otorcab Topics.
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The Liverpool Watch Committee has issued a further set of draft by-laws for taxicab traffic, and these have been provisionally approved by the Home Office.
The Swansea Watch Committee has arranged that the men who are now in charge of the motor ambulance and motor fire-engines in that city, shall examine the licensed taxicabs from time to time as requested by the committee.
Aberdeen's Increase.
Campbells, Ltd., 13, Bon Accord Street, Aberdeen, notifies us that it is increasing its fleet and that recent additions include two Panharcis, two Napiere, one Peugeot, one Arrol-Johnston, and one Armstrong-Whitworth. This company now owns a fleet of N cabs.
Another Registration.
Linton's Motor Cab Co., Ltd., with an authorized capital of 500 in Ll shares, by the Solicitors' Law Stationery Society, Ltd., 28-9 Chancery Lane, W.C., to carry on the business of motorcab and vehicle proprietors, etc. First directors : J. G. Linton and J. S. Brittain.
Away for Ascot.
During Ascot week, several of the large London companies are allowing their drivers to remain at Windsor, if they wish. The stipulation as made that a report be received from the driver each morning, tegether with his previous day's tak• ings. Windsor is not in the Metropolitan Police area, and we presame that London drivers will have to secure a temporary licence from the local authorities.
Paris Cockers Useless' Strike.
The second stage of the Paris taxicab strike came to an abrupt end when the strikers, in meeting assembled, decided that the inconvenience was almost entirely on their side. It is undoubted that the public appreciated the absence of the cabs from the thoroughfares in Paris for two days and menaged to get about quite well without them for the time being. The Minister of Justice, who received at an interview the secretary of the taxicab drivers' union, states that he will fully consider the whole question of the taxation on fuel. It is likely, however, that the existing schedule will remain in force, at any rate, until the end of the present year. We understand that there are to be some four-cylinder Renault cabs delivered in London in Oetober.
Provincial to North British.
Mr, Roland Philip, who was until recently district manager in Manchester for the Provincial Motor Cab Co., Ltd., has now been appointed to a Position in the Sales Department of the North British Rubber Co., Ltd. He will be stationed at Bedford Chambers, Covent Garden, W.C, Picture Palaces Aid Cabby.
The Benevolent Branch of the Cabdrivers' Trade Union now controls 30 Sunday cinematograph shows, and the receipts from this source, we understand, add considerably to the funds. On alternate Sundays the committee, which consists of taxi-drivers, distributes 220 to 225 to old horse cabmen.
Taxi Athletes.
On August Bank Holiday an athletic meeting for taxi-drivers will take place at Stamford Bridge. Several trophies will again be competed for, and amongst these is a Tug-of-War Cup, which is at present held by the " W. and G." staff, and a silver cup for a relay race, which trophy is now temporarily in the possession of the National Motor Cab Co.
The Taximeter Tampering Case.
Further stages of this case were reached at Lambeth Police Court on Thursday and Friday of last week. It will be remembered that Ellerington was rearrested on the " Oceanic " after his return from America, having absconded from his bail, A witness for the General Motor Cab Co., who had come from Stirlingshire especially for this case, proved that she hired a motorcab to take her invalid daughter to a nursing home in Chesham, Bucks., and that she paid 22 10s. for the journey. The taximeter sheet for that day was produced in Court, and showed that the prisoner had taken 21 4s. 4d. gross and had had 17 hirings to secure that amount. He had naid in 18s. 3d.
Mr. C. W. Wilson stated that he had examined the taximeters at the Brixton garage arid had found some hundreds of them defective. By turning the knob five times instead of three times when lowering the flag, the eightpenees would not regisi er on the totalizer but would show on the passengers' dial. The witness had tested the prisoner's taximeter after the prisoner's father had been arrested, and he found the mileage-recording apparatus was broken. Another meter was nut on his cab and his takings improved considerably after his father's conviction.
One of the officials of the National Physical Laboratory at Teddington gave evidence that, on examining one of the meters, he found that " a bolt which engages a ratchet had been rounded off by some violent handling of the machine." He said that the Laboratory could make suggestions to the Public Carriage Office as to the alteration or the improvement of taximeters, but these recommendations would not necessarily be adopted.
In site of continual warnings by the magistrate, the prisoner crossexamined several of the witnesses for the prosecution, intimating that they were worse than him and had only given evidence to shield themselves."
At the final hearing, Mr. R. D. Muir informed the magistrate that the prisoner had given a long statement to the police and that this implicated another fitter, besides the one already committed for trial, and a large number of drivers.
The prisoner was committed for trial on a charge of fraud and the falsification of accounts, and also conspiracy to defraud various persons. The trial will take place at the Central Criminal Court on the .27th inst.
Derby Day.
None of the Brixton two-cylinder General cabs broke down on Derby Day, although a very large number of them made the journey to Epsom and back. Curiously enough over GO four-cylinder cabs were put out of running by the severe storm on the same day. The cause of the. failure in most cases was water in the magneto or in the carburetter. This trouble was generally caused by drivers attempting to rush the flooded parts of the road. A number of motorcab drivers, subsequently to the Epsom races, were charged at Epsom Police Court with overloading and with not putting the flag of the taximeter down. It, was given in evidence that one driver had received 30s. for carrying six persons to the station during the storm.