Seward Seaport Record

City Refuses Giardino Taxi Cab License

An application by George Giardino to operate a taxicab company in the city of Seward was turned down by the City Council at its meeting on Monday evening.

The basis for the refusal to approve the application was City Ordinance No. 171, which states that no additional taxicab companies may operate in the city till the population reaches the 2500 mark.

The ordinance was placed in effect by a former city council slightly over two years ago. In order to permit a new cab company to operate it would be necessary either to change the ordinance or to show that the population had increased sufficiently.

Giardino referred to the 1947 tuberculosis survey which showed that over 2700 x-rays had been made. In opposition to this it was stated that the 2700 figure included many transients who can not be counted.

The 1950 national census will be taken in Alaska some time this year, and the city has sent corrected copies of the map of the city to the Bureau of Census. The 1940 census gave the population of Seward at approximately 1000.

Giardino stated that he was determined to enter the taxi business in Seward, and asked that the council set aside the ordinance. To this request, councilmen replied that this would be letting down all bars, and that regulation would be out of the question.

The city attorney said that the council was obliged to uphold the ordinance unless it were legally changed. He said also that the city had a legal right to regulate cabs, since they are common carriers serving the public.