Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-21
WORK ON ORDINANCE
Street Committee Considers That
Of Boyd-Newton Syndicate,
MANY AMENDMENTS OFFERED
Paper TO Be Perfected by the City It,
tOrIey and Engineer.
TRACTION co. WANTS TO BUY.
Asks That the Franchises He Sold
nj Auction, and Agrees To Bid Not
This Petition.

sidered the ordinance of the BoydNewtor
syndicate. and submitted IT, together with
a number of proposed amendments, &c
the city Attorney and City Engineer foi
revision.
The Traction Company's representa-
tives came before the committee at th'
outset and submitted n petition, askina
that the franchises Of the Richmond Rail
wav and Electric Company, which are
about TO lapse. shall be placed upon the
market for competitive bids, and agree
ing. If this course. should be pursued, t.
bid not less than $4,000. The petition was
laid upon the table
Amendments to the ordinance were
| adopted along the lin IS indicated IN the
| Dispatch. and a clause was added giving
the syndicate ten days after tho ordi-
nance IS signed by the Mayor in which ia
accent the franchise and requiring a pen
altv bond of $4,000 for the surrender OF
the franchises now owned by the OLD
company.
When the committee was called to or
der to consider the granting OF street
railway franchises. Mr.. Meredith sup
mitted a petition on behalf OF the Rich-
mond Traction Company.
Mr. Ebel. before the petition was reau'
said he thought it was due TO the com,
mittee that the Traction Company shouIu
nreeent their ultimatum. and not ooi"e
before the committee time after ume' thu9
hindering progress. ..,.,,,,,,o.>-
GROUNDS OF THE PETITION.
The petition opens with the iolo"ins
! propositions:
That your committee will recommend
| to the Council that il shall only cohslder
/ tba Granting of Il franchise as 10 lhose
| lines which will terminate IN -8"- VIZ
] the Main-street line. the Liur.l-5tItet ~
| tension. and the lines on Elshlh anu
. mai vonr committee will recommend
/ that if is 10 the interest OF the city not
| To attach to the granting OF d lianC :
| for those lines the grant or renewal oI
! franchises as to any other line OF ih's
| connecting with them .....o..,
! 3 That your committee will recommend
/ that il will be against the interest OF me
/ city 10 grant at present 10 any pLllcu u,
/ cofnuauv or association OF persons the
! franchise to the said lines so expiring
| That II will be TO the interest OF the
| city TO adopt au ofcinddce OF -fihS 49,
/ lines To the highest bidder VINO shall O'
| satisfactory 10 the city 100 49,.
! :. That your committee will state tnat
! II is prompted 10 make the above recon-
mendation because you have an oiief from
tho Traction Company that they Will
make n bid for those franchises or not
/ less than $4,000. IL granted upon the terms,
! burdens. and conditions substantlAiiy
/ similar 10 those now borne by said com
THE COAIPANY'S ARGUMENT.
| The DcfitfOucrs submit that 10 connect
| the disposal Of the franchises ending in
! 1900 with the other franchises VIII ne
btlrdening those ending IN 1900 unless mo
| others are self-supporting. and hence COM
| mercially valuable. If these others are
| not self-supporting but exist by means
| of the support and financial assistance
received from the franchises ending IN
| 1900 il is evident that 10 connect them
/ with the latter viii be placing burden
upon the latter. The petition goes on 20
argue that the feeder lines Of the Ken
mOnd Railway and Electric system have
not for years been self-supportng ana
submits that il would not be wise 20 de-
| prive the city Of the opportunity or get
! ting the highest price and value for those
! lines expiring i'm 1900, by burdening thehl
with the said connecting lines. 80
why should you so cucumber mem
| the petftion asks. and goes into lengthy
argument as 10 whether II VIII be 70 the
| interest Of the city TO so encumber the
| franchise Of those lines expiring IN 1907.
| The petition goes on 10 deal with the
| contention made by the BOyd-NewtOn
| syndicate that the public will get the
| benefit OF an immediate improvement OF
| service on all the lines, and denies the
| statement on the ground that IL - I'M
! possible TO get the rails and other ma
| terials necessary for such improvements
| under twelve or fifteen months.
! WANT ONLY PAYING LINES.
Continuing. the petition states
"We are willing to buy from the city
| the aforesaid franchises expiring in 1870
al a fair price, and then deal with the
! owners Of the other franchises Tor lhe
pupchase Of them. But we are not WILING
! 10 purchase from them all the franchises
al figures which we deem eXtravagant
and rilinous If the other franchises are
self-sustaining, then the present owners
can keen them improve them, and rem
der proper service 10 the public. II they
are not self-sustaining, the city's Nalua-
BILE franchises should not be given away
10 boost up their financial value Let the
CITY take care Of herself ana sell her
franchises at what they are worth 20
her-and let the owners or lus olher
franchises sell them for what they are
worth by themselves in the market. rms
is fair TO the city; IL IS just 10 the owners
of the other franchises. We respectfully
submit that our proposition Is more 10
the interest of the city than any hereto
fore made by any one else.
The petitioners argue that the cry mas
no knowledge a. TO how much or the OLD
companv's stock the syndicate actually
owns. or how long II Will retain control;
say If they obtain the franchise they Dind
themselves TO stand between the CITY ana
the Richmond City Railway Company as
tn the nayment Of any amount Whlch
may be fixed under section Il, chapter q.
of the City Ordinances. as the Value Oh
the personal property or the COMPANY
provided that the selection OF tho dIDi-
traitor TO represent the city shall not De
left an open question. but that the Guy
Engineer shall be selected as such arpl-
traitor. or shall be empowered 10 appoint
hot no "a - a
chjses would remove all legal questions
and saw should franchise be granted,
that is not overburdensome. they might
be able TO bid n. larger amount; >,c,r,
TAKE UP SYNDICATE ORplN ANSt,
Mr. Meredith briefly explained the oHer
of his company. and Mr.. Lawder submit
ted a petition from eastern Ieslueh ,. vi
the city asking that the eastern 'ernliiiaiy
"a In the National Cemetery. Botn peu-
lions were laid on the table:
The ordinance OF the Boyd-Newton
syndicate was then taken from the table
and considered seriatim Mr.. POLLOCK gave
,,,tice that he would move later that the
Inc on Eighth and Ninth streets should
be abolished. and the ORDINANCE amended
ca as TO give the petitioners the right 10
,,,, on the Traction COmpanys lines on
Broad street. -
SOME OF THE CONDITIONS.
Tho materials 10 be used and the man
nor Of construction or repairs shall De
subject TO the approval or the engineer
mr. schedules are 10 be fixed in he oroi-
narce and may be changed by the com
miitee The city reserves the right 10
make a change az any time. in the nan-
me- or system by which electricity may
ba used The Offices and power-house
are to be located i'm this city. provi-
Sion will be inserted providing for resu,
lar tax levy on the property as assessed
by the State. The company Ia " W ie