Such large contributions to governmental revenue should entitle the contributors to a voice, not only in whether there is to be an additional tax, but also in the manner in which their tax dollars are spent, in my opinion.

It goes without saying that taxicab drivers are unanimous in voicing a decisive "No," to any further increase in the gasoline tax rates, at this time.

A 1-cent increase would add $300,000 per year to their cost of operation. These men are now working 10 to 12 hours per day to make a living. Many of them are ex-servicemen recently discharged from the armed forces.

As an indication of the pressure under which drivers are already laboring, as a result of the slackened business and increased competition, 31 out of approximately 250 owner-drivers in the Yellow Cab fleet, failed to renew their PUC licenses at the March 31 deadline.

This indicates that that many men, or more than 12 percent, and it is assumed that the percentage will hold true throughout the industry, have decided to seek some other occupation. It also may be seen as a precursor of what may occur as business drops off further during the slower summer months.

Cab drivers, as a rule, are interested more than the average person, not only in the appearance of their city, but also in the condition of its streets and highways, and most of them can understand that it should cost more after the war than it did before to operate the Highway Department.

Most of those with whom I have talked realize that this is true not only as a result of increased material and labor costs but also to catch up with work neglected or slighted during the war years.

But they believe, and I agree, that the present condition of Washington's highways do not call for the excessive funds requested by the Highway Department apparently with the plan of “building Rome in a day," particularly in view of present inflationary costs, and also particularly in view of the prospective penalty to them at a time when their own incomes are decreasing.

A cab driver, whether he rents his vehicle or owns it outright, is in business for himself and, therefore, may be classed as a businessman, although a small one. His rates are fixed by the Public Utilities Cominission, and he cannot pass along a tax increase to someone else. He is already paying 2.6 cents more per gallon for gas that he did a year ago.

He must bear it himself, and his only recourse, in an effort to break even, is to work longer hours, and longer hours mean possibly more traffic accidents.

In conclusion, I sincerely believe that I can speak for every cab driver in Washington in voicing opposition to the proposed gasoline tax increase.

Mr. BATES. Mr. Keeting, why does he pay today 2.3 cents more a gallon than he did a year ago?

Mr. KEETING. It is 2.6; gas has gone up that much in a year.

Mr. BATES. 2.6 in a year?

Mr. KEETING. Yes, sir; that is the figure they give us.

Mr. BATES. I thought there were two increases.

Mr. KEETING. It was 1 cent just recently; was it not, Mr. Sorrell?
Mr. SORRELL. It was 1 cent just recently.

Mr. KEETING. That is what it was, 2.6 in the last year from the oil companies.

Mr. BATES. In the last year. Thank you, Mr. Keeting.

Now, you have some men that you would like to present?

Mr. KEETING. Yes; I have some. Would you like to hear them?
Mr. BATES. Yes.

Mr. KEETING. Each of these boys was selected to represent a different class of driver, such as those with large families, and those with none, and those who own their own cab and those who rent their cabs. Mr. BATES. Yes.

Mr. KEETING. Mr. Saunders; Walter Saunders. I think Walter has quite a large family, Mr. Chairman.

STATEMENT OF WALTER A. SAUNDERS, ARLINGTON, VA.

Mr. SAUNDERS. Mr. Chairman, my name is Walter A. Saunders, and I am a driver of a Yellow Cab.

Mr. BATES. Sit right down and be perfectly at ease here. Mr. SAUNDERS. I am a driver-owner of a Yellow Cab. Increased gas tax would hurt large-family men. During the war years, even with gasoline restrictions, cab business was good enough so that by the time I had used up my gasoline allotment for the day, I was able to make a comfortable living for my family, and was even able to save something for the purchase of war bonds.

Today, cab business has fallen off very much, while competition has correspondingly increased. Therefore, in order to support my wife and eight children, it is necessary to put in longer and longer hours.

Working longer hours, and using less time for personal affairs, I, therefore, use more gasoline than those who have only themselves or a small family to support.

Thus, I already pay more taxes than they do, and an increase at this time would hit me and those others with large families much harder than the ones who have no children and, in many cases, whose wives are employed and help with the family budget.

