The recent French trials, as we foresaw when we decided
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not to report their uninteresting course from week to week, have been unattractive: our promised stennuiry, following last year's precedent, will be found elsewhere in this issue. An admitted lack of public interest and the abseil ee of new information in keeping with the expenditure involved have to be noted as the outstanding features of a competition which has attracted no attention in other than French military circles. Years ago, English manufacturers combined business with pleasure, by running over to France on like occasions, and they gained from their visits until the year 1908. To-day, it is only verygreen people who occupy their time that. way.
The Earnings of Taxicabbies.
Cross misrepresentations of this journal have. during the past few weeks, characterized numerous references to the part which we played in bringing to a head publicity for the doings of taxi-drivers. We desire, therefore, briefly to recapitulate our procedure in the matter. So far !melt as the month of January, when we published the original hints whirl took later shape, in April. as our " Twenty points for users of London taxicabs," we realized that there was a public demand for more information about the manner in which taximeter charges were levied, and with regard to the general regulations in respect of taxicabs. The publication of those points, in wall-card :cud pamphlet forms, induced a certain amount of correspondence, and we opened our pages for " Opinions from others." These opinions were freely communicated, but, after a period of some two months, we found. on reperusal of the letters, that many of the figures that were put forward from the drivers' side did not reconcile.
Large numbers of the men denied that they pocketed the extras, which every regular hirer of a taxicab knew to be the case—unless they were told to register them: we therefore resolved to inform the public, as widely as no could, that the extras should not be paid unless they
were registered. We were convinced, too, that untrue statements were being put forward about the meagreness of the average earnings, coupled with assertions on the one hand that tips were negligible, and averaged something like id. per fare per jolfsand on the other hand that the men were -living out of their tips: when we found that many drivers were imbued with the Pea that they should never live other than "like fighting cocks." and were distinctly suffering from what. is colloquially termed " swelled head," we decided to provide them and their secretaries with the opportunity to give away the farts to the public by their own letters and means. whicli. they promptly did. We finally decided that the best -way to cause the taxi-drivers to change their tone was to en courage inure men to go in for that class of _work, and sonic thousands of fresh men have now been so attracted by what we have done. Tn this last-named connection, huwever, we have been misquoted, in several quarters, in order to convey the impression that we had stated that the average earnings per driver per week were £4, or that they could be maintained at that figure on the
Neither of these statements has ever emanated front this journal, or its Editor.
From the public standpoint, quite apart from the consolation that may be derived from knowledge of the fact that many more drivers are being trained than wodld otherwise have been the case, our action and attitude has had important and beneficial effect upon the manners of the men. People who think the reverse are not regular users of taxicabs in London.
The Irresponsible Pedestrian.
It. is a pleasure. on the occasion of any fleeting outburst of protest against modern self-propelled traffic, to. came across a single writer who suggests that the regulation of pedestrian habits might conceivably be taken in hand. In the Metropolis, the Commissioner of Polies is seeking to combat two traffic difficulties, by the erection of additional temporary or permanent street refuges: he hopes to cheek the speed aspirations of those motor drivers who are prone to draw too far across the roadway when overtaking, and at the same time to give nervous foot passengers more havens of rest during their passage across. particular thoroughfares or open spaces. Our confer
" The Daily Graphic," in its issue of the 2nd inst., published an instructive and well-thought-out article cm the subject of " London Crossings." Whilst we are not in agreement with much that is written, by reason of the fact that it, favours undue consideration for slow-moving units, and apparently the support of a retrogressive campaign in favour of regulation according to the plaints of the oldest, sleepiest and weakeet members of the community, at least one important suggestion is advanced. That is the prescription of the route by way of which pedestrians may cross any particular open space or square, and it is a plan which is obviously devised in the interests of the public at large. Subways do not draw below the surface of the highway an appreciable percentage of those who wish to cross at busy points of intersecting traffic, such as one finds at the Mansion Home and Blackfriars, and we cannot pretend that these underground eonstreetions will solve the problem as it now presents itself. Why do men, women and children continue _to wander .across known danger zonesat their own sweet will ? May it not be that the exercise of a strictly-legal right is due to the absence of any.officiel or semi-offeial. suggestion in favour of particular methods ? If specific,cmirses for specific crossings were laikdown, and were indicated upon suitable tables of directions, which is the gist of our contemporary's suggestions, there would he an approved common alternative.' We-are not.oter-hopeful that much progress will be made as the outcome of the proposal which is under notice, but we feel that it merits serious trial.