The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-28
+ Directors of which was composed of

MIR. Gutgon then 9diTecLeu ms a'teuStoii
to a part of the argument of Nr. Nee
din before the Committee on Street,, in
which the latter had charged as faLe the
statement that the Richmond Passenger
and Power Company had p2cfect fran
chsse for five years on Broad Street.
propose to show YOU declared Captain
Guigon, that that statement was not
false" The allegations Of Mr.. Meredith
WIS attributed TO his earnestness and par
tisanrs on behalf of the Traction Com
pany, which he represented. Captain
Guson read from the city ordinances
causes showing that the Council had 10
Gated one track for the Richmond Passcn-
ger and Power Company on Brond Street
and directed it to use the old track Of the
Richmond. Fredericksburg and Potomac
Company at the pleasure Of the Council,
but when removed from this track to have
the right to construct another track, the
same to be located the same distance from
the centre of the street 80 the other track.
The speaker said Mr.. Meredith did not
tread all of the Xecord on this subject, to
which the attorney for the Richmond
Traction Company took exceptions, say
ing that he had read the whole, and prov
ing this by stenographic report OF the
proceedings before the Street Committee
This caused some applause, and Captain
Galigon quickly said: .Mr President, |
am sure that you and the other gentlemen
of the Council will give me patient and
respectful hearing on behalf of the COM
pany that I have the honor in part to
REPRESENT, but l do ask You to protect me
from such concentrations.
81 will endeavor to do so,'' responded
President Ebel.
Now continued Mr.. Guigon, 81 want
to say that / unintent;onaliy misrepre-.
scented Mr.. Meredith, but I did not do an
injustice to his partis:2nry, because he did
not properly. construe to you the section
OF the ordinance referred to-"
Captain Guison then took up the ques-
ton Of whether or not it was Sht to put
the cars of the Traction Company on the
tracks OF the Passenger and Power Com
pany on Main Street. He discussed the
franchise of each company relative to the
joint use OF tracks. Each franchise con-
tanned the same burden as to rec procal
rights. continued Captain Guigon. but. :
he asked, what burden did the Traction
Company take when il accepted the fran
chise on Broad Street? There is not a
man within the sound of my voice who
does not know that the old company or
its successors would continue to give a
service on Broad Street"
Captain Guigon then spoke OF the intense
effort made by the Richmond Passenger
and Power Company 10 rehahltate its
that its franchise requires. II say that
the Passenger ana Power Company doesn't
deserve this punishment" declared the
attorney for that cOmpuny, and he went
'l9-o the presentation of the facts concern
.nS the plans OF the Passenger and Power
contract with the city. He referred
TO the manner in which the able
counsel for the Richmond Traction
Company had referred to the offer OF
that company of $4,000 for the Main
Street franchise. and that this was but
a starter Why explained Captain Gu
son. this franchise was given to the
Richmond Passenger and Power Company
for the very reason that by it the city of
Richmond could call in these old fran
cl.ses which We're most hurtful to the
city. Ought you not carry out the spirit
OF your contract. and give US the chance
to live up to our agreement to give Won
a good service? We paid value received
for that franchise, and you gentlemen
know this. because we surrendered to the
city those old franchises, as we agreed
to do
THOSE PETITIONS
At this point Capt Guigon presented a
Voluminous batch of petitions. containing
the signatures Of 15153 male citizens of
Richmond over sixteen years of age. He
said that he did not pretend to say that
soma names were not duplicated, and he
did not suppose his friends of the Traction
Company would pretend to claim their pc
tltlon OF 1000 names did not contain dupli-
Gates The speaker laid special stress on
the manner in which these signatures
were obtained. admitting that his company
mad paid men for going around ana getting
the signatures and saving he supposed
the Traction Company had COMPENSATED
those who obtained Names for its petition
He declared further that the Traction
Company had been five or six months get
ting up its petition. while the Passenger
and Power Company only started to work
on its petition last Wednesday morning
The figures mentioned as to the petition
of the Passenger and Power Company
We're certified to by Mr.. c. j. Franklin
This petition said Capt Guison, I'm
dcates that in spite Of the desperate eff
forts Of the Richmond Traction Company.
there IS not such earnestness III behalf OF
that conpany's petition as these gentle
men would have YOU To heli5ye | tell you
that there is not the great and crying pub
lie need for this thing. and there's the
proof l give You that there is not" de-
clared Capt Guigon. Shaping his hand
with force upon the large batch of pc
ritions.
The speaker said it was but natural that,
when one said more cars and better ser
vice. the people would say. lets have
them In this connection Capt Guigon
said h. did not mean TO belittle the excel
lent service given by the Traction Com
pany- They had advantages" he de-
ciared, as he explained that the franchises
OF the two most important lines of the old
Richmond Railway and Electric Company
were about TO expire, and that no one
could expect the company to have spent
the large sum of money necessary to re-
habi!itate its roads. He said. however.
that there were evidences on all sides that
the Richmond Passenger and Power Com
pany was hard at work to furnish the
citizens of Richmond with such :, street
car service as they should be afforded
Capt. Guigon wanted to know. speak king
of the alleged interest the Traction Com
paay had been taking for the poor work
ing people whether it was better for the
poor working man or woman to stand on
tbs street-corlle: at First Street and wait
for cars than 10 stand on the Eighteenth
Street corner and wait (Applause.)
Capt Guison characterized this alleged
public c!anior for the Traction Company's
cars ON Main Street as a false c,amor. He
asked NJ. Meredith for his authority fo.
the statement that the Passenger ana
Rover Company had approached the Trae-
ton Company with a proposition for The
pf the I p,ne scon,.,,oieS Nv