The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-18
POWER COMPANY
STATES ITS CASE
Reasons Given Why It's Ter
ritory Should Not Be IN
vaded by the Traction
Company.
ADVERTISEMENT

Company.
ADVERTISEMENT
TO THE PUBLIC:
In 1855 there were two applicants Tor
street railway franchises. One was the
Richmond Traction Company, which asked
for a franchise on Main street alone, wne1l
the franchise of the Richmond Railway
and Electro Company on that Street
expired. Tie other applicant was the
Richmond Passenger and Power Company,
which stated that ii had Il contract 20
purchase the entire capital stock CT the
Richmond Railway and Electric Company,
which ut that time owned and opeiatsd,
under several franchises. all OF when were
Known as the old companies. Inc fas-
senger and Power Company stated TO the
Council that il it were granted iran
ctise covering all the routes OF the Ola
connanies as they then existed, that
it, the Passenger and Power Company,
would surrender TO the city for cancel.a-
ton all of the franchises under VIII eli the
old companies operated. These old fran
chises were very unsatisfactory to the
city. It could not force the old companies
to build new tracks; it could not force
them to use good cars: it could not force
them To maintain a proper schedule; 1t
could not force them TO accept transfers
from any other Company. nor force them
to transfer with each other; and they
were paying what the city regarded as
totally inadequate taxes in return for the
privilege of operating their cars on the
streets of the city. Thus the question was
sharply presented whether it were better
to grant the Main Street franchise alone
TO the Traction Company, or 10 grant
franchise covering all the old routes to
the Passenger and Power Company, mus
securing the maintenance OF those routes
,clr1,.
and regulations, and receive from the
latter company a surrender OF the Old
fra nci1ises The Traction Company argued
that it were better TO give the Main Street
line to the Traction Company. The Pas
senser and Power Company argued that
their proposition was tbs best for the city,
and gave the following reasons:
There are certain mes of the Richmond
Railway and Electric system which are
profitable and others which are not, but
which are very beneficial and convenient
for the people. If you give the Main
Street line. the most profitable OF the
whole system to the Traction Company.
there i; no reasonable probability that all
of the other lines OF the system Will be
taken in by that company. but the far
presumption is that if cus off from their
main line they Will be unable to live. as
they are. individually, not upon paying
basis. Certainly when those franchises
expire, some of which have twenty years
TO run, and probably before that
time. those lines will have to be
abandoned. We offer you an oppor-
tunity 10 provide for the maintenance
of all those l!nss for thirty years. and
we agree TO maintain those mes under an
ordinance which shall be satisfactory to
you and We further agree to surrender
to you all OF the franchises under which
these lines now operate. After an eX-
haustive discussion of this quest on, it
was decided that the proposition OF the
Passenger and Power Company was the
better one for the city, and the Council
proceeded 10 frame an ordinance under
which that company should operate the
old routes of the Richmond Ra iway and
Electric Company. We ask an unbiased
public this question: eff the City Council
proposed To allow the Traction Company
TO operate its cars on Main Street. should
I not have Sa SO then instead of now!
Is it fair to the Richmond Passenger and
Power Company, after having decided
then that it would not allow the Trac-
ton Company 10 operate its cars on Main
Street, but that 1t would give Il francfl Sc
to the Passenger and Power Company
covering all Of the Old routes, after hav-
ing received from it Il surrender OF all the
old franchises which the city so earnestly
desired to be cancelled. after allowing It
to so ahead and spend several hundred
thousand dollars on its system and to
make contracts for as much more after
receiving its acceptance of an ordinance
witch provides for a complete rehabilta-
ton of the entire system, under the SUI
pervision of the C.ty Engineer. which pro-
videS that the Council shall have absolute
control to enforce the observance of every
single condition and provision in the
dinanCe. and which provides for enor-
nous increase in taxes. for the Council
now 10 allow the Traction Company to
operate its cars in the heart Of the best
paying line of the entire system when
it expressly declined 10 allow it to do so
when the two propositions We're originally
presented?
The reason which impels some people to
answer this question in the affirmative
is that '.1he Council has allowed the Pas
senser and Power Company 10 Use the
tracks Of the Traction Company on Bread
Street from Ninth to Laurel, and that it
should. in return, allow the Traction
Company TO use the trucks OF The Pas
senger and Power Company on Nan
Street from First 10 Eighteenth We ask
the consideration Of these pers ols TO the
following: The present route OF the Pas
senger and Power Company on Broad
Street from Ninth to Laurel was already
a part OF one OF the routes OF the old
Richmond Railway and Electric Company
system. It was as proper and necessary
Tor the Council to give this route to the
Passenger and Power Company as any
other route OF that system. 1t was a part
of q profitable route OF the old, company.
IND as the Passenger and Power Com
gany was ready to agree to maintain the
lireS of the old system which did not pay
it was fair, reasonable and proper that It
should be given the ines which did pay,
In giving this route to the Passenger and
Power Company the city was not putting
it in NEW territory, so that the Passen-
ger and Power Company is not entering
upon d route of the Traction Company
by using the latter's tracks. within the in
tendment of the ordinance. Suppose the
Council had decided to allow the Passen-
ger and Power Company to electrtfy the
tracks OF the Richmond Railway and Fec
trio Company as at present laid on Broad
Street, will any reasonable man say that
the Council would then have been under.
the slightest obligation. legal or moral 10
give the Traction Company the right To
go into the territory of the Richmond
Passenger and Power Company? And, vet
if they had so decided, any competition
which VII exist by reason of the Passen-
ger and Power Company using the Trac-
ton Company's tracks would also have