The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-04

of tracks was inserted by the Council IN
The Traction Company'S franchise with
view to that very probability and to pre-
vent the possible necessity OF having FOUR
psralles tracks on Broad Street
USE OF THE TRACTION 1CoMPANTsS
TRACKS. ON BROAD STREET, By
THE RICHMOND PASSENGER AND
POWER COMPANY.
II is uSsfu! for Mr. Beuliss TO seek to
persuade the committee, or any body OF
reasonable men. that ths Passenger and
Power Company ever made application for
or desired to use the tracks Of the Trac-
i!on Company. or that ever consented so
10 90 except under protest, upon the de-
Hand OF the Council. and as a condition
OIL us having any franchise what eyer.
It's representatives have always urged
mat IL De allowed TO electrify its own
tracks. and 10 pursue its own business, IN
oepeaGeu, OF any utilization or connection
win any other company.
IL Is true. the Council by the franchise
! Il granted II, required that the Passenger
and Power Company use the tracks OF the
iidcsion company, on Broad Street. and
| oy It's franchises to both companies pro-
sloed lha1 where there was such joint use
OF tracks, the right should be reciprocal.
/ surely no one viii deny 70 the Council
the right 10 amend this franchise, upon
| the request Of the Passenger and Power
company, should X be satisfied thar some
| other plan proposed is better. The PAS
| SsnSer and Power. Company is rot reft,s-
| Ing to carry out the provisions of It's fran
| cbise, but IS respectfully petitioring that
| its conditions be changed in a wav and to
| an extent which it believes VIII be 10 the
| best interests OF the pubic. as well az
| necessary to its own prosperity
| If We satisfy the committee and the
| Council that we are correct in this view
I the Council has the right. and we believe
it will avail Itself of that right to amend
! the Passenger and Power Goulpany's fran
| chise accordingly.
| PUBLIC INTEREST.
| 1t IS rot exactly ingenious TO argue The
! Broad Street question from a standpoint OF
/; four parallel tracks.
| 1t Is true the Passenger and Power
| Company. in its formal position, has asked
| to be allowed 20 electr!fy its own tracks
| Instead of using the tracks of the Trac-
| ton Company. but it was distinctly stated
| by counsel before the Street Committee
| that it desired an opportunity to propose
| to the committee, or a subcommittee
| should one be appointed. pan by which
| the objection 10 four tracks could be re-
| moved, and yet the joint use of tracks
| by the two companies be prevented and
| counsel went further and indicated briefly
| and generally that this plan was what was
| called ''straddling the tracks" a method
| successfully in use IN many cities, so that
| for instance, considering the west-bound
4
| rail OF the Passenger and Power Compa-
/ uy's track would be from six TO twelve
| inches north of the sou;h rail of the Trac-
| ton Company. and the north rail of the
| Passenger and Power Company would
| be an equal distance north OF the north
| rail of the Traction Company.
| Admitting. for The sake of debate. that
| the danger to the public of four tracks
| is as great as Mr.. Bemiss represents il,
his lengthy argument on this point is ab-
| soutely without force when applied 10
| the plan proposed As far as the public Is
| concerned, under this plan the dangers
| would be ~ greater and the facilities
| would De quite as great as II the cars Of
| both companies ran upon identieaily the
| same tracks, and thus it would be possible
| TO preserve the individuality of each COM
| pany upon this street, and prevent en-
| barrassing complications. without lessen
| ing the comfort. safety or convenience of
| the public in any way.
| An additional valuable reason for ap-
| proving this plan Is that the Passenger and
! Power Company has offered, II allowed
| to do, to regrade and repave Broad Street
to such extent as may be necessary to re-
| move the serious Irregularities in It's sur
face which now exist. and which will
otherwise ultimately entail a heavy cost
| upon the city
MAIN STREET
With the necessity for the joint use of
the plan just referred to- there could De no
possible shadow of obligation, legal or
moral upon the Council TO permit the use
of the Main Street tracks of the .Passen-
: ger and Power Company by the Traction
| Company, nor is it necessary or desirable.
for with the comprehensive system OF
| transfers already agreed upon and which
| will be In effect in a few days. ii would
( seem that the public convenience was
completely subserved-
Mr.. Bemiss has succeeded In proving. by
, an elaborate argument, the self~ev!deut
fact that as many cars would traverse
| his tracks on Broad Street. II the joint
use OF tracks were required there. as
would traverse Main Street II his com
pany is allowed to use our tracks. antirhe
| would persuade the committee that the
dangers and inconvenience would be
| equally great
He has overlooked. In his argument. the
very important fact that Broad Street IS
very nearly three times as wide as Main
Street and that the more frequent The
passage of cars on SO narrow street as
Main Street, the greater the interference
with other traffic on that important thor
| oughfare-
The most casual observation would con
vince any reasonable man that the traffic
| or Main Street Is much more tedious
dangerous and difficult now than hefor:
the cars of the Union line were also pro
PEELED over IL, and II SILL another linf
should traverse 1T. it is self-evideat tina
| traffic would be materially iuterfered with
Il, is also true thai the tracks waicf
| would be jointly used on Broad Street arr
absolutely level. whereas the tracks which
are proposed. to be Jointly used on AlaiE
Street abound in steep and dangerou:
| grades.
An important reason why the Traction
| Company should not be allowed on Mall
Street is because It would be most unJus
TO the Passenger and Power COMPANY
whose system is burdened by many mile:
| OF Improbable feeders, TO allow lis chic
patronage and source of revenue TO D
| diverted to another company. II CA
| plainly be seen that suctl course wout
be most disastrous to the Passense. aht
Power Company. and would be long stei
!, towards the enforced consolidation OF q.
| the transportation, electric power ans
! lighting facilities in this city.
Ii the Richmond people desire tnat ta'
! entire street-car service ard the e!ecsFi'
| light and power o. the city should oe Y
the hands OF one company. * would 9onoe
5 less be well for It 20 encourage and re-
: quire the proposed joint use OF tracks s. on