THE PARIS TAXICAB STRIKE.
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Owners Still Determined.—Operations Under Military Protection.—Bombs in Garages.
Our special Paris correspondent writes as follows :—" With police protection, more and more taxicabs are being placed on the streets of Paris. In addition to the 2000 privately-owned cabs contributing to the strike fund, 361 of the companies' cabs were sent out one day this week. These comprised : 108 of the Auto-Fiacre Co.'s fleet of 840; 135 from the 741 owned by the General Co. • 4 of the 150 belonging to the Meteor Co. • and 114 of the 2600 Auto-Place cab's. The men are still confident that they will win, and the cab companies are equally certain that they will not give in.
"The whole of the taxicab district in the neighbourhood of Levallois is in a state of siege every morning from S to 12 o'clock, policemen, infantry, and caN. alry forming a cordon around the entire district and preventing all suspicious-looking persons from approaching within half a mile of any of the garages. All cabs are sent out with either a Garde Republicaine by the side of the driver, or with two men on the front seat. The charge for the troops alone must be a heavy burden on the taxicab companies, for the Republican Guards—really equivalent to the British Life Guards—are only sent out. of the city under exceptional circumstances, and on payment of heavy . fees.
"The loss to the city of Paris in octroi duties is also very consider
able : since the outbreak of the strike the city of Paris has doubtless lost no less a sum than 112,000 in town duty. The raw drivers are for the most part men lacking the most elementary notions of taxicab driving, numbers of them having been sent out without their driving licence ; the numerous accidents they have caused will impose additional charges on the companies. Notwithstanding their serious losses, the companies offer a united rJusal to the demands of the men.
" The owners have issued a circular informing the strikers that, unless they return to work within a short stated period, their names will be finally removed from the companies' books. This, together with the reduced out-of-work pay, has had the effect of introducing anarchical methods into the dispute. Bombs, constructed more with a view to spreading ire than doing damage by explosion, have been discovered in several garages.
" An organized attempt has been made to set fire to the cabs belonging to the large companies. During one day, incendiary bombs had been placed in 16 taxicabs belonging to different companies, and 11 of the cabs so visited have been entirely or partially destroyed. While the cabs were on the streets, each with a Republican Guard by the side of the driver, sonic person or persons succeeded in placing a special slow-fuse bomb in the rear cushions with the object of setting fire to the cabs. The bombs were composed of five glass test tubes, the two outer ones containing turpentine, the next two gunpowder, and the centre one sulphuric acid in the base, a pad of cotton wool, and: above it an explosive mixture. Each tube was carefully corked and all the five were carefully enveloped in cotton wool. They formed a packet about 4 in. by 6 in. When the tubes were turned upside down in the upholstery of the car, an explosion was created in the central tube after an interval of five or six hours. The object was to set fire to the cabs, for the explosion in itself was not of sufficient force to do any real damage. The presence of theturpentine and the selection of the horsehair cushions for the placing of the instruments are sufficient indication of this.
" In all cases but one, the fire broke out during the night when the cars had been taken back to the garage. They were of such a mysterious nature that it was not until the third or fourth outbreak that the guardians could discover their origin. In one garage five cabs.. were completely destroyed and four others were found to contain explosive tubes. The police have taken the matter up, but so cleverly has the scheme been worked out that they have little material to work upon. The taxicab drivers' union has officially protested against the report that it is in any way implicated."