CABMEN’S PROTECTION SOCIETY.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 237, 13 March 1875, Page 3

CABMEN’S PROTECTION SOCIETY.

A largely attended meeting of the above society was held last evening at the City Hotel, Mr T. Goodyer, sen, in the chair. After a general discussion of a conversational nature, it was proposed by Mr S. Thomas, and seconded by Mr T. Hazard—- “ That all the cabmen, licensed or unlicensed, keep up their own scale of fares, as determined on by the society.” Carried unanimously. Mr H. Dodd stated that the week before last his Worship the Mayor informed him that he would draft a letter, asking the cabmen to withdraw the guarantee from the solicitor, and asked him to get it signed. He had told the Mayor that if he did so it would be submitted at the meeting of the society, and that if they agreed to the conditions made by him (the Mayor), viz, that they could work at their own scale of fares, he would lay it before the society, and it was upon that understanding that the licenses had been applied for and some taken out, Mr T. Hazard said that no promise had been made to the Mayor by the cabmen, and that all the propositions had come from the Council themselves. He was determined himself never to work for the fares in the new bye-law. Mr S. Thomas moved—“ That the cabmen place before the public the conditions under which they had agreed to make application for their licenses, and that the three cab proprietors who interviewed the Mayor explain to this meeting what had transpired at that interview.” Mr S. Lawrence seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Messrs Sexton and Dodd (two of the delegates) explained to the meeting that under a promise given by the Mayor to Mr Dodd the week before last, to the effect that on his presenting to him a list of four or five names of cabmen who were willing to take out licenses, he would at once open the stands. In consequence of that promise they waited on the Mayor with the list asked for. His Worship asked them if they could not get some more names, and suggested an amicable settlement, upon which Mr Sexton stated that the cabmen had no objection to take out their licenses, but totally ignored the Is per mile fare and the belt business. The Mayor then suggested that if the cabmen took out their licenses they might keep their own scale of fares up until the bye-law was amended ; and stated at the same time that the Council would not interfere with the cabmen’s scale, but advised that if they had any difficulty in obtaining their scale from the public in any particular case they had better make the best of it until the bye-law was altered, as if they were sued for the higher scale it would only be opening up the question of the bye-law which was a matter the Con ncil were anxious of avoiding. Thisconversation took place on the Wednesday previous to the first special meeting of the City Council. The delegates had then laid that proposition before a meeting of the society convened for that purpose, when it was decided that all the cabmen should take out their licenses under the proposals of the Mayor. In accordance with this a number of applications were sent in. At the adjourned special meeting of the Council these applications had been granted, and the stands were opened, Mr Sexton here quoted the Mayor’s reply to Cr Farr on the 6th instant, whether the applications from the cabmen meant that they were determined to accept the bye-law, and this reply, as would be seen, was altogether at variance with the understanding that had been come to between his Worship and the delegates, and consequently, made the society feel dubious of the future intentions of the Council to carry out promises given and received by the cabmen in good faith. Relative to the letter which the Mayor had stated he expected to receive from the society informing the Council that they “had withdrawn their guarantee from their solicitor as they had no wish for further litigation,” he had only to tell the meeting that this was a proposition which emanated solely from the Mayor, who wrote out a draftof the letter, and submitted it to him (Mr Sexton) after the Council had met on last Saturday. His Worship had no authority to say that he expected any such letter, as none was even in existence, or had been spoken of at that time. He (the Mayor) had drafted a letter after this, and had handed it to him (Sexton) to get signed, when he was obliged to tell him (the Mayor) that he had little hope then of getting the letter signed after waat his Worship had said that morning in the Council Chambers, but that it would be submitted to the committee of the society, and this was done, when it was decided to take no action in the matter until their solicitor was consulted. He had been thus explicit as it was the desire of the committee and society to state -the whole of the facte,

in order to disabuse the public mind as to the cabmen taking any unfair advantage of the Council, During the tinm this war was being carried on between the Council and the cabmen, the latter bad always shown a willingness to settle matters amicably, and bad made a considerable modification in the scale of fares in order to meet the views of the Council, whilst, on the other hand, a few members of that body had displayed a great unwillingness to agree to any terms but their own. This explanation by the delegates was considered satisfactory, and, after a short discussion, in which the majority of members expressed a hope that every preparation would be made for the coming contest with the Council, the meeting adjourned.