Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-24
r,,r srprrr-cAR FRANCHISES.

Tho problems the City Council had Dc
fore them I'm the matter Of the stTeet-cai
francblses Of the old company were uh-
usually difficult of solution WINE '"o
charter Of the Main and Broad-suee'
lines is about to expire, the various o'iI'i
limos of the system have lease Of lie ior
,. ,,oors IN come. In view OF the
fact mat the entire property IS excessive
w mortgaged. the City Council had 10 u7-
eide whether Il would dispose Of that par
.ic,,ior franchise now nearing its end or
would seek TO arrange with syhul0".e
who would acquire the old company
holdings and accept a blanket charter lor
the next thirty years in lieu Of all exist
ing franchises.
In adopting a policy looking to the
preservation Of the system as whole
rather than suffer it 20 be disinlesI"'eu'
the Council acted prudently and generous
w. we think. The separation or the pro-
otobro lines from the Improbable ines
,robablv would have resulted disastrously
IN the people who now hold the bonds Is
qrod bv this company. IT matters not
how the bonds were issued, 1t Is a facS
wa believe. that many Of them are now
i'm the hands Of innocent men ana women
I'm all sections Of this land. Any legls-
lation Of ours which would have made
these bonds Of less value than they are
NOW would have been charged up to the
account of the city Of Richmond, and
would have damaged us with the finan-
cial world.
With respect TO the compensation which
the city is to get for the use Of its streets
we must say it Is vastly IN
advance of anything It has got
ten from the old company here
tofore. Moreover, Considering the IN
debtednoss which must be provided for by
the new owners. and further considering
that there are some very Improbable
limos I'm the system; considering, too, the
nonulatlon and rate of growth of Rich
mopd. and taking into account the money
that will have to be spent to rehabilitate
the system, we firmly believe our City
Council has made as good bargain for
this community as any set Of men could
have done.
We may further congratulate the Coun-
ell that it is arranged that Richmond men
shall have charge of the property.
Further. it is to be expected that the
relations between the Traction Company
and the old company GojuyenateO will be
so amicable that it will be easy to make
an ARRANGEMENT for the transfer Of pas
sengers from one line to the other. The
supplying Of this desideratum is matter
Of more moment 10 the people Of Rich
mond than the extraction Of few thou
sand dollars more in taxes.
Not only may we count upon having
transfers from one line TO the other
but we entertain a lively hope that
treaty will be made by which street-car
may be run from the Main-street depot
now being built. up Ninth or Seventh
street to Broad, and up Broad TO Laurel
say. Personal transfers are good things
but where it is possible to make street
ears do the work instead and save pas
sengers the trouble Of getting off and OF
the public will be benefited much more.
Altogether. the action of the City Coun
ell is generally approved. Having in vie'
the intricate questions that had to be set
tied, and the divergence Of opinion I'm tn
beginning, we have been surprised
find how nearly unanimous is the sent
ment of the community in endorsing tn
action Of the Council.