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Motorcab Topics.

19th January 1911
Page 3
Page 3, 19th January 1911 — Motorcab Topics.
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News contributions are invited: payment will be made on publication.

An article on petrol-storage installations, which appears on pp. 398-399 of this issue, should be of considerable interest to cab-owners throughout the country.

We publish elsewhere in this issue an ahridged account of the discussion which took 'slave after the reading of Mr, 3'. S. Critchley's paper entitled " The Evolution cif the Motorcab " (see pp, 406-41)7).

It is reported that Mr. John RedmomI recently had to wait 50 minutes for a motoreab at Liverpool Street Station OR a Sunday afternoon. Tnr.. Ciro MEE VIAL MOTOR has DO political convietions. so that we dare not say thatwe are sorry.

`rho cob-call telephone set, which the Commercial Motor Users Association has installed experimentally upon an electric-light standard adjoining the rank ie Melhury Road, Kensington. is now kept busy with ealls, both by /lay and by night.

"W. and G." Bonuses.

In addition to the 4s. weekly bonus that is offered by the management of the W. and C." Cab Co. to drivers is hose takings for six days amount to 127 a prize of has been offered for the man who makes the best return so far as mileage and receipts are concerned for the year 1911. There is a second prize of £30 and other prizes ranging down to £10 for the next best records.

Exchange No Robbery.

A. letter has been received by the Southampton Town Council from the Provincial Motor Cab Co., Ltd., inquiring whether, in the event of the company's buying up existing licensed vehicles, the Council would agree to transfer the licences to taxicabs. The Watch Committee resolved to inform the company that the Committee will be prepared to license 10 motor vehicles. upon a similar number of licensed vehicles' being purehased.

H Higher Fares Come.

With regard to the proposed increase in the initial fare for London taxieabs, the opinion is being freely expressed by owner-drivers that they would approve of an initial hiring of one shilling. Numbers of the men who at present are in the service of the larger companies, and whopreaumably have been enabled to put by something for a rainy day, state quite openly that if any increase in fares. takes place they will take prompt steps to become owner-drivers. Mr. Ilee Jeffreys, after the reading of Al r. Critchiey's paper at the R.A.C„ wanted to know the names of those local authorities who had refused licenees for taxicabs. Those who are guilty of such unprogressive conduct will do well to note the request for this information from the Secretary of the Road Board.

A New Rim for Cab Wheels.

We have received a satisfactory report from one of our correspondents of a new double-tire rim which is being marketed by the .131ackwell Rim Co, He states that he prefers these rims for taxicab work, so far as his experience goes. to any of the standard forms of detachable wheels or rims. The rim, which is of special section, is permaneutly iixest to the &Aloe of the wheel in place of the ordinary clincher rim for pneinnaties. The Blackwell rim permanently carries, in addition to a pneumatic tire, a 1?,-in. solid tire as an auxiliary. This second tire is kept out of contact with the ground, so long as the pneumotie tire is inflated, but. when a puncture takes place, the solid antomatieally takes the weight without. necessitating any delay for change of rim, etc. We shall have more to say with regard to this speciality in a future

Manchester Muddle.

We have received a communication from Ali.. Roland Philip, the district manager et the Provincial Alotoreith Co., Ltd., dated from his office in Liverpool. ill which he complains of the views expressed by a Rochdale correspondent of thus journal in our last issue, with regard to the Manchester motoreah tariff. He says that quite half of the motoreabs in that town are provided with taximeters, Mr. Philip states that our recommendation to Manchester hirers to make a bargain before hiring a motorcab in that city is unfair to his company, which has throughout been most strenuous in its endeavours to protect the hirer, and whieli has, to that end, continued to fit taximeters, at eonsiderable disadvantage to itself, to all its machines. The previent, chaotic state of the Manchester tariff has brought into exist

1! nn-mber of owner-drivers, who obviously profit by the vagueness of the regulations and by the nom necessity of fixing a taximeter. We are glad to hear that the Town Clerk of Manchester is to consider the preparation of by-laws for the revision of the present ridieulous state of affairs. It is Rarely time that Manchester came into Ilia, with other cities. There is a rumour that a small fleet. of de Dietrich cabs is shortly to he placed on the London streets.

Drivers' Uniforms.

On Thursday of last week, a case of some interest to the motoreab world came before Mr. Horace Smith at Westminster Police Court. A motorcab driver summoned the British Motor Cah Co. for the return of his uniform, or, alternatively, for the sum of 25s. paid by him, together with four days' pay during which time his licence had been is ithheld by the company. The summons was taken out. under section 22 of the Hackney Carriage Act, 1843, which holds that matters in dispute may be brought before

court of law or a .I.P. for settlement.

According to the evidence of the complainant, early in January he was told he was to have a. new cab, but he was unable to take it out because he had no money to buy petrol for it. He had left three gallons in his own cab, and be asked for the equivalent in money in order to get a supply for the new machine. This was refused, and lie was unable to go to work for

three day. On the fourth day he wiles handed his licence and the cost of the petrol ; he was asked to return his uniform, consisting of an overcoat, tunic and poncho, in the preseuee of a police officer. He did so, but contended that he had paid the sum of 25,, by 50 daily instalments of 6d. each, vie-arils the purchase of the clothes supplied.

For the defence, the company submitted that it had originally charged the drivers 37s. 6d. per annum for the maintenance of the clothes supplied, but that, owing to certain suggestions that were made by the drivers, that sum had been reduced to 25s., and for thatamount breeches, gaiters and cap • were supplied, which became the absolute property of the driver. It iVaS never intended that the remainder of • the uniform should he retained by the drivers. These terms were confirmed by two of the drivers in the employ of the company.

Mr. Horace Smith dismissed the. summons., but an application for costs, on the grounds that the case was being conducted by the Cabmen's Union. was refused.

The necessity for classification of a driver's uniform in the above manner is due to the fact that the breeches, gaiters and cap cannot be altered to • fit other drivers, whereas this does _ not, hold with the overcoat, the tonicand poncho.


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