Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-09
ASKS FOR JUSTICE.
Position Of The Traction Company With
Regard 10 -Four Tracks.
STATEMENT FROM MR.. SHIELD.
He Explains the Conditions Under
which the Franchise Was Granted
street Committee May Reopen the
Broad-street Question.

=
II the City Hall at o'clock tomorrow
afternoon. at which It Is probable that
he question OF requiring the traction
company to allow the cars Of the Rich
nond City Railway Company to run
over its tracks on Broad street may be
Both companies are putting
10 a vigorous fight, and both sides have
scores Of supporters who are rendering
them all possible aid.
Mr.. Phil. B. SHIELD, general counsel for
the traction company. discussing the sit
uation last night, said:
The traction company believes tnat ~
IS entitled TO have its franchise carf'eo
out in it's true spirit for the reasons
1. That for seven years the kicnnnonu
and Electric Company had the
right and refused to electrify cars ON
Broad street.
2. 1t has kept mule-cars OF sucn
Character on the road that 1t has Deen
nardiy respectable to ride In them; tne
cars have been literally q disgrace 70
Broad street
8. The Richmond Railway and Electric
Company appear TO be ashamed of them
Serves lor tneir action. inasmuch as they
Ginter for their long contIruance OF the
mule-cars on Broad street.
THE QUESTION DECIDED.
4 Last summer the traction company
asked for franchise to put a creditable
through to the Exposition-Grounde A.
the same time the Richmond HALLWAY
and Electric Company. who had at that
time lost their right by non-tiser to elec-
trify Broad street. asked for similar
fra n NTH a renewal OF hol~
right to eectrify. The city granted the
franchise TO the traction company. and
refused II to the Richmond Railway and
Electric Company.
s. The franchise was exclusive IN every
reasonable sense. The Richmond Railwsy
and Electric Company could not use
electricity on their Broad-street track
from Ninth 10 laurel The traction COM
pany, believing the franchise valuable,
accepted II on the hardest terms. 1t gives
unusually great privileges to workmen
and school-children, and requires extra.
ordinary taxes TO the city, besides II
compels an absolute schedule.
s. The Council. with the enthusiastic
approval OF the people. granted fran
chise to the traction company. and re-
fused the application Of the Richmond
Railway and Electric Company. This was
an earnest of the intention of the city
not to allow the Richmond Railway and
Electric Company 10 eiectrify Broad
street in any way.
z. The tacit understanding was that the
Richmond Railway and Electric Com
pany, by long delay, abuse Of the peoples
patience, and disagreeable service. had
forfeited its right TO use electricians on
Broad street between Ninth and Laurel.
WORKED IN GOOD FAITH.
s. The traction company proceeded to
work with the greatest zeal and earnest
ness. and literally insured an almost
perfect track on Broad street. hand
somely fulfilling their part Of the con-
tract with the city. relying upon the
honor and good faith of the city to carry
out its part of the contract.
3. BY an express provision OF the char
ter granted 10 the traction company II
was declared that "a company not using
the same motive-power shall NOT be al.
lowed TO use on the aforementioned
route (meaning the traction company's
tracks, more than three squares on above
route and such use was to be on terms
agreed on or fixed by arbitration. as pro-
vided In the franchise. The Richmond
Railway and Electric Company were not,
at that time using electric-power on
their BrOad-street line between Ninth
and Laurel. and had no right to use ".
and were excluded from the use of the
traction companys tracks, except as
above Indicated; therefore, the traction
company accepted the terms OF their
franchise with the distinct understanding
that the Richmond Railway and Elec-
tric Company would not be permitted 10
use electricity on Broad street between
Ninth and Laurel. nor would II be al
lowed to use the tracks OF the traction
company, except as indicated above, and
that the right TO use electricity on Broad
street, which the Richmond Railway and
Electric Company had forfeited. was
granted to the traction company ex-
cluslvely.
GIVEN RIG1DT OF WAY.
TO- The Street Committee, by distinct
action. almost unanimously voted that
the Richmond Railway and Electric Com
pany (the City Railway Company Di-
vIsion) should move its mule-car-tracks
to efther side. and let the traction COM
pany have the right OF way. This action
was confirmed by the Common Council
and Board Of Aldermen. and became a
law on the 18th OF December 1895. The
Council of the city, by unanimous vote,
ordered the mule-car-tracks removed
aside. and imposed a heavy penalty for
their failure to do SO within sixty days
from the time the ordinance was ap-
proved.
II. The Richmond Railway and Elec-
tri' Company have naturally fought the
traction company from the start. and
have been beaten by the traction COM
pary and the people OF Richmond. on
grounds of justice which are too plain
to be enumerated. The tracks OF the
traction company are the admiration Of
tIf OtODlFs anu dit a DtTffldUtUt tblNtUtI
of the wisdom OF the Council in granting
the franchise as they did.
REMOVAL OF TRACKS.
~. Under the ordinance OF the City
Council Of December IS, 1895. the Rich
mond Railway and Electric Company be-
gan, after a long delay. with a few
hands and extreme slowness, in a man
venience and damage all the merchants
OF Broad street. proceeded 10 move their
tracks making the four-t track bus mess as
offensive as possible. Having obstructed
Broad street as much as they could by
their delay. they appeared before the
Street Committee with the request that
they might be allowed to run over the
tracks OF the traction company At the
meeting called for the purpose OF pre-
venting four tracks on Broad street II
was decided that the Businessmen.
rather than the traction company, should
be unjustly treated, preferred to have
four tracks on Broad street In spite of
the fact that an effort was openly made
I'm this meeting OF citizens" 20 exclude
those who were not absolutely against
the parties IT this representative meet
ing o. the Broad-street merchants. by a
vote OF 80 TO II. they determined TO sus-
tain the good name OF the city and
pany in the contract which had been
made.
1s. The Street COMMITTEES. I'm opposi-
tion to the wishes Of the meeting which
had been held by the. Broad-street mer-
chants decided 10 allow the Richmond
Railway and Electric Company's cars TO
run over the tracks OF the traction COM
.pany The Street Committee. no doubt,
acted horestly. but hastily, and will re-
consider their action and remedy sli of
the evil. which that action would bring
upon the city and upon the Richmond
Traction Company.