Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-09-26
STREET RAILWAYS.
SEVERAL CHANGES THAT THE CON-
MiTTEE ON STREETS WANT MADE.
The Pulling Up of Tracks on Franklin and
Marshall Recommended and Ger
tain Connections Suggested.


Subjects OF street-railway legislation
engaged the attention Of several members |
Of tho Council Committee on Streets for |
nearly two hours last night.
1t was a meeting Of the subcommittee /
10 which several matters relating 10 the I
car lines and their tracks had been re- /
ferred. The conference to which the car /
officials were invited, was held in the Office /
of the City Engineer and began at |
o'clock.
The real object OF the meeting was to |
suggest 20 the street-railway people that /
they should ask for certain LEGISLATION /
which is desired by the city, but which
could be better gotten by beng presented
to the Council in the shape of petition 4
from the companies.
In addition TO the members OF the com /
| mittee there were present Messrs. ": h'
Fisher. H. III. Nash, Charles Seiden' Ilty-
Engineer Cutshaw, City-AttOrney mere !
dith, and Colonel r. G.. Rufiin. Mr.. STRAIT !
ton. chairman of the subcommittee pre- |
sided.
MARsHALI-sTREET TRACK.
The first matter taken mp was recon- /
mendation that the Manchester kailWay
and Improvement Company (Marshall-
street line) submit petition TO be allow I
/ ed 10 take up all that portion OF It's TRACK /
/ living between Fourteen and Nam streets !
and Marshall and Hancock.
! In reply TO a question Blr. Fisher stated |
| that the Marshall-street line does not pay |
/ and that at present II is run at q loss. hl8
| company would be willing 20 give ~ up
provided il could be guaranteed against
| some other company running cars on thaI
/ street. They had rather operate the roau
/ l.. d. taka nho
Mr.. Stratton thought such an arrange
ment would be perfectly fair.
| Mr. Fisher wanted TO know If the Coun-
| ell could make a contract of that kind. and
would it be binding? If So could 1t last
| longer than the life of the Council making
| itf ,,...,,
not.
Mr.. Stratton suggested that the guaran-
tee be given with the night Of being re-
! yoked by two successive Councils.
Mr. Meredith said this might bo done.
A rwKSTY-YEAB GUARANTEE.
Mr.. Turpin thought such a guarantee
might be given for twenty years. ms the
| City Attorney also said could not be cone.
! Replying to a question frOm 5lr. StTattoh,
| Mr. Meredith said il might Ike telephone
! franchises be granted subject to revoca-
ton of "A vote of two consecutive councils.
This would be. though, in the nature OF
| contract and tended towards monopoly. |
| and was, therefore, Objectionable.
By the same token. querled Mr. Iurpln.
might not the city bind itself not to allow
! another street-car line IN the city!
MR. MEREDITH's VIEWS.
The City Attorney gave hsassent to this. |
In his opinion-though an opposition line
was more TO be feared ON Lelgh siI'
than on NIarshall-the Council nowadays |
/ ,ros ,,a4tsr,g mora carpfIll he mere aDDll- |
cation did not now signify favorable con- |
Alteration. A cross-tOwn line might posi- |
/ blv be allowed TO run on Marshall for few |
| blocks. 1t would not be policy, even II
| legal. TO bind the city in such matter.
/ There was no earthly danger OF another
/ line wanting to run on Marshall street.
TRUST THE CITY.
Mr.. Turpin reminded Mr.. Fisher that 1t
was in the power OF the city TO demand OF
| tbe company such service as to compel |
il to pull up the track. 1t was losing |
money now and that would mean an addi- |
! tional loss The company had better pun |
up the track and trust to the city.
! City-Attorney Meredith SAID he believed |
Mr.. Fisher controlled all the street ran |
wavs in the city and 1t was practically Tor |
| blm 10 sny whether or not new lines should |
| be built. II he met new enterprizes with !
courtesy they would al probably be com !
| pelled to use parts Of his lines. But II he !
| did not they would go against him.
Alr. Fisher said 1t was the wlsh OF ms |
| company to do oil ii could for the good OF
tho city, provided that they received pro-
per protection.
SAVING OF EXPENSES.
! To a question from Mr.. Turpin as 10
whether the saving of expense IN pulling
W. tho track would compensate for the
| chance of competition, MIR. Fisher replied
| in the affirmative.
Mr. Meredith called Mr.. Fishers atten-
tion TO the fact that the line in the street
really invited competition. IL had been
| laid very cheaply, and the amount 10 Oe
| paid by another company for running over
| If would be much less than on one which
| had been loaded down with debt lnlts con-
| structlon.
BRANCH ROAD.
Mr.. Stratton thought it would be well to
| make that portion of the line west OF Han
| cock street a branch of the Union Passen-
| ger Railway.
Being asked for an expression OF OPINION
| Citv-Ensineer Cutshaw stated that he had
always thought the track had no business
| on Marshall street. A city like Richmond
| could not stand two lines only block
/ apart. Ii would be benefit TO the
| city and TO the rood to pull the track up.
| There was no danger of any other company
wanting to run on Marshall street. New
companies could always afford better 10
nav high prices for the use of tracks al
ready down than to lay new ones ana
| the company having the rail on the street
were benefited financially by renting IT
/ ont. Generally the newcomers would
use il little while and quit. The city of
| Richmond. he added, has about all the
street railways she can stand Tor some
years to come.
WANTED ASSURANCE.
Coming back tothe original proposition,
Mr., Fisher inquired if there was not some
wav by which his company could nave rea-
sonabie assurance that the Alarshall-street
franchise would be granted TO no one else.
MIR Meredith suggested 1t might be put
In the spirit of a contract that lt could
be so arranged as to make II matter or
conscience with future councils, though
not actually binding upon them.
CALLING A HALT.
Mr.. Turpin declared that II was time the
| Council was putting stop 10 TINS thlhg OF
every new railway company taking up a
separate street. Richmond is too narrow
a city for this kind of policy, which Is for
hidden by its topography.
Colonel Rufiin having been requested 10
state his views SAID that there was no
doubt about the track on Marshall street
being nuisance. dangerous, and needless:
He had no confidence III the good faith OF
railroads. and as long as the track was
there the company bad the, rieht to ope-
rate il with electricity, and electric-cars
were one of the most internal nuisances
of which he knew.
vIADUCT TALK.
Mr.. Fisher said he was not so sure about
Marshall street being undesirable, i0r
! when a yiaduct is built on that thorough
fare cars can run on the street from one
end of the city 10 the other.
Colonel CLtshaw replied that If vladuct
was built it would be on Broad street. =.
Mir Fisher stated that his understanding
was that there was to be one on each
| street. n-u
| There would not be one for thirty years
at least. responded the Engineer.
The Chair then requested Mr.. Fisher TO
take the matter under consideration, and
II it was determined 10 take 9p the tIacS
the petition could be presented at future
meeting of the entire Street Committee.
Mr.. Fisher wanted TO know how about
the ordinance requiring the Marshall,street
! 4x..i. g. ,.,l,a "a cDpnpqtfOQ AZ fOurleentl