Therefore, it seems to me that, so far as cab drivers are concerned, the proposed increased gasoline tax would penalize the men with large families.

I would like to add, Mr. Chairman, that I usually work from 10 to 12 hours a day. I use approximately 14 gallons of gas a day.

Mr. BATES. Of course, with eight children, I do not blame you. Incidentally, I had nine myself-my wife did-so we have something in common in that respect.

Mr. SAUNDERS. I might add, sir, we have had 10; we expect the eleventh one in a month or so. So you can see I have to work pretty long days every day.

I usually worked 7 days a week, but I figure here I use 14 gallons a day, and I only figured it at the rate of 6 days a week, so, I figure that I use approximately 4,300 gallons of gasoline a year in a year's

time.

Mr. BATES. Now, let me ask you this question. What would you say the cut in the receipts to the cab driver has been, say, during the lush season of the war period, and what you now receive today-25 percent off, 10 percent off, or what?

Mr. SAUNDERS. I would say that it has almost been cut in half.

Mr. BATES. Cut in half?

Mr. SAUNDERS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BATES. Let me go further; let us take the average cab driver, and let us assume that he drives 10 hours a day. What would he consider to be a good day's receipts today-gross receipts?

Mr. SAUNDERS. Well, in my particular case, I have to work harder and steadier; I mean, I do not have any lost motion at all. When I start out in the the morning I am in continuous motion right on through except to stop and eat once, and I find I can usually clear, usually net, about eight or nine dollars a day.

Mr. BATES. Now, what are your expenses? That is net?

Mr. SAUNDERS. Net; yes, sir.

Mr. BATES. What do you gross?

Mr. SAUNDERS. Well, I can gross around-well, between 13 and 14 dollars.

Mr. BATES. And then of that, say, that $13, what are your expenses? You own your cab?

Mr. SAUNDERS. Yes, sir; I own my cab, and my expenses are around $5 a day.

Mr. BATES. $5 a day?

Mr. SAUNDERS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BATES. Gasoline is how much?

Mr. SAUNDERS. Gasoline is about $2.50.

Mr. BATES. $2.50.

Mr. SAUNDERS. And right now, I am using a quart of oil every day, and that is 25 cents; and the rest of it is for maintenance, repairs, tires. Mr. BATES. The average is spread over the year.

Mr. SAUNDERS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BATES. But $5 a day; and so it takes you about 10 or 12 hours a day for you to net $8 a day?

Mr. SAUNDERS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BATES. And you have the investment of your own car.

Mr. SAUNDERS. That is right; and I have to drive an old taxicab. I have a '40, and it has a great deal of miles on it, and I could not begin to afford to buy a new car like I should do; the cab is pretty well worn

out.

Mr. BATES. Thank you.

Mr. SAUNDERS. Thank you, sir.

Mr. BATES. Who is the next one, please?

Mr. KEETING. Mr. Bucolo.

STATEMENT OF SALVITORE BUCOLO, WASHINGTON, D. C.

Mr. BUCOLO. Honorable Chairman, taxi drivers are opposed to the proposed tax increase of 1 cent per gallon on gasoline.

- Drivers are concerned with the condition of city streets not only because of the scenic beauty of our capital city, but also because of the effect bumpy roads have on their cabs.

They earn their money the hard way, but it is like every other job or profession: The go-getters get ahead and the lazy ones stay behind.

Many have been in the cab business for years and, to these, it is their life work. They have nothing else to which to turn. The percentage both of old-timers and newcomers with service records is high.

Many of the latter are handicapped by war injuries and wounds which makes cab driving about their only available occupation.

With the cost of living as high as it is today, another raise in the price of gasoline would operate as a severe hardship.

Taxicab patronage is slowing down due to the great number of Government people being released from their jobs, while others, fearing release, are economizing and not using taxicabs.

Many nearby Army and Navy installations have either been closed or their personnel materially reduced. Those remaining are permitted, under peacetime regulations, to operate their own motor cars. Thus, this source of taxicab revenue, once profitable and counted on, has nearly disappeared.

There are more cabs on Washington streets now than ever before and, with moderate cab rates in effect, the driver really has to hustle, with safety in mind, to make a meager living for his family.

You men are familiar with the increase in the cost of living all down the line, and you can realize, I am sure, that where the margin is so small between income and the cost of existence, as is the case with the cab driver, the situation does not make for a good citizen.

I appeal to you members of this honorable committee not to permit this requested increase. It is the 1 cent here and the 1 cent there that finally spells hardship, and I feel that you should come to the support of this unorganized group which is already paying more than its rightful proportion of direct taxes.

Mr. BATES. How many gallons a day, Mr. Keeting, is usually consumed by a driver working, say, 10 or 12 hours a day?

Mr. KEETING. They will average 10 or 12 gallons a day.

Mr. BATES. Ten or twelve gallons a day.

Mr. KEETING. With everything up to snuff.

Mr. BATES. So that the tax would be about 10 cents additional

STATEMENT OF CHARLES E. CANNON, WASHINGTON, D. C.

Mr. CANNON. My name is Charles E. Cannon.

Mr. BATES. Sit down, Mr. Cannon. We are glad to hear from you.

Mr. CANNON. My statement, sir, refers to taxes and accidents.

I am a married man with no children, and my wife works to help with the family budget.

Records for the month of March show my gasoline consumption ranging from 6 gallons for one low day when my cab was in the shop, to a high of 12 gallons, but with the average close to 10 gallons. This average I have been maintaining month after monthnot just for the month of March.

Of course, I am making a living, but the increase recently in gasoline prices, adding up to 2 cents a gallon, were more than noticeable in my budget, and I fear that another cent added for taxes at this time,

when there is a steady downgrade in the cab business, would make things exceedingly difficult.

While I am comparatively young and am, therefore, able to put in long hours behind the wheel, I am concerned about the older drivers who will be unable to run those extra jobs necessary to take care of increased expenses.

I find it a struggle, even with the assistance of my wife's salary, to make a fair living, even though I am renting my cab from the Yellow Cab Co., whose rental rates to drivers are lower than most other taxicab outfits here.

Unless there is a lessening in the cost of living, an increase in cab business, or a slackening in competition, I can visualize an increase in the number of traffic accidents as the result of drivers trying to work beyond normal working hours in order to get take-home money.

I hope this committee will not support the gas tax increase.
Mr. BATES. You rent a cab?

Mr. CANNON. Yes, sir.

Mr. BATES. And what do you consider to be a fairly good day? You drive 10 hours a day?

Mr. CANNON. I drive 12 hours a day.

Mr. BATES. What do you consider to be a good day's receipts?

Mr. CANNON. In my case it is a little different from most of the cab drivers. I drive a two-way radio call service cab. Now, we get a 25cent additional charge for all service, which is permitted by the Public Utility Commission, so I would say my day's work averages for 12 hours around eleven to twelve dollars.

Mr. BATES. Total receipts?

Mr. CANNON. No; that is for me.

Mr. BATES. What about total receipts?

Mr. CANNON. It runs about seventeen to nineteen.

Mr. BATES. What do you pay for the cab a day?

Mr. CANNON. I pay $4 for the 12-hour shift. The cabs work two 12-hour shifts.

Mr. BATES. Somebody else takes your cab when you are through? Mr. CANNON. That is right.

Mr. BATES. That is 6 days a week or 7?

Mr. CANNON. We are working 6.

Mr. BATES. That is about $24 a week for the cab.

Mr. CANNON. That is right; and we buy our own gas, which runs about $2.50 to $2.60 a day.

Mr. BATES. Let me ask this question. Why do you rent a cab?
Mr. CANNON. Why do I rent a cab?

Mr. BATES. Yes.

Mr. CANNON. Well, this is the situation: I owned a cab before I rented one. The cab got old. I could not afford to keep it up; and as a result I sold it and went into renting; it seems to be reasonablemore reasonable than trying to own one and operate it.

.

Mr. BATES. They take care of all the repair and tires and so forth; do they?

Mr. CANNON. Yes; that is right.

Mr. BATES. For the $4 a day, to keep it going?

Mr. CANNON. Yes. My night man who works with me, he owned his own cab and now is renting from the company, too.