Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-07

ell any threat. He was there TIC plead
mat the committee would only pass such
ordinances as should be satisfactory TO
the Council and fair to the company.
AN ANIMATED CONTROVERSY.
There was @ lively alteration between
pr. Guigon and the City Engineer,
brought about by n question OF the City
engineers as TO the date of the inspec-
ton made by the company. which eontro-
Verted the report made by the city En-
gineer's Department. Mr.. Guigon stated
that the inspection was. made by the COM
pany as OF the dag and date OF the inspec,,
ton made by the city. He had proof OF
that fact. The City Engineer denied tina
the inspection had been made by the
company at that time. Captain uulgon
appealed TO Mr.. Brock, superintendent OF
the line, and the City Engineer said Mr.
was not made on that day. Captain
Guigon, who had repeatedly avowed that
his statements were based on information
furnished by Mr.. Brock, said, with some
excitement. that the City Engineer had
trapped him into making an apparent
misstatement The contention arose, and
was pursued with heat, that a car which
Mr.. GuicOn declared was in the repair
shop when the City Engineers report
was made, was on the road. Mr.. Gulgon
said he could prove his contention. and
asked for a subcommittee to examine
evidence on this point. There was more
discussion along the same lines, and the
CITY Engineer suggested that the whole
matter should be referred, and that the
persons who had made the Investigation
on both sides should meet and present the
| result of their combined reports TO the
committee.
SPEAKS FOR THE TRACTION.
Mr.. T.. Randolph Williams appeared on
behalf OF the Traction Company. The
report as TO the condition of the rolling
- = - 800 hr NAslIfn IN =
said, eminently favorable. and the com
nany felt highly gratified that SO Few
occasions for repairs were discovered al
ter the very thorough examination made
by electrical experts. The report demon,
| Company was looking after the rolling
stock as It should. AS to the schedule
Mr.. Williams said he granted That the
company was not operating the schedule
required under the ordinance. The de-
| mands OF the public were watched very
closely by the company, and a careful
examination had gone 10 show that a
six-minute schedule on Broad street ana
a s~eyen-minute schedule on the Holly
WOOD line was all that the public re-
uuired. From Eighteenth TO First streets
the schedule was actually three a
half minutes. 1t had been ms purpose,
the speaker said. to appear before the
committee and ask that the ordinance be
| amended so as to allow the Council to
prescribe the schedule, and thus avoid
placing the company in the attitude OF
failing TO comply with the letter or the
ordinance even. Whenever a demand was
made upon the Traction Company for adj
ditional service It was always met. They
felt mat 1t was TO their interest TO meet
any and all demands, and for days AT a
time a two-and-a-half-minut schedule
had been maintained.
The Traction Company was brought
there. he thought. as parties TO an IN
dictment when they did not belong. The
present schedule was good and suflclent,
and the new ordinance would be a very
real hardship. The cost of the schedule
required by the subcommittee report
would be s17 900 over and above the pres
ent expenses. In conclusion, he asked
that the schedules be allowed TO remain
as at present. More cars, he said. would
be put on during the summer months to
meet the increased travel.
THE ENGINEERS EXPLANATION.
The City Engineer said the expert engi-
neer who had directed the examination OF
the car systems was i'm P~tttsburg. He
suggested that the subcommittee should
hear the evidence of the men employed
I'm the examination on both sides He
explained minutely the course Of exami-
nation. and the results. Touching upon
the question Of schedules, Colonel Cut
shaw said he believed Richmond should
have as good service as other cities of
the same size. A o-minute schedule on
the main lines was not too much TO re-
auire. He thought a mistake had been
made I'm requiring the company TO run
round Fulton and out to the Reservoir
Park. but the demand for a 5-minute
schedule on Main street from the lower
part to the car sheds was not an eXtrava-
gant demand The old company was
oaded down with a lot OF ~papaying pro-
perty, and they would either have to
abandon it or put 1t IN proper shape; Inc
Reservoir line from Meadow street should
be taken up. and the Marshall-street and
the west Marshall-street lines should be
abandoned.
Replying TO Mr.. Williams, Colonel cut
shaw said there was no city or the size
OF Richmond in the United States where
a better car service and better accom-
modations were not given TO the public.
THE REPORT ADOPTED.
After much further discussion the re
mort OF the subcommittee, with the two
prdinances, was adopted unanimously.
and will be sent TO the Council at the
special meeting to be held next Monday
evening.