The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-28

Council that that company sHouiu -
build its lines and buy new cars
HOT TIMES ON.
Quite a stormy lot of debate ensued when
Capt. Guigon challenged the insinuation
OF Mr.. Meredith that bonds of the hich-
mond Passenger and Power Company had
been used for improper purposes
You know it is so.'' said Mr.. Meredith
81 know it is not so,'' returned Capt
GuIgon
ut is true. and I can prove it. -
you'll have to prove it. sir declared
Capt. Gu;gon, "and 1 want to add that
deem it unfair for such a statement to be
made at this place and time.
You can cali for an investigation said
Mr.. Meredith.
You have made the statement and YOU
must prove it, continued Capt. Guison,
land join you in a request that the mat
ter be investigated by this Council. -
''All that have to say is that you'll get
it, Mr. Meredith replied curly.
The statement cannot be proved, be-
cause the facts do not exist" Capt. Gui-
gon retorted. closing. the co!loquy.
The speaker directed his remarks to
what he termed the inequality Of the ordi-
nance asked by the Traction Company,
saying that they asked seventeen squares
of the best of the territory of the Passen-
ger aud Power Company in addition TO
eleven squares now used by the Traction
COMPANY. for seventeen squares of the
Traction Company's track, eight Of which
We're practically valueiess. Capt. Guigon
closed his address by saying that this was
an honest question and should and would
be honestly dealt with by the members
OF the Council, despite intimations to the
contrary
MIR. MARTIN TAXES a HAND.
Mr.. Miles NJ. Martin. leading counsel for
thu Passenger Company. followed Capt
Guison Mr.. Martin began by saying that
upon the decision of this question by the
Council rested the future of street-railway,
facilities in this city. He spoke of the
conditions under which the two companies
had been operating, explaining how diff
ferent they WERE and declared that it
would be an anacronism if the two sys-
tsms were put on the Main-Street tracks
Of the Passenger and Power Company.
He urged that the two companies, II they
were to go on Main Street together, be
placed there under fair and equal restric-
tons and conditions. and governed by the
same laws. Here the speaker called the
attention Of the body to the fact that if
the Council granted this franchise, to the
Traction Company, it would be giving it
an independent franchise to run over the
tracks of the Richmond Passenger and
Power Company on LAIN Street for TWEEN
ty-siX years.
Mr.. Martin said that there was an I'M
fair difference between the ordinances Of
the two companies in that the Richmond
Passenger and Power Company paid taxes
on its rollns-stock to the city, and the
Traction Company pays taxes on its roll
inS-stock to the county of HenricC.
THE UNDERGROUND.
The speaker said he was not an advo-
cate of the underground system, but that
-
friends were in the Council chamber at
that time The Richmond Traction Com
pany," Mr.. Martin continued, has pc
culiar view of the underground question.
1t is willing to run its cars over the Main
Street tracks of the Passenger and Power
Company under any such system as we
may have there"
He referred to the charges of the coun-
sci for the Traction Company regarding
the old company's poor service its breach
of contract, violation of obligation, etc,
and said that he was a newcomer to
Richmond. Gentlemen, [ do not know
anything about these matters. was not
the City Attorney of Richmond at that
time" said Mr.. Martin, causing some
laughter at the expense of MIR. Meredith,
VINO was formerly City Attorney
Mr.. Martin declared that his company
was giving a good service on its Main
Street and Clay Street lines, and con
Guided with an appeal to the members to-
weigh carefully the question before them
as it was one of most importance to tine
company he represented and to the pubic.
Mr., Meredith made brief closing ad-
dress, in which he said that the ,gist of
the argument of the attorneys Tor the
other side was an appeal for delay.
They do not want you TO act on TINS
matter tonight declared Mr. Meredlsh.
AR. Caskie asked Mr.. Meredith II under
the general ordnance of the Iractioil
COMPANY, the Council would compel that
company TO put down an unoefsiouilu
system on Broad Street. The attorney
said he thought under the terms OF tha
ordinance the Council could do'-so
Mr. Meredith was then questioned by
Mr.. Casllie as to the difference IN the
mode of taxation against the two COM
panies, and was informed that the 1rac-
ton Company paid taxes on its rolling
stock to the county because its car barn
was located in the county. In reply 70
another interrosatory, Mr.. Meredith SAID
the Traction Company was willing TO ac-
cept the ordinance conditioned upon the
payment of taxes on its rolling stock 20
the city. whether the car-barn was located
in the city or county.
After some more wranglng as to what
the real question before the Council was
the two reports from the Street Com=
mittee were read and the ord nance n the
minority report, signed by Aessrs. Peters,
Lawder, Glenn and Allen, giving the Irdc
ton Company the right to operate cars
on the Main Street tracks Of the Passen-
ger and Power Company. was taken up
WALLERSTEIN AMENDMENT.
Mr. =Wallerstein offered an amendment
covering a defect, setting forth that the
Tra otnr Company might use the tracks
OF the Passenger and Power Company on
Main Street between FIRST and Eighteenth
Streets. and this was adopted.
The Madison Ward member then made
n strong speech in behalf Of the Traction
Company's petition, saying that it was fair
and right to the two companies and to the
neop,e, and that he was going to vote Tor
it.
Mr. Wallerstein said that he had heard
on all sides that public sentiment had been
aroused in this matter. but that this va
not true. "Publc sentiment he declared,
'.nas long been laying dormant: It has Just
man;fe,ted itself The speaker received
another round of cl,eers when he declared
that George E. Fisher still owned or con-
trol.ed the Passenger and Power Com
pany. He declared that the Council had
given free to the Passenger Company a
franchise that it could easily haye sold
for SEQ, COO.
Nv, I>aS.,ia fare1 an amendment, which