Motorcab Topics.
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Petrol cabs are de trop in the Free City of Hamburg: aecomulator-driven aml horse-drawn taxicabs are allowed.
A large portion of Thornycroft's Chiswick depot will shortly be occupied as an additional garage by the General Motor Cab Co., Ltd.
Some 60 motorcab drivers have recently been on strike in Liverpool, chiefly owing to deductions of daily charges upon them in respect of livery and insurance.
The period for the redemption of :E:1011,000 five per cent. debentures in the London Improved Ca h Co., Ltd., has been extended: the terms provide for the payment of a premium of ten per eent, when the stock is redeemed.
It has been resolved that the Elsetrie Taxicab Co., Ltd., which company failed to obtain public support, be voluntarily liquidated, and Mr. William Milne, of Dashwood House, 9, New :Broad Street, E.C., has been appointed liquidator.
A "F.I.A.T." Race.
At Brooklands yesterday (Wednes(lay) a number of " F.I.A.T." taxicabs were raced by prominent motorists. We have always heel' a ware that the four cylinder F.I.A.T." cabs had a turn of speed as well as the quality of smooth running, and it looks as though they would have to be " pulled " very much by their drivers when the new excess-speed alarm is fitted.
Another Cabbies' Fund.
Bristol has opened a fund for the aid of cab drivers who have been thrown out of employment through the arrival of taxicabs: the Lord Mayor has given £100, and a like sum has been given by Lady Smyth and Mr. J. S. Fry, whilst £50 each has been given by the Sheriff of Bristol, and Mr. H. 0. "Wills and Mr. Arthur Robinson. Additional donations are £20 from the Duke of Benufort, and £10 from the Bishop.
Learning to Drive.
Mr. Horniman, on the 23rd tilt., asked the Home Secretary a question in regard to the alleged undue use of the Chelsea Embankment as a training ground for drivers. Mr. Gladstone replied to the effect that no eases of erratic driving had been brought to the notice of the police, and that there was nothing to prevent learners from practising in any thoroughfare so long as they committed no offence, such as driving negligently or without a licence. Taxicabs for Swansea.
Mr. Stanley Jones, of the Mackworth Hotel, Swansea, is about to put on the streets six four-cylinder, 101.4h.p. Renault motoreabs. The vehicles will be presented for licensing on the 6th instant.
Harrogate Stands.
Harrogate Town Council lets approved certain additional motorcab stands, in spite of a protest that the desired facilities should not be aecorded ti, the applieant—the Provincial Motor Cab Co.. Ltd.
Sixpence for the First Mile.
A correspondent of The Times " draws attention to the fact that any driver having charge of a licensed horse-drawn cab, for nearly two years past, '' has been able to signify in a manner approved by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that he was willing to accept 6d. for a distance nut exceeding one mile. The manner of signifying whit+ would be approved by the Commissioner is as follows :—" The suspension from the roof rail of a hansom cab or the driver's seat rail of a four-wheeled cab of a hoard some 3in. or 4in. deep, bearing words to the effeet that 6d. is the charge. for one mile or less." There lins been a solitary application.
General Motorcab Company.
The current traffic returns of the General Motor Cab Company are sent to us as follow : Week ending Saturday, 26th June, £19,542.
Previous week, £21,471.
Corresponding week, 1908, £17,036. Decrease on previous week, £1,929. Increase on corresponding week, 1908, £2,506.
Total receipts from 1st August, 1908, £688,051. Increase on previous corresponding period, £267,699. It should be noted that the above figures take no account of the average number of cabs in service.
Servant or Contracting Party ?
An appeal on an important legal point will go to the Court of Appeal, as the result of a case which came before the Common Serjeant at the Central Criminal Court, on the 25th ultimo. The General Motor Cab Co., Ltd., prosecuted a driver named Alfred Solomon, and the man was sentenced to five months hard labour, it hieing alleged that on successive evenings lie cercied passengers in the
cab without lowering the flag, and subsequently failed to account for the amount. received, which, of course, wa..s not recorded by the taximeter.
It was urged for the defence, by Mr. George Elliott, K.C., that the driver had entered into a contract to pay to the company three-fourths of the receipts registered by the taximeter : he was not a servant of the company. An appeal, as stated, was entered.
The Payment of Extras.
Tt is common knowledge that the public seldom calls upon a motereab driver to register payments for extras —2d. for each package carried outside the cab, and 6d. for each passenger above two. Thus, in a very great many cases, the men do not record the money on the taximeter, hut are so much to the good. A driver named Farrow recently had trouble in this vonnection, after driving home Mr. William Godson, a member of the Middlesex County Council. The taximeter registered 3s., but Mrs. Godson and three children were also in the vehicle. The driver asked 4s., and was paid 3s. 6d.
After conflicting evidence on crosssummonses for assault, the magistrate held that the cabman was only entitled to demand the amount shown on his register, and dismissed the summons for the balance.
"The Daily Mail" Fund.
The Committee of this fund, under the chairmanship of the Duke of Rutland, met last week, and there have since been published some particulars in regard to its administration. The total of £7,675 9s. 3d, has been applied to the relief of 1,152 cases of distress, whilst 587 men have been assisted during motor training. Further, it is expected to complete arrangements for 60 pensions for the oldest London cabmen, eight of whom are over 80 years of age, and 25 are between 75 and 80. On the subject of an allegation that the fund has been applied to help young men, rather than aged cabmen in pecuniary diffieulties. and has indirectly been applied to piomote the interests of the motoreab industry rather than the welfare of those for whose benefit Lord Bosebery initiated it, the Committee announces that the 587 men who were assisted during motor training include 564 who were married, and that 1,690 women and children are affected. Out of the 587 men so helped. 166 have already passed the Seotland-Yard test.