The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-25
THE BAOAD-STREET LINE
uySsGS. FISHER md WTLLIINS
norm TAX AGAIN.
The Former SAYS lie still Expects to BE
Given the frsncl,isc-Nhat Mr..
Williams Says.

Yesterday whether he had any new de-
Nel,pmcnis 10 communicate a. regard to
the proposed construction OF an electric
railroad on Broad street. made the FOL
loving statement:
Il have lust returned from Baltimore.
where / round our friends very solid for
the project, and prepared to 80 mo 'ne
,nt.ririse. Some Of the Baltimoroan.
interested with us are the leading Dus'-
ness men there. one OF them being a hiSh
Official Of one of the most succcssiul street
car lines in that city. IL VIC desired 10
do 50 We could readily have gotten cveIy
dollar OF the necessary capital ou'slnc o'
the city Of Richmond. 0Ht We n'sn'
that n BIS shall be largely nome t"'ti
prisc and propose TO give precedence l"
our own people in the matter OF sun
ing The capital. 4 cousiceraDle amour, ".
Richmond capital IS now feaHy 10 pe pu'
into the enterprise. az soon as VIC "''
prepared 10 begin WOTN.
"vic have not yet anally Informed our
northern friends what proportion OF ,Nt.
applications We viii allow them scscIN"g
Ia nut ~. Among those Interested VII"
US arc several OF the same capitailsls
who built The Richmond and Manchcait'
railway and made those very tIeat IN
movements IN ana about M4nl n'stti'
"a.r Fishers statement Ia The Times d
few days ago that he and his people 'al
put 81 1pVo IN our streci-car System
about six or seven years ago. ana o-i''
that time had put In that much inoie, ls
much calculated 10 misiead; In tne hts.
pla.e / directly challenge ms stdtciuc.lN
that he invested 81 .9o,vp or money !"
his plant Their, at that time 4c may nav,
i.s,.ed bonds and stocks 10 that amount
but II So IL contained very large itl
csrrage Of water. His statement tnat ne
has TJ,t as much more In me properly
since fhaf time can only be 1ustincd on
tim Ma he
pended that amount In operating eN-
pelgcs ..,,,.
Nsheu reports have II. between $1,000 ana
10000 per annum. and II his operating
C.sDenses are sixty per cent or ihtt
sum. We can readily see that these ope-
rating expenses In FIVE or six years easily
amount 10 s. 30 100. and that the gross
earnings during this period would amount
10 Between Two and three millions Ihc
point ! want 10 bring out is That me
difference between operating expenses
and gross earnings for the past tWo
ycers-acs oT1ing 10 the statement OF the
Richmond Railway ana Electric com
yany. as Published IA the Street Railway
Supplement- Of the New YORK C0nH'eFcia!
aud Financial Chronicle, the leading au-
thority on this subject In the United
States have averaged over SN,UJ
year. and most Of this large amount OF
money IS Annually drained from our city
20 pay interest on watfret bonds
"ihls Investment has. perhaps. been one
Of the hest-p-ying I'm the Gould inventory,
ana many a Richmond nickel may nave
gone into Miss Anna Goulds trousscau
and De now cOntr1 buting 10 the support
IL her French nobleman The bonded
debt Of the Richmond Railway ana Eiec-
trio Company amounts 20 about N.VNvb,
which is probably % per cent. more than
the actual cash invested I'm the property.
end probably not per cent of these
bends ere owned by our own people.
ANOTHER STATEMENT FRoN MB. FIs'aE.
Mr George r. Fisher. the general man
agor and treasurer Of the Richmond Rail
way aud Elec'ric Company. dislikes news
paper nOio~iety very much, and when
Gale Oh him yesterday. in order 70 know
whether he had anything 20 say in re-
gard 10 the granting OF the franchise,
rather hesiiated, but finally consented TO
say the following for publication.
Il have no statement TO make beyond
the fact that We expect the Council viii
grant US the franchise. As soon as II
does. and the very next day after the
ortinance ia signed by The Mayor, we
should commence work IN order 10 nave
our cars running to the Exposition
Grounds before October Sih. We shall
then Immediately proceed TO electrily
Eruad street with the latest machinery
and best equipments that can De PuF-
chased in this country.
'"rhe franchise which we have agreed
% accept Is very OnerOus one. ana II
seems Impossible 10 as that any com
ya.Iy operating the BrO4d-strcei Inc alone
can earn its operating expenses, 10 say
nothing of the interest on the inves ,nent;
our company certainly could not arord
10 accept such "a franchise II 1t operated
on broad street alone, but IL hopes, lh
connection with the business on its other
lines. 10 make the franchise pay opefAt-
ing expenses and q small interest on Inc
cost OF the construction OF the me. IN
generating electricity Tor several mes
this company can furnish power to me
Broad-sircet line at less cost than II IL
wese operating only that line.
The PAY OF THE EMPLOYEE.
Mr.. Fisher Yesterday received a call
from Mr. Frank VI. Wcon. who Is rep
gesenting the employees of the Richmond
Railway apd Electric Company and dur
Ing The interview which followed Mr'
FISHER made the following statement:
4. That the receipts OF the company
We're falling OF.
2 That the purchasing power oi me
wages now being paid the men was clua!
20 The former rate coal being cheaper ana
wheat being cheaper
Grafton from tho men because during the
panic the company paid IN currency; ran
the same number Of cars, ana employed
.hc same number OF men.
l. That the property was n" worm ds
much now as two years ago, although
the assess mcnt was Increased lie claim
Cd that the assessment was erroneous.
Mr.. FISHER stated mat A' "vs4N y.
dad to talk directly with comn.ttee oi
ernploves and argue the matter with them.
One thing H. certain, that the ofiici ais
OF the Richmond Railway and Electric
Company never have made an oilcial
ptntement as To their financial AFFAIRS.
Whatever statements of that sort nave
aI.feared IN public print were those MADE
by stock brokers. who are handling the
stocks and bonds of the company. The
only statement made official is that to the
boerd Of Public Works OF this state, and
that only refers 10 the street railway
company. ana has nothing TO do with the
limit company. Every ysal when the
State authorities have been rsing the as
sessrents OF tho valuation OF the rail-
road companies doing business IN this
stste. the officers Of the Richmond Ran.
way and Electric Company have clalmSu
that they have been assessed 700 'p5u -
out' OF course. they have paid their as
sessmcnt.