Declarations by the Masters and the Men.
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During the Easter recess, the matters in dispute between the London motorcab drivers and the proprietors of the machines have come to a definite head. The crisis has been brought about primarily owing to the steps that have been taken by the London Motor Cab Proprietors' Association, Ltd. On Monday of last week, this association passed the following resolution:—
" In view of the unreasonable delay on the part of the authorities in dealing with the proposals of the association for :--(1) a modification of the petrol tax, or adequate compensation by way of revision in the initial fare and (2) effective official regulations to enable the proprietors to collect the extra fares to which they are legally entitled ; and, in view of the further delay which must arise in consequence of the recent appointment of .a departmental committee of enquiry by the Home Secretary and the terms of reference submitted by the Home Office to that committee, it was unanimously resolved that, failing immediate satisfaction being given to the representations of the proprietors, -a, charge shall be made against the motorcab drivers of an amount equivalent to the motor spirit duty, namely lid. per gallon, and that a notice calling the attention of passengers to the fact that
extra fares are not legally chargeable, unless registered upon the taximeter, shall be placed in a conspicuous position in each motorcab."
The signatories to this resolution were :—General Motor Cab Co., Ltd. ; W. and G. du Cros Ltd. ; British Coupe and Motor Cab Co., Ltd. ; F.I.A.T. Motor Cab Ltd. ; National Motor Cab Co., Ltd. ; Express Motor Cab Co., Ltd. ; Waterloo Taxicab Co., Ltd. ; London Improved Cab Co., Ltd. ; Quick Cab Co., Ltd. ; and the St. Pancras Garage Co., Ltd. '
As a reply to the owners' manifesto, a mass meeting was called by the London Cab Drivers' Trade -Union to take place in the Royal Horticeltural Hall, Vincent Square, Westminster, on Saturday of last week. London was practically tax ieabless after G p.m. on that day, as a result of the Trade Union's invitation, but, owing to the fine weather as well as to the excellent alternative travelling facilities which are nowadays provided in the Metropolis, it is doubtful if any inconvenience whatever was experienced on account of the temuorary absence from the streets of taxicabs.
it will, perhaps, assist our readers to secure a proper appreciation of the situation which has now arisen, if we give some account of the proceedings at the Horticultural Hall on Saturday last.
It was claimed that the date had been chosen in order "to safeguard the public interests," but it is difficult to avoid the suggestion that " cabby " knew on which day he would lose least by taking time off. As a matter of fact, the cab-riding public after 6.30 p.m. on an Easter Saturday has practically disappeared from the streets of the Metropolis ; especially was this the case last week, in view of the brilliant weather which prevailed throughout the holidays. The Horticultural Hall was packed to suffocation, and an overflow meeting was held in Vincent Square. The chair was taken by Mr. W. Everett, one of the trustees of the Cab Drivers' Trade Union, and a member of the Westminster Borough Council, Mr. A. Smith, the president of the Union, addressed the meeting, and he drew its attention to the. features of the existing situation, which he said had been created by the action of the proprietors' federation. He denied that it was true that cab drivers could earn .C4 per week, and he stated that, at a recent meeting between Mr. Edgar Cohen and a deputation of the drivers, it. was shown that the daily average earnings for eight months
were 21 3s. id. He declared that the time had now arrived for the introduction of a new system of remuneration. In his opinion, the owners did not run their concerns on sufficiently economical lines.
Mr. L. Russell, one of the first men in London to drive a fourseated motorcab, complained that the present conditions amounted to sweating. He once again iepeated the statement which Mr. Edgar Cohen is reputed to have made four yew s ago with regard to the drivers' remuneration, and which the drivers do not hesitate illogically to insist should bind the whole of the industry, even under the altered conditions of to-day. Mr. Russell was of the opinion that it was absolutely necessary that Scotland Yard's regulations should be so stringent that they should prevent the companies from " getting two men to a cab." The present average takings for engaged miles, he said, worked out at 91d. to Nd.
Mr. D. J. Davies, a "W. and G." employe, said that he had only been driving for three years, but he was of opinion that matters had already come to a crisis. He quoted Mr. Davison Dalziel as having said that the taxidriver was a sensible, honest and hardworking man, "but as far back as last summer," continued Mr. Davies, " why did all the daily papers fill up with attacks on taxidrivers, engineered by Mr. Shrapnell Smith ? " The proprietors association was practically holding a revolver at the heads of the drivers. Mr. Fordham, the magistrate, had said that cabmen could easily earn
£4 rt week, and " The Cdobe " had given a thorough explanation of the problem. be personally was tired of sneering at small tips. In some parts of London, a scavenger or a dustman could easily earn 305. weekly as a minimum wage, but the taxidriver could only get this by cadging. As a boy he had been to a Grammar School, where he had learnt Latin and Greek, etc.
Mr. Sam Michaels, formerly president of the Motor Cabdrivers' Protection Association, now on the executive council of the London Cabdrivers' Union, and a driver of a four-cylinder Unic, who followed, said that the last speaker's parents would have saved money if they had made Into a cabman and had not troubled to educate him. In most of the garages men were put in charge who knew nothing of the conditions of the cab-service, and this was the cause of a lot of dissatisfaction amongst the drivers. Drivers should be willing to work for 58. a day and so much in the shilling from the takings to pay for the petrol ; that would put a stop to the stories that men were earning 23 or 24 a week.
The following resolutions were carried unanimously :— " That this mass meeting of the taxicab drivers of London most emphatically protests against the action of the Motorcab Proprietors' Association in issuing an ultimatum to the drivers, threatening to demand an additional lid. per gallon on petrol used and an increase of fare, and by this means attempting to prejudice the public and the driver before the Committee has an opportunity of hearing all sides, and in the event of the masters' making an attempt to bring in a new system, which in their opinion is prejudicial to the public and the drivers alike, is unanimously resolved to cease work pending the finding of the Committee." "That in the opinion of this mass meeting, the time has arrived when the taxidriver of London should be paid a daily wage, and that the executive council should be instructed to bring to the notice of the Committee the unfair conditions under which the men have to follow their arduous and skilful occupation."
It is perhaps necessary to add in explanation to the reference that has been made to the work of the Committee on Taxicab Fares, that the preliminary meeting of this committee was held on Monday afternoon of last week under the presidency of Sir Archibald Williamson, M.P. It was then agreed that the inquiry should, RA far as possible, be a public one, the only reservation being that evidence of a confidential nature should, if required, be taken in private. The committee will sit at the Royal Commissions House, Old Palace Yard, S.W.. and the first regular meeting will be held to-day, Thursday, at 2 p.m.
In the foregoing account of the taxicab drivers' meeting, we are unable to discover that any reference was made to the neglect of the drivers to pay in the extras received from the public, or to the reason why a large proportion of the drivers find that, they can earn sufficient by working only four days a week.