Clinton News-Record, 1979-04-26, Page 5Letter to
the editor
Dear Editor:
A recent headline in the
London Free Press,
Informed Public Vital,
plus recent articles by
Chip Martin in the Free
Press and by Frances
I3arrick in the News -
Record prompted me to
attempt to put some
common sense in the
recent taxi controversy.
Unfortunately the public
tends to discuss such
things on the street
corner, the barber shop,
the post office, and yet
rarely du they make an
attempt to find out the
truth. People just
naturally like to criticize
and of course the story
gets embellished each
time it is told. Like the
former councillor (who
really should know
better) but who
frequently holds forth at
the post office, and if
what has been reported to
me is true, his version
bears little resemblance
to fact in this case. So
may I take this op-
portunity to put things in
perspective.
Last July Mr. Doug
Howse asked me how he
went about getting a taxi
licence. In no time at all
he had fulfilled these
requirements, and
Council subsequently
approved licensing for his
three cabs.
Perhaps you should
know briefly; what these
requirements are. The
applicant must submit
proof that he is the
registered owner of the
vehicle. He must provide
a certificate - of
mechanical fitness. He
must prove that he is a
qualified and licensed
operator and over 18
years of age. He must
prove that he has Public
Liability, Property
Damage, Comprehensive
and Medical insurance
coverage for a minimum
of $300,000.00. He must
also . display in a
prominent place in his
cab a copy of his licence,
his identification and a
copy of the schedule of
rates.
You /pay ask why these
requirements. Well if the
Municipality issues a
licence to carry
passengers they must do
their best to ensure that
you, as a passenger, are \
going to arrive safely at
your destination. If you s,
were injured severely 9
and it could be proven
that the vehicle was
unsafe or the owner had N
only a minimum of in-
surance, then obviously
the To could be sued. I
am re if hat happened,
the u is would be
condemning council and
myself for not having
enforced the bylaw.
In January of this year
Mr. Howse met with
Council to discuss his
request for , a rate in-
crease. It should be noted
that Council cannot and
does not arbitrarily set
the taxi fares, but after a
request from the owner
will attempt to arrive at a
rate that is fair for the
operator as well as the
passenger. They can only
set maximum rates, and
the operator is free to
charge anything up to
that rate. The bylaw
setting new maximum
rates was passed in
January of this year, but,
and I repeat, only after
Mr. Howse had requested
this increase. This has
been distorted by both
Mr. Howse and in a
recent article by Chip
Martin in the Free Press.
Mr. Martin was called by
myself and given the
correct information. He
assured me that a
correction would be put in
the paper. When it did not
appear, I contacted him
again, and was told he did
not find it very in-
teresting so had not
bothered to correct it. It
was suggested that Mr.
Howse only wanted to
charge $1.25 to go from A
to B, but Council is
portrayed as the "Bad
Guys" by insisting he
charge $2.00. The truth in
this case was too dull for
the Free Press, so the
public again is misin-
formed.
In January of this year
while discussing the rates
with Council, Mr. Howse
Turn to page 7 •
CI.INTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1979—PAGE 5
ALL MERCHANDISE 100°. SATISFACTION
GUARANTEEED, PRODUCT REPLACED
OR MONEY REFUNDED
Cloverleaf or
Maple Leaf
Sockeye Salmon
7.75 oz. tin
Royale
Assorted Colours Printed
Paper Towels
2 roll pkg.
Schneiders 6 oz. pkg
Dutch, Pickle &
Pimento or
Luncheon Meat
.75
Schnei4ers 1 Ib. pkg., Red Hot,
Dutch Treet,All Beef or
Skinless
Wieners
Schneiders 1 Ib. pkg.
4 Varieties
Sliced
Side Bacon
1.48
1.58
Store Packed
Sliced Side
Bacon
Ends
LB .99
Top Valu 16 oz. pkg.
Bologna,
Mac & Cheese or
Chicken Loaf
1.28
Top Valu 6 oz. pkg.
Sliced
Cooked Ham
Top Valu 3-4 Ib.
Boneless
Dinner Hams
1.28
,, 2.08
Mixed Rib and Loin End
(7-9 Chops)
Loin
Pork Chops
28
Ib.
Cut From
Canada Grade A Beef
Chuck Made Steaks
U.S. No. 1
Head
Lettuce
27C
Canada No. 1
Fancy
Macintosh Apples
5 Ib. bag
Chapman's
Assorted Flavours
Ice Cream
2 L cont.
1.98
16�
U.S. No. 1
Cucumbers
F.79
Peat Moss
4 cubic ft.
Product of
South Africa
Packem
Pears
4:99
Ib..68'
Kraft 1 L jar
Miracle Whip 1.38
Kraft Royale
Schneiders 16 oz. pkg. Smooth or Crunchy Assorted Colours
4 Varieties•Peanut Butter Bathroom Tissue
Sliced BolognagOPi
, 375 g jar 4 roll pkg.
Top Valu 1 lb. pkg.
1 . 4 8 (F1rSt . at
■.99 ,
Tasters Choice 8 oz. jar85
Swanson 8 oz. p
Regular Frozen Chicken.
Instant Beef or Turkey
Coffee 5.19 Pot Pies
Sliced
Side Bacon
1.48
Mixed Rib and Loin End
(7-9 Chops)
Loin
Pork Chops
lb 1.28
Center Cut
Fresh
Loin
Pork Chops
Top Valu 1 Ib. pkg.
Skinless Wieners
and/or
Breakfast Sausage
PRICES EFFECTIVE UNTIL CLOSING
SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1979.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT
TO LIMIT QUANTITIES
TO AVERAGE FAMILY REQUIREMENTS.
STORE HOURS
MON. 8:30-6:00 TUES. 8:30-6:00
WED. 8:30-6:00 THURS. 8:30-6:00
FRI. 8:30-9:00 SAT. 8:30-6:00
Palmolive
Liquid
Dish Detergent
32 fl. oz. btl.
1.25
Fleecy
Liquid
Fabric Softener
128 fl. oz. cont
16 9
Monarch 2.5 kg bag
Cake and Pastry
Flour
1.29
Fraservale 24 oz. pkg.
Frozen Turbot
Fish & Chips
.39
1.49
ty,
NON.v Poo
• UGAR PEAS
Campbell's
Chicken Noodle
Soup
10 fl. oz. tin
Stokely
Fancy Cream Style or
Whole Kernel Corn or
Fancy Honey Pod Peas
12 14 fl. oz. tin