a passage in this speech, which reads as follows :— " (Mr. Edgar Cohen) do not think a pittance would be a fair wage, and the directors have accordingly come to the conclusion that when the drivers start driving on Saturday their wage will be 25 per cent. of the gross takings, out of which they will pay for
their petrol, but with this alteration, that the directorate will guarantee their net wage will be 7s. per day." We have a copy of this reprint before us, and we are unable to discover that the speech included any mention of the allocation of extras. But it certainly contains the statement with regard to the minimum wage of 7s. In order definitely to secure confirmation or denial, we have had a chat with Mr. Horace Bell, the managing-director of the Gamage-Bell Motor Cab Co., who, we rightly conjectured, could throw some light on this much-debated speech. He tells us that the reprint is to the best of his recollection substantially correct. That the 7s. minimum was undoubtedly promised on that occasion, but that the takings of the General drivers over a period of two years at least were so satisfactory that there was no need for the men to make application for the 7s. minimum. Subsequently, however, when the takings began to fan off, the men remembered Mr. Cohen's statement and endeavoured to hold him to it. Mr. Horace Bell, however, pointed out that it was, of course, impossible to assume that Mr. Edgar Cohen had any authority to speak for any company other than his own, and also that,after a period of two years had elapsed, it was reasonable to assume that Mr. Cohen should have an opportunity of reconsidering such a promise, as the conditions had, during that interval, altered considerably. Mr. Bell added that a number of the drivers, if he remembered correctly, who were for a short period waiting for the new cabs, were paid at the rate of 7s. per day. He was under the impression that the reprints, a copy of which we produced to him, were made by the instructions of Mr. Edgar Cohen.