The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-14
POWER COMPANY
STATES ITS CASE
Reasons Given Why Its Ter
ritory Should Not Be In
yaded by th e Traction
Company.
ADVERTISEMENT
TO THE PUBLIC:

street railway franchises. One was the
Richmond Traction Company, which asked
for a franchise on Main Street alone, wilen
the franchise OF the Richmond Railway
and Eieetrc Company on that Street
expired. Tue other applicant was the
Richmond Passenger and Power Company,
which stated that it had contract 20
purchase the entire capital stock Of the
Richmond Railway and Electric Company,
which at that time owned and operated,
under several franchises, all OF wh.cn We're
known as the old companies. The Pas
senger and Power Company stated to the
Council that if it were granted fran
cflise covering all the routes Of the Old
companies, as they then existed, that
il. the Passenger and Power Company,
would surrender TO the city for cancela-
ton all of the franchises under wh, oh 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; it
could not force them 10 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 to grant q
franchise covering all the old routes to
the Passenger and Power Company, thus
securing the maintenance OF those routes
for thirty years under proper restrictions
and regulations, and receive from the
latter company a surrender Of tie old
franchises. The Traction Company argued
that it were better to give the Main Street
line to the Traction Company The Pas
senger and Power Company argued that
their proposition was the best for the city,
and gave the following reasons:
There are certain Ines of the Richmond
Railway and Electric system which are
profitable and others which are not, but
which are very beneficial and convenient
Street line, the most profitable OF the
whole system. to the Traction Company,
there is no reasonable probability that all
Of the other lines OF the system will be
taken IN by that company, but the TAR
presumption Is that if cut 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 to provide for the maintenance
of all those lines for thirty years, and
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 eH-
.,austiye discussion of this question, 1t
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 ordnance under
which that company should operate the
old routes OF the Richmond Railway and
Electric Company. We ask an unbiased
public this question: IF the City Council
proposed 10 allow the Traction Company
TO operate its cars on Main Street, should
it not have sad 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 Irac-
lion Company TO operate its cars on Main
Street, but that 1t would give franca-se
TO the Passenger and Power Company
covering all of the old routes, after haF-
ing received from it a surrender Of all the
old franchises which the city SO earnestly
desired TO be cancelled, after allowing 1t
TO go ahead and spend several hundred
thousand dollars on its system and 10
make contracts for as mEca more, after
receiving its acceptance of an ordinance
which provides for a complete rehablilta-
ton of the entire system, under the su-
peryision of the City Engineer, which pro-
Vides that the Council shall have absolute
control to enforce the observance of every
single condition and provision in the or
iltllance, and which provides for an enor-
nous increase in taxes. for the Council
now to allow the Ira ction Company to
operate its cars in the heart of the best
paying line of the entire system. when
it expressly declined TO allow it to do so
when the two propositions We're originally
presentedo
The reason which imrels some people 10
answer this question n the affirmative
is that 1.-The Council has allowed the Pas
senger saud Power Company 10 Lse the
tracks Of the Traction Company on Bread
Street from Ninthto Laurel, and that 1T
should, in return. allow the Traction
Company 10 use the trucks Of the PAS
senger and Power Company on Nan
Street from First to Eighteenth. we ASK
the consideration of these I.ers o1s TO the
following: The present route OF the fas-
senger and Power Company on bToau
Street from Ninth to Laurel was already
a part OF one of the routes of the old
Richmond Railway and Electro Company
system. It was as proper ana necessary
for the Council to give THIS route 10 the
Passenger and Power Company as any
other route of that system II was a part
of profitable route OF the Old company,
and as the Passenger and Power Com
peny was ready to agree 10 maintain the
!ires Of the Old system which did not pay.
1t was fair, reasonable and proper that 1t
should be given the Ines winch did pay,
In giving this route 10 the Passenger and
Power Company the city was not putting
it in NEW territory, SO that the Passen-
ger and Power Companyts not entering
upon a ro,,ta.. of the Traction Company
by using the lat,er's tracks. within the in.
tendment Of the ordinance. Suppose the
Council had decided to allow the Passen-
ger and Power Company to electrify the
tracks of the Richmond Railway and Eco
tric 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, to
give the Traction Company the right TO
so 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 Pc sse,1-
ger . nd Power Company using he IrHss-