TAXI-DRIVERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3058, 20 April 1917, Page 8

TAXI-DRIVERS

IN DEFENCE OF WELLINGTON .; MEN. ' ."."..:: Sir,—l should liko'' to write, a few words about what. I consider: a libel on the-taxi-drivers of this city.;.'. What I read this morning in ' your valuable paper botTA amused and disgusted mo. Perhaps your informant is .not fully aware of tho facts. Does ho. know, for. instance, that fifty drivers from this town are away fighting, also about twenty others, myself, included,, have been turned down "unfit," and this before conscription, came' in? ...The same person, states ■ that tho drivers spend only an eleventh of. their time driving. . My car, as an. example, does between 500 and 1000 miles a week, and yet I'm not nearly so busy as others, at the same trade.. Now, Mr. Editor, are you or the public aware of what constitutes a taxi-driver's day ? I don't think so. The average driver commences his' day at six o'clock in tho morning and finishes about midnight. Yet they have such .an easy time! Aiiothcr matter is this: Tho taxi-drivers seem to always have a bad name. Well, there arc, I admit, as in everything else; "black sheep," but why blame them a'lli-. .Now sir, England wants motor-drivers, and wants them badly, according to homo motor,journals, yet they.won't accept our services in this country, and. taxidrivers aro expert car handlers. Ask any taxMriver to enlist in tho'car services of the Army and 99 per cent, will say "Yes." '. One moro word. . I don't think you will ever find, or havo found, the taxi-, men backward in helping any.movement (cither with money or their services) for the good of their country. Wo havo no holidays: Sundays or Christmas, vear in and year out, and yet never complain, and any one. who thinks this is an easy life I adviso them to try it and sec—l am, etc.,.. TAXI-DRIVER.