The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-28
TRACTION CARS
FOR MAIN STREET
Continued from First Paee.)

1Coninued from First PaEe.)
street was only just begun. cant we
get these gentlemen to do anything in be-
half OF the people, said Mr.. Meredith
5nointediy, except through fear2 VIII
they give the city no relief except through
apprehension of being punished by thepuo-
die?
The history of The old road teaches US
what would have been the street-car SIT
uat!an in this time il the Traction Com
pany had not come into the field Don't
YOU remember how this Old company act
ually strangled the old Richmond and
Manchester Railway Company in 1S93
tiereSy consolidating all the lines in this
city and s!anchester at that time2 Is not
This the company that comes here tto-i1isht
and pleads with the Couacil not to take a
step that Will lead to consultations?
MIR. Meredith then went into a discus
SION of the contest that resulted in the
passage of the ordinance granting to the
Traction Comrany a franchise on Broad
Street; He asked If tflat company had not
lived up 10 its contract
That's what you have" cried some one
n the audience. to which the President
brought his gavel down and said that no
sort of demonstration would be permitted
Il do not want any. Mr.. President, said
rIr. Meredith. 81 am only DESTROYS that
sAiS u tilc bOtS SIAN 1cti"'dSi
this question calmly and deliberately.
AS TO RIGHTS.
The contention that the Traction Com
1nny had the right to demand of the
Council the right to run cars on Main
Street under its ordinance was dwet upon
at some length by' Mr.. Meredith The two
ordinances were quoted from literally, Mr..
Meredith asserting that when the Rich
1nond Passenger and Power Company
took its franchise 1t took it with the fun
knowledge that the Council could put
other companies cars on its tracks whsn
il saw tit, providing that a corresponding
right be given by such entering companies
Our ordinance reads exactly or almost
exactly as does that of the Passenger and
Power Company, and You sad We must
allow the cars OF tllat company to run over
our tracks. We don't oojecu to it. You
put that clause in these ordinances for the
benefit and protection OF the people. We
have no right TO o15Ject: and | respectfully
submit thnt they have no right TO OBJECT.
The material question before you. gentle
men, is not whether this thing will hurt
the Passenger and Power Company. or
whether you hurt the Traction Company;
st is whether by doing this thing You do
good to the peo,le.'
Mr. Meredith argued that the CONSOLE
dation talk was not the Dugaboo that il
was claimed for it. and he also claimed
that facts had shown that competition
had not produced good service. If the
truth We're told he said 1T would be
known that when you ride on Cay Street
or on Main Street cars that you ride on
cross-t!es or on rotten rails. .
He declared that the Traction Company
had given fine service, had provided the
people with magnificent cars, because it
had men at lis head who knew their
va l,aI- ArI.j I he nia
Inducements and they have come to u.s.,
continued the speaker, and we have
their trust and their confidence. And.
gentlemen, / may add that we have given
this good service because it paid US to do
So"
Further discussing the consolidation
matter. Mr.. Meredith compared thu old
company with the old story of the man
who cried stop thief" He showed that
The old company consolidated all the
li1ists in the city prior TO the coming of
the Richmond Traction Company. Have
YOU ever heard of the Traction Company
consolidating anything?" he asked amid
some laughter. The man who is asking
this Council not TO consolidate, has bean
knocking at our doors asking for con-
Solidation
Mr.. Meredith said that the only thing
that had kept the companies apart was
the burdens Of debt carried by the Old
company. I1A continued by saying that
the cars of every one of the six lines OF
The Passenger and Power Company
could be operated on seventeen squares
Of the Broad Street tracks of the Trac-
ton Company, under the present law.
while the Traction Company only askaf
10 s,e allowed IN return to run one OF its
lines nine squares over the tracks OF the
Passenger and Power Company. and the
other seventeen squares on the same
NJ, Sni ftef 3purhf :l6
Traction Company was not asking tat
ANYTHING unjust be done, but that this
3,ow,er. reserved for the people be eXer-
cised now that the need for it had arisen.
Touching again. th-: subject of COM
petHion. Mr.. Meredith said II the Trac-
ton Company cars We're allowed to run
on Main street, The Passenger and Power
Company would have to give the sans
class of cars and the same service as the
Traction Company or 1t would get the
worst of it. IF they give good square
service they'll sst your trade. and If they
don't and so 10 the wall is it your fault?
is Ii Your Judgment, &c ,er;en. that II
they don't give You d service that
they don't deserve TO faii2 If You put us
On Main Street we propose to raise them
to the same tigh standard that we nave
set IN your city
CAPTAIN GUIGoN SPEAKS.
The opening argument for the-1Sica-
mond Passenger and Power Company was
made by Captain A. B. Guison, who said
he recognized fully The task set before
him TO answer the specious and ingenious
argument Of his predecessor. Just one
year ago, Captain Guison continued.
your Council gave a new franchise to a
new company. and the Richmond Rail
way and Electric Company wSnt out Of
existence
ut d!da.t co. INTERCEPTED a voice in the
audience
4 say said Captain .Guigon in loud
tones. THAT it did so, and under this new
ordinance it makes no difference if the
new company Is controlled by Satan in
carna.e, you cannot attach 10 II The odium
That is att. clied TO the old company
The speaker explained that the Rich
,nofd Passenger and Power Company had
been created a new company. the Board