The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-08


s..,s treet car tracks is but little used soss
neral traffic and vehicles have ah,i1l-.
stis.:,. room to- give the cars iii of way
without inconvenience or delay.
.:ir IS also worthy Of note that Broad
s: get. from Ninth 10 Laurel Street, Is
& as,sei u.e:y level. While hat portion OF
Main street upon which the Traction
s:.afnp NJ seeks TO come aboui,ds in steep
ard dangerous grades.
u i,r1g,urt MT reg son ssI1 the action
company sna,ild not be allowed on Main
STREET is because 1t would be most unjust
10 The Passenger aris Power Company,
whose sStenl IS hurdened by many miles
f If Improbable feeders, to allow its chief
s isasrona ge and source of revenue to be
diverted 10 another con1I'any
THE @ QUESTION OF RIGHT.
.,vTler, l.. would it be unfair to your
company 10 permit the I raction company
10 ,ls., your Main Street tracks?
~ street railway franchise in this day
IF rand zfrartsit and sencrsoi.s IA tinna 81.
is a valuable property, and the public
comfort and convenience is rightly con-
sidered us Of paramount importance. In
no case. however. should such burdens
or restrictions be piacSd upon corpora-4
tons operating these franchises as would
render them uni.rctitable and would thus
hazard TIL ir successful operation
municipalities should not be willing to
cripple a comprehensive system composed
ef many miles of Improbable lines and
!, few miles of valuable trackage by re-
oliring it to divide the profits on these
few miles with another and a competing
company strongly entrenchcd already
;.ifo,l other and equally valuable territory.
III can plainly b seen that such a course
ws.uiG he rnnst disastrous to the Passey-
ger and Power Company. and would be
a sinng step towards the enforced con-
sol;datios, of all the Interpretations
electric power and lighting f;.cilti:s in
this city.
..ff the Richmond people desire that the
..ltirc strect-car servic.. and the electric
Hight and power of the city shall be IN the
hands of ono company, it wotid doubt-
less be well for it TO enconrag= and re
c,,ii..e the proposed Joint use Of tracks: but
re believe that the peonl and the coun-
ell are unwilling to contemplate seriously
such d possibility.
REcAPITULATEON
III summing Up MS case Mayor -ahrtlh
said:
I'VE shaft ask that the report Of the
subcommittee be sustained, and that the
Traction Company be not allowed to use
he tracks Of the Passenger and Power
Company on Man Street for tte follow
,1s reasons:
!. 'I'iirst--lIt is not necessary 10 the com
Sort or convenience u he public
s. = .Seco,ld--II would be .1isir:ous ;nd dan
stsral.s 10 the traffic on Main Street.
:. Third; would b, unfair to the Pas
ss,leer and Power Compan. IN allow its
avenues from It's most important line,
which it and its predecessors haze con-
luctef for 50 MANY Gears, L, os diverted
70 another company.
.I'ourtlf-It would he conducive to
sorSed combination or consolidation OF the
Of the city
we believe these reasons to he CON
elusive. and VIC respectfully submit them
Tor thu consideration at Inc Eouucii and
the public
WHAT Nh. BEM1sS THINKS.
Mr.. Ell. BeDliss, president OF the Rich
mond Traction Company, when asked Tor
a statement last nignt in regard to his
position, gave out the following interview:
Il cannot, III the time allowed me, re-
view The whole question Iuiiy- briefly,
our position grows out OF the following
PROVISIONS III the respective ordinances OF
inc. Two street-car companies. mat OF The
=tracuon Company fe.ds:
The privileges herein granted are
given upu., ..ftiel t->pTS.,oS coii,iit4oi!s7
mat the Saau company Sliali permit any
oti.er company or ..npdiiirs, "iiSii aiSi4o-s
riEsu by Inc aGOuEcil, 10 use, III WtOie OF
IN part, The atoEe-uesc1lDe,s Tou,eS Oh
nileo upon such lar ana reaaon;tpie .erms
as ma y. De agreed upon by said ooiti-
pany and sucn entering company. but
company sIl;tIi lie ct4tii,eu 10 ucHldIid
ul Iele.>e tins priNiiese ulilet,s II shan
cpnceue TO ZIG t.-cIlIo.lu traction COM
polly the rlSnl TO run over the tracks o.
s>ucn entering company, upon terms deter
lli1nea ny sA.I.ilur arp4trauuon as 10 COIN
peASa tlGil.
--44.at of the Richmond Passenger and
Power Company pfoNiues
mai the Ss1u t.lchmond Passenger
and rover Company sna1i permit any
a-ft. 4 Tl-.I
ny Lie cily or lachlnoiu anu autnofi1eu
.ys Lils Luuncli. To use. III WIioie or III
part, The :tDoVe-ueSc.-.ed routes or lines
cunceueu It py lills-oI ordnance, upon Such
lar ana reasOn;IDle terms as may DC
agreed upon by S;tlu Richmond Passenger
and fo1scr Company anu each entering
company. But no company snail De eli
utitu 10 demand or receive inns prlFiisse
uliesS II shan conceue TO the ttcn!1lo1iu
4 assenSer and Power Company the right
and privilege OF running over the tracks
OF the said entering company
5 TO BROAD STREET,.
g an the ordnance OIL the passenger and
Power Company the City Council requires
that company 10 run on the tracks OF the
Traction Company from ElShlh and Broad
streets TO Laurel. me Traction COMPANY
is simply asking under the promise made
blythe city as aboye set 5+ortt- the GORE
rsIon.In:s and compensatory right TO run
on an equal mileage OF the M:tln-Street
tracks. The City Attorney. in his opinion
to he subcommittee to-night, has de-
clareu that the Council has ful power to
authorize the Traction Company 10 use
the Main-Street tracks, anu That the Pas
senger and Power Company has no. right
TO object l t thus becomes simply a ques-
ton of the exercising by the Council OF
II right reserved for the benefit OF the
people. and they should consider only
whether i is u benefit TO the people. Up
wards OF eight thousand citizens of Rich
1nond have declared by their petitions to
the Council that it is for the public lrer-
est and should be granted.
No voice has been raised in opposition
except the Passenger and Power Com
pany, which The City Attorney has said
has no right 10 object. The grounds of
their objection TO the granting of the
petition was that it would impair their
revenue. refusing to recognize that they
would impose an equal injury upon the
Traction Company by running on Broad
Street.
THE simple question is whether the.
promise made by the city to the Traction
Company shall&be honorahlvs Kept or vio-
lated and the manifest benefits to the
people, as EXPRESSED by the petitions of
se.~ht thousand citizens. shall he ahso-z
Slntelvsignore for the benefit of the Pas
s=eneer and Power Company. and for It
-