INDIGNANT CABMEN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 928, 22 September 1910, Page 4

INDIGNANT CABMEN.

VICE-REGAL FUNCTIONS., MAYOB'S ACTION CEITICISED, I ;; V The cabmen .of Wellington"'.-'are' very., wroth at the proposal which; has been : made by the Mayor'(Mr. T. M. Wilford)'■",."'" in conference with' his Excellency ...■the ~ Governor as to way 6 and means of cutting down the'cost, of transit'now that; Government House is beyond the shilling boundary. . Some of the. cabmen, who ' had ' been discussing the matter,* sub- .■/.'.-. mitted'their views to a Dominion, repre- ; tentative, and it will be-for;the public to judge whether the "cabbies" and .-' cab proprietors are being fairly dealt with.- ; Tne fare from Lambton, Railway Station or the General. Post .'Office to - Sussex- . Square: is lsi. per passenger • iip ! till -7/1p.m., .thereafter cabmen . may, "charge v. double fare.. : This does'not mean that if / four people journeyed to Susses Square '-'■''. in~-a cab from the Post Office: at 8 p.m.":. that the charge would be Bs.,'as it is a ' .1; usual .thing to; reduce the/fare on'., a'-: rought scale according to. the; numberof.'■' passe'ngers.\ Now, ; just because'.- Govern- '- ment House is some: hundreds of ,:yaids; .- . on the other ade of" the ooundary .laid-: down by!the City Council in its by-laws. . the Mayor,. whom they consider ; ;V be the. last, person .to act such . a'-;': '. fashion, proposes that, on. occasions: when: ;: there are functions at Govertiment''House, : a, three-minute tram service -should:. ! .be. : : run to Susses Square, "in.-• conjunction' . with a service of brakes at ; ; popular ■ .' prices." Did anybody (the, cabmen ask)'' ■'■", ever hear of such an -absurd and un-": dignified proposal? - They, cannot understand why it should: be'-assumed .that' '.'•': the difficulties'; with cabmen over the-, mater of fares will be. "inevitable," and ■-■ they take the liberty .of expressing: the,;> opinion that people'who are mthe habit- *j of being invited to Government House ..-■. are not'.going to crowd', -intb;'.tramcar3 .'." and drags for the sake of saving a shillings - or two. ■• - : ;-;:" What,i however,-; is; particularly re-;" sented is what, they regard as a attempt to deprive them' of: work .'for ■:" ; which a legitimate' charge (embodied : in V the city by-laws) is made. . In any.case, theyjisay,: it would .-have .been.: more ~ straightforward! to: approach: the' cab ; pro- ;■-'". priefcjrs'with. the view, of coming : to some;::;', equiiable''.arrangement,' :if. the ---present ; ; fares;:.are inequitable.- ..;;-.■.:''.,-.,••, ;-.Oh'i.being 1 questioned;as to. what -.pre-r,-;,; oisely; the -fares' would: be to' Government' - ; House after 7 p.m'i,".one of,';■ the 'best- -. known cabmen'in town said .that.for a single ; person-the fare ..from = about.: the.::. ■ city i would be . 2s.;' from the '.: Thorndoa ■;'■ .■ end-or Wellington Terrace 2s. ,6d. or Ss.;';. for a couple -from.; the: city 'r-'M-y- from"; Thorndon or.Wellington ; Terrace 6s; or ',' 7s'.' .But the' arrangement .usually. made: ;; with guests: of. the ".Governor was' to take...; :.them ; to- Government-House : and: ; bring", them home;again' about midnight or 1 a.m. '-For' babiy; : .:•bß7;l2s;.-' 6d. ;to within aa..;.; easy, radius, and:lSs.iif jthey'resided on;,' ; ; ; Tinakori Road, the far: end of Thorndoh, .' .«.WeUington. : Terracei',-;:In;,-:comparisoix;> . with ;cab : fares . in/',other .parts;;of;- the;' '.•: world: for; similar 'services, these, if Us f". maintained, : are .fair";, and 'reasonable;;'; charges, seeing, that - such' functions ;r ■ are. ■; held 'very rarely. The ' cabmen, - assert : ;■ ■'■■ that : tbe, class;of peo'plev who .;'wilT-.be :;. affected are well able, to- afford:_the.fares;••;-" charged. There will probably be a meek "■> ; L ing; of : cabmen, to.>: discuss Vthe-. whole "■':"' '.'questibh. .-.r;' ; .Xv.-.l':''-;.-'■;.:':;/':\-.'v.'s'.::-:''-';,..•; :,-. : ',_ The inquiry was pushed 'on. to.the tax>. ; ;; cab chauffeurs, who are bound to be ia increasing demand, for-V;. vice-regal funo - tidns.■' Our representative;was •'informed' :. that the -proposed, arrangement: did;not.;;"' affect;; them • ;much,: ■ as, ] shey; were,;. so'.', fa'r,;:. not affected:• by,;the.;.•'boundaries'.'.Vwhica'"-.s-were set' out;in;the.by-lawsvai a; ; to. fares.;' Their charge : was .-about;. Ms.;. \ per mile/-and they.'reckoned .it.'a; mile";; from -the- General; Post lOffice; te-the foot":. of Elizabeth Streeti\:so the.isingle. 'fare'-.','. to '-■■ Government.'House'r in- the-'daylight", ; would .be 25.;: After dark itLwasvmpstly' .' a matter of arrangement, but a,pro rata;,' usually .made, when.;therfti."; were' over: two;passengers.:. . V ':-.■"\^ ; :