The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-27
TRACTION COMPANY Wins.
The Aldermen Concur IN the Common
Councils Actin.
WITH OILY TWO DISSENTING VOTES.
rbc Representatives ofihc Two Companie,
Made Able Arguments, but the Decision
oftnc Board Was Quickly Reached.
Deposit Of sio,00o Discussed.

The Board of Aldermen met at 7:So
/ O'Clock last evening in the Council cham
/ Der to pass upon the question Of the
/ Broad-strcet Electric sine. which has
aroused such widespread intcIt st through
/ out the city. The question before the
/ Board was to pass upon the action II the
/ Council. at It's last session, when the
franchise 10 construct an electric line on
Broad street from Chimborazo Park to
the Exposition Grounds was awarded
7 to rhe Richmond Traction Company.
The Chamber Was crOW,ed with inter-
estei spectators. ana the following menu
/ bcrs OF the Board were in their seats.
President rlrDin and Ncssrs. Allen,
Bahen. Blake. Boykin, Hariwick King,
Mann. Mitchell. Moore. Mountcastle,
/ Noble. Reeve, Snead. StarAe Burton, ana
Vaughan
The nrst business considered was the
orinace which allows the Richmond
Railway ana Electric Company 10 use
compressed air as a motive power on It's
Main-street line, in order to make test
OF its efficiency.
After a short discussion concerning the
merits Of this meals Of lOrOmOtlon. the
/ Board concurred i'm the m >lsure.
After this matter was disposed or the
Board took up the main business Of the
+ evening the question Of giving the Rich
moni Traction Company the right TO con-
struct ana operate an electric line IN
Broad street.
Almost an hour was CONSUMED in the
reading OF tne paper. the substance or
which has already been published IN
Tho Times.
At the conclusion Of its reading. Alder
man Mann. of Marshall Ward. offered as
It substitute f0r il the ordinance Of the
Ricln ond city Railway Company.
TIE DiFFERENcf fxpLAiNrD.
The Hoard decided instead OF hearing
! the reading Of this ordinance. TO allow the
Cay Attorney 10 explain the difference
between r. and the ordinance of the Rich
Tcnd Traction Company.
Th city Attorney said that the differ
cnce between the ordinances lay In the
fact that the Richmond Traction
lany was 10 complete its line within
nine months, while the Richmond city
Railway Company was Only 10 finish its
line 10 Fourteenth street IN nine months.
and TO complete the whole lire ia one
year The only other difference was
that the franchise of the Richmond city
/ Railway company VIII expire In 1871 and
that or The Richmond Traction Company,
by its ordinance expires 1926.
After these matters were concluded. Mr..
starke moved that the representatives. of
the Richmond city Railway Company
and the Richmond Traction Company
be allowed thirty minutes each 20 dis
cuss the relative merits OF their rcspec-
tive companies. and the same length of
/ Ensineer-one hour and bali 10 be de-
voted 90 the entire discussion. Tho mo-
ton was agreed 90.
NH. JOHN s.. wnLAMs.
Mr.. John SHELTON Williams led off Tor
the FRACTION company lie said he came
as tine representative a company tnlt
I Was willing. in spite Of Gripping amand-
mcnts added io their ordinance. TO put up
the money 20 build the line The Trac-
ton company, De- said. WAS acting in
s0oi faith ana were ready 10 huitd d
line on frOad street. the equipment of
which would be- FAR better than IA pres
emit electric system here. lr would De as
much ahead of that system NE said. as
the tlectr.e lines Of Richmond were in
advance Of the bOb-tail cars on Broad
street He called attention 90 the fact
that CON petition meant a great deal TO
ficnmond's citizens.
Should this franchise be- granted 20 the
richmond Traction Company. he said.
much good would De done in The way OF
giving out 20 the country the Importance
OF Richmond as a commercial centre.
Nr. Williams added that bis company
3ropos ed 10 eXprnd N oIee. + 10 were
given this franchise. the sum Of S-D.0,0
| 10 $1,000. and even more If necessary. He
| would extend his system over other lines
as RAPIDLY as the nature Of things would
warrant him in doing
Mg. SMITHS SPEECH.
Alr. H. NJ Smith. Jr.. followed M.
vs. Illiams in very strong speech in favor
Of the Traction Company. RIG SAID that
he regretted TO have 90 appear aLain in
behalf OF "a franchise which the people
OF the city wanted given to his com
pany, and which. IL granted would hene-.
III SO many Richmond people. He re-
ferred 10 the remarks Of Mr. Richardson
before the Council last ionlay night to
the effect that "he tiichardsOnJ had re-
Gently travelled from Richmond ID Texas.
and had not seen better street-car
system anywhere .han Richmond pos
sessed" llr smith said that Mr. Rich
ards0n was now on his way 10 Boston
and that he wished he could be with
him. as he vas sure Mr. Richardson
would have ID different experience in this
respect upon his northern trip than tnat
which he had on his southern trip. MIR
Smith said shat his company had been
criticized by some VINO claim that II was
not acting In good faith. and would
uot buii the line. He ask d why me
gentlemen interested i'm the Traction
Company We're staying away from their
homes. and from their business and de-
voting their time and energies 10 secur-
Ing the franchise. lie said mat the rival
company was blind o. the fact that the
school children OF the city should be-
given the privileges of riding 10 and
from school I'm lr-agrecabie weather at
half price until the Richmond Traction
Company nad agreed 90 give the children
the privilege, Tie declared that the old
company could not pay per cent. upon
ifs gross receipts until the Traction
pauy a-reed l0 do this The Richmond
city Railway Company had never ,h0usit
of allowing tfe Workilgman o ride for
haii-iare durirS cer,Iit hours or the
day
Mr.. Smith continued hy saylug that Mr..
Williams had forgotten one thing Ina the
course of his remarks The thing which
had hcel overlooked by Mr. Williams vas
r couple of checks for slpNl9. IHly Ger
tici 3 lich le would deposit with aly
ousto IAN Oh" cry Council mihht name. as
ana evidence lhat Doe Was acting in good
faith Nr Smith here laid lhe two pieces
OF paper on clerk AugusLs desk, ard
continued by saving that no one could
question the fidelity OF those connected
with the kichmCni iractJn Company.
They proposed 20 give the citizens OF
Richmond "a Better system u sireet-c irs
than 10 had enjoyed iu its history
col. wicEH,M's SPEECH.
Mr.. Wyndham r. Meredith counsel for
the Old company. asked permission Tor
Colonel William +. Wickham % speak
I'm the interests OF the Virginia Agricul-
sion having been accorded ty the Board.
Colonel NicHham said tn8t his only lca-
son for speaking was that the time Tor
the Exposition was approaching Ills
whole idea. he said. was the interest or
the Agricultural Society. and through 10
the city OF Richmond. lie said the couli-
ton OF the Agricultural and Mechanical
Society was urccarlOus, IL being really
an eleemOsyuary institution. That IN
next June large debt was due and
that the very lfe of the society depended
upon the success OF the Exposition this
fall. lie said that from 10000 20 tu.~D
people were annually brought 20 Rich
mond by the Exposition, and that large
amounts OF money were thereby dis
semnated among the merchants and