Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-20
srnEET-CAR FRANCHISES.


,ha, arc SIRE 70 follow. indicate tha'
when the street-car franchise ID ohe'.u
for sale by our city. there VIII De hVep
competition for It. Seeing this the ,'V
Council will feel warranted IN iinpos"s
conditions that will not only prihs 'h'o
the treasury more money than Is NJ"
roceived from this source, but that VIII
secure better car service.
The great popular desire Is ior 'iahS
fers from one line to another. Ihere "'e
txo streot-ca- systems here. one unuer
"tho old company" as il Is generahS
caI,ad tho other under the Traction COM
panv These rival ORGANIZATIONS ""''
never come to an agreement as 10 uanS
fers We shall not enter into the why's
and wherefores OF that now Inc pun
"a content to wait the time when 'he SUI
iect may be treated by the Souhe'i "a
legislation anent the Main-stFeet ii"e
franchise.
For city Of our population we nave
all the street-car trackage that Is neces
sary. but in our judgment the people WIN
reyer he satisfied until they can get
transfers from the old line to the new
and vice versa. No matter how many
o,her concessions the Council might Sc
cure in return for the new FRANCHISE ''s
work would be considered ili-done IL IL
failed at that point. SO we think II hAeiy
that the ordinance that passes VIII treat
this branch Of the subject exhausu'e'
and satisfactorily.
Another question which is sure 10 DC
raised is whether two sets OIL i"0AS
should be allowed on Broad street.
similar question is now under oiscussio''
4, Now York. and we find that there are
,,,o eides 70 II. SO there may be when the
issue is made here.
Though the beauty OF Broad street -
marred by its having two sets or tracks
IN II II might be that in the future inc
public would find compensation lor thd'
IN the competition of two companies
which would result in such strivings anu
rivalry az would not occur were both
companies forced TO use the same tracks
So II would seem that that Is matter
which cannot be decided well III "u-
vance. though we presume the Counch
I'm ,oeerve IN Itself ample discretionary
powers. H. l.
Analogous TO the foregoing question Is
tho, whether there Is not deal OF I'M
necessary trackage here; whether TRACKS
on some streets might not be taken up
and transferred to other more frequehteu
.+reets The Bank and Frankln-street
tracks are by no means the only ones
that are in this category. 1here arc
others. attn
We think it is foreordained' Also 'n@' -
the course Of year or two our CITY VIII
take steps looking to the better govern
,nert Of our street railroads, and looklis
IN the time that is coming when o'ei
head wires will be prohibited.
The Dispatch is not prepared 10 say
non, that the underground trolley system
ought TO be forced upon those TO Whonh
the new franchise is given. More VI 'n"'
oror There's time enough between TINS
date and that when the FRANCHISE wiz
- dra.ftod TO consider that. But IL IL
,,,r;.ter that the overhead wires must 30
o,,ontuallv Richmond, OF course, should
not exact any unusual or halsh coi'''
tions from the new company Du'' ""
tho other hand. we should be very slupiu
not 20 mt ourselves in n position wheie
We could not have the underground uo'
| les, II we wished ii. quite possibly we
might find n company that would give
| nc the underground trolley here IN the
! city. while it would not De Wilde
| extend it to the suburbs.
Again. it is important that Rlchmohu
should have a special officer charseu
with the duty Of seeing to It tnat ho"e
| but cars in good order are allowed upon
o,,r streets. that no unreasonable sche-
dules are made, and that excessively last
running is not INDUCED in. Experience
has shown that it is useless to pass orui-
| nances regulating such subjects unless
| II he made the duty Of some particular
roreor who is well qualified to see TO u
| that they are enforced.
| I'm to this time the chief idea OF those
who have discussed this general ques-
| tion seems to have been that Rlchmohu
must oct more revenue from her street
cor franchises OF course, that Is an Cd
foot NOT 70 be sneezed at, but there are
other good things to be secured ana
which we may never get without de-
handing them And all Of this goes 10
show that the City Council committee
which shall be charged with drafting the
nronosed ordinance will have an onerous
and responsible duty requiring foresight
| I'D hindsinht too.