The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-28
CANAAN NccartEiy's Side.

Mr.. Benliss, on Saturday last, wrote a.
letter to Captain Mccarthy, calling upon
him TO produce the letter or statement
of the Traction Company which had been
made the subject of criticism in the
Academy speech. This letter and a state
ment from Captain Mccarthy We're made
public Sunday morning, and Mr.. Bemiss
replied in an open letter printed yester
day afternoon Last night. Captain Nc
Carthy gave ont the following statement
