Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-25

reached II was decided TO go no farther.
The cross-town line of the Brooklyn
Heights line was also operated to-day.
Fifteen cars were started without trouble.
These lines have been completely tied
IN ever since the strike was inaugurated
Sixty cars were running on the Gates
avenue and MyrtIe-avenue lines. thirty on
each.
THE officials OF the Bushwick- and
Jnion-street lines did not attempt to start
cars to-day. Everything was reported 10
be quiet at Ridgewood this morning.
At Gates avenue and Central avenue
car of the Gates-avenue line was stopped
by distractions at IL o'clock this morn
ing The handles Of the motor-boxes were
removed. and the strikers tried 10 In
duce the motor-man and conductor &c
desert. without success. The strikers
were dispersed by the police.
Hicks street. the scene OF yesterdays
fatal shooting presented a peaceful
and quiet aspect this morning. The
Thirteenth Regiment, which did the shoot
Ing yesterday. Is still on guard In that
neghborhood. and is stationed along
Hicks street for a mile or more. The
windowsalong the street were kept tightly
closed. and no more trouble is appre-
hended In this vicinity. The soldiers re-
ceved orders this morning TO do no
shooting unless positively necessary.
Colonel Austen, commander OF the Th!r-
tcenth, instructed his men to-day TO ar
rest persons refusing to obey commands
instead OF firing on them. The soldiers
were also informed that the street was
practically under martial law, and sol
diers had power to enter houses and ar
rest any one disturbing the peace.
BITTERNESS AGAINST TROOPS.
The running of cars on Hicks street be-
gan this morning at 7 o'clock. -Four
cars were kept on the line during the
day, but no disturbance occurred some
OF the people along the line were very
bitter against the soldiers for shooting
as they claim, recklessly, yesterday. The
soldiers claim they fired no shots until
they were themselves fired upon.
A crowd of about 700 strikers gathered
at the old car barn on Third avenue ana
Twenty-thlrd street at II o'clock this
morning. There were but few soldiers at
this point. and the crowd worked its
way nearly TO the depot. They were
ordered TO scatter. and threw several
stones at the guard. The militia formed
in line and drove the crowd back al
the point OF the bayonet. On the return
Of the guard the crowd again pressed
forward, and the police charged them ana
arrested three Of them. The crowd fur-
ther resisted the police. but were hnally
dispersed.
At Sl5 +. NJ. the wires were snort
circuited and burned out for sixty ieei
on broadway between Chauncey and
Sumper streets detachment OF troop
A ouickly dispersed the crowd. FIFTEEN
cars were blocked until $3.50, when the
lines were repaired.
AT $3.50 r. NJ the strikers cut the "res
on Fulton street between Hopkinson ana
Rockaway avenues. Mounted police quick
lv snpeared. and the wire-cutters neu.
No arrests were made in either case. 1he
wires are sagged and cut from Saratoga
10 Uonkinson avenue on Fulton street
No troops are stationed at this point. An
occasional mounted policeman arrived
hut the wire-cutters have disappeared:
At 3:i5 r. NJ. Troop arrived at the
scene of the wire-cutting at Sackmann
street. From that point to RocKaway
avenue ash-barrels and heaps OF ashes
cover the tracks. There were no CROWDS
In sight and no arrests were made.
President Norton of the Atlantic Rail-
road Company. and President Partridge
of the DeKalb-Avenue Line, were eX>
amined before the grand jury to-day az
10 the management OF the roads. the
speed Of the cars. and the hours OF LABOR
President Lewis is 10 be called next III
regard TO the collision of trolley-cars on
the night Of January 1st. In this acci-
dent several people were injured. Inc
collision was between cars of the Frank>
Iin-Avenue and Fulton-Street lines. Inc
cars were going at high speed. The pres
idents of the two companies were asked
about this. and il is rumored that gen
eral inquiry into operations by the tfolies
companies Is being made by the grand
jury. r,1,,c,oN
JUDGE GAYNOR'S DECISION.
Judge Gaynor in a lengthy opinion
handed down this morning, In the matter
Of the application of Joseph Loader TOT
a writ of mandamus to compel the brooh-
Iyn Heights Railroad Company 10 operate
their lines decides that a writ shall issue
He has set 10 o'clock tomorrow as the
time TO hear counsel of both sides as tc
whether the writ shall be a peremptory
or an alternative one. Judge Gaynor says
This railroad corporation Is not In the
position Of a mere private individual OF
company, carrying on business for private
gain. which may suspend business tenn
porarIly or permanently, at pleasure. On
the contrary, 1t has a dual relation; q
public relation 20 the people of the state
and a private one 10 its stockholders. II
must not be forgotten here. though II
may seem to be growing dim, II moi
wholly forgotten elsewhere, that in lis
chief aspect 1t is a public corporation
having duties 10 perform TO the public
which transcend any obligation which ir
It's private aspect ii owes to its stock
holders. 1t has received franchises OF
great value from the State. and had
conferred upon il the States transcenden'
power of eminent domain. In return II
ha r.rfamanPa
duties and functions, in the performance
OF which It is, In law and in fact. not
an independent individual or entity, but
the accountable agent of the State.
Enough the principles are old and
inherent In the idea of the sovereignty
Of the people. 1t would seem that in th'
recent rapid growth of corporate power
and Of the tendency to use public fran
chses for the aggrandlzement Of indi
| viduals first and for the service and
| benefit of the public second. they have
come 20 be somewhat overlooked anc
| need 10 be restated. They have Otter
| been declared by the highest courts o
| the State and the Supreme Court of th'
| United States.
DUTY OF THE COMPANY.
"The duty Of the company Is to carry
passengers through certain streets Of
| Brooklyn. and to furnish men and run
| cars enough to fully accommodate the
public. 1t may not lawfully cease 10 per-
| form that duty for even one hour. The
| directors OF a private business company
may, actuated by private greed or mo,
| tives Of private gain. stop business and
| refuse TO employ labor at all unless labor
| come down 10 their conditions. however
distressing. for such are the existing In
dustrial and social conditions. But the
directors of railroad corporations may
not do the like They are not merely
accountable TO stockholders; they are ac'
countable 10 the public first, and TO the
stockholders second. They have duties
to the public to perform. and they must
perform them. If they cannot get labor
10 perform such duties at what they offer
TO pay then they must pay more, and
as much as is necessary to get IT, Like
wise, II the conditions I'm respect of hours,
or otherwise, which they impose repel
labor. they must adopt more lenient or
Just conditions.
They may not stop their cars for one
hour. much less one week. or one yeai'
thereby to beat or coerce the price OF
conditions OF labor down to the price o.
conditions they offer
THAT private citizen has sufficient
standing TO make this application. which
u. t.sr h =