The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-25

more will become one Of the directors
of the consolidated companies, and he will
be the only one OF those interested with
the Williams who will be on the board,
Major James D. Patton, president Of the
Richmond Passenger and Fower#C Com
pany. will not be on the board The di-5
rectors of the consolidated company SO
far known. then will be myself, Mr.. Au-s
gustus Wright, the vice-president Of the
Virginia Company, who will remain In
that positions Mr.. Spencer, secretary and
treasurer Of the company, who is now In
New York: Mr. N1iddendorf, two other
gentlemen in New York, and those that
are to be added later.
IT cannot tell you the sale price. The
terms were cash. The. papers were all
signed last Saturday. but were not ex-s
changed until yesterday.
Further Mr. Sitterding said that every:
effort would be made to improve the
service and to give Richmond the hest
street car service possible. He declared
empl1a tically tl1athe alone was to be the
head of the new company which would
have the direction Of the street railway
and electric enterprises, and would sur
round himself with a corps of able assist
ants.
ut will be something new for me, !" he
concluded. 'but III get my brains 20
gether and exercise little common sense,
SO suppose we Will SCI e1lOAlSo al AAeoAAss'
I cannot tell you Of any specified change:
Just now"
AS a matter of, fact, detail changes
have not yet been considered by the
mana cement which. will assume charge
of the lines Just what cars will be
run and just how far the double SER
vice on several Of the lines will pc
curtailed is a matter which Will proc
ably not be taken up until after the
eNP he
into the hands of the Virginia Company
That will be a month or. SO off, and then
there may be delay Of a month or so
before the changes are decided upon.
In this connection, there will be
great deal of rewriting to do The. Trac-
ton cars and the Passenger. and POWER
cars, which do run over the same !1He,
will use single wire and Where tnese
cars do not run the double wires VIII pc
taken and connected with the new po"s a
plant. These details. however, as stated,
will not be gone into until very much
later.
When Major J. D. Patton, president Of
the Richmond Passenger and Power Com
pany, was asked for q statement, as 10
the deal yesterday, he said: :
II have nothing at all to say about the
matter now, because the time 10 speak
his not vet come AS matter of fact,
everything is still being kept qulet so
far as possible but there may be oeVel-
orments in the case soon. If these come
the public will learn them.
RIGHT TO CONSOLIDATE.
AS to the actual consolidation OF the
companies. there is q prohibitive clause IN
each of the francllies, but this is nullified
bv an act of the last Legislature, which
abrogated these franchises in so far as the
nrohibitiye clause is concerned, and gave
the rival companies the right to consoll-
date This act was pushed through Tue
Legislature in the interest OF the Fassen-s
ger and Power Company and traction
Company. Being a State law, 1t sets the
clause Of the franchises aside; therefore.
there will be no trouble IN the operatiol'
ofzthe companies as one.
Should there have been any stumbling
block in the way of such operation It
could easily have been overcome by
separate operation of the two lines under
individual franchises and a general CHAR
ter This is the opinion of lawyers VINO
were asked about the matter yesteroay'
REORGANIZE THE FORCES.
With the change in management there
will come a complete reorganization OF
working forces, executive and manual,
but all talk as to just what these changes
will be, save in so far as the statement
of Mr.. Sitterdng goes, is purely con1ec-
tural. While the matter has been hang-
ing up for some three months many OF
the principals in the two companies nave
had an opportunity to consider other al
fairs, but from statements made yester-
day it seems that with the close OF the
Traction Company's affairs as a separate
institution, Mr.. Be1niss will sever ms
connection with the railroad affairs. Ma
ior Patton will not be on the new Board
of Directors, according to high authority.
In the office forces it is probable that
large proportion of the men now at
work will remain, but there will ne in
side switches which will change the gene
raj complexion of the offices. Clerically
there will probably be few changes save
those occasioned by reduction of the
forces of the companies. The effect on
the street car men. conductors and mo-
tormen, etc. it was stated yesterday, will
really amount to nothing. True, the dou-
bic services will be discontinued. but now
it seems doubtful if any of these men are
cut off. The idea of the company to give
a perfect street car service in all de-
partments seems to mean that most of
the men will remain in their positions.
WHAT MIR. WILLIAMS SAYS.
Mr.. Lancaster Williams and President
Benliss, of the Traction Company, who
conducted the deal in Baltimore, returned
yesterday. In regard to the sale Mr.. Will
1iams gave this statement to reporter
for The Times, President Benss being
present at the time:
The consolidation was effected by Mr..
Nelson Perrin and Mr. N. Winston Will
liams. mr.. Perrin was the head Of the
consolidated companies in Baltimore until