Sir William Joynson-Hicks, in dealing with the London taxi-cabs, has
upset expectations by not referring very pointedly to two-seaters. He has simply authorized alternative scales of charges for the hire of taxis ; one scale is the existing one, and the other provides for a fare at the rate of 9d. a mile, with 6d. extra for each passenger beyond two. He gives the owner of a four- seater permission to ply for hire on either scale. A two- seater taxi can ply for hire only on the lower scale. 'The two-seater is thus mentioned almost incidentally. Apparently it will be cheaper for four persons, to hire two two-seaters than to travel together in a four-seater at the old rate. It will be interesting to see what will happen next. The Home Secretary seems to have neatly outmanoeuvred the intransigeants of the four- seater industry. No doubt it will take a considerable time for the two-seaters to become numerous, and in the meantime the intransigeants, who are threatening a boycott of the two-seaters, may have discovered that they were foolish and that there is more money to be made at the lower fare.
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