ANNUAL INSPECTION OF HACKNEY CARRIAGES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5536, 24 December 1878, Page 2

ANNUAL INSPECTION OF HACKNEY CARRIAGES.

The annual inspection of hackney carriages took place yesterday, and for tt» g r at time perhaps in the history of the city thb duties of inspector were satisfactorily performed. Out of upwards of 60 carriages licensed were arrayed before the Inspector, Mr. Joh.. ston, and four of these were sent b;ick for re. pairs. One ingenious Jehu who bad failed to pass muster watched his opportunity, and when the Inspector, was momentarily busy endeavored to squeeze through, but this was a failure. A number o£ the antiquated squarebox oarriages have bid good-bye to the Wellington streets for ever, retiring before the march of progress as represented by the tramway's more comfortable carriages, but the remainder of the 30 who did not put in an appearauce no doubt roaolved to wait till this morning, to see how their more venturesome comrades fared. To-day, how ever, is licensing day, and all must appear or lose their license for the year. The Inspector, we are glad to learn, has sent in a list of men whose application for a renewal of drivers' licenses he opposes, on the ground that the applicants are men of bad character and habitual swearers. Another Btep to be taken is to reduce the number of passengers which certain vehicles are licensed to carry. For instance, at present some landaus and broughams which cannot comfortably carry more than five passengers inside and one outside are licensed to carry six, and these will in future not be allowed to carry more than five. In connection with this matter it may be mentioned that the new table of rates and fares corns* into operation to-day. In future only 6d will be chargeable for conveyance between any two points situate within the district bounded on one side by the sea, and on the other by a line running from Pipitea Point along Davis-street, Moturoa-street, Pipiteastreet, Murphy-street, Molesworth-street.Char-lotte-street, Lambton-quay, Willis-street, Abel Smith-street, Taranaki-street, Vivian-street, and Kent-terrace to the sea. Another change is that payment by distance or time is to be t at the option of the passenger and not of the I driver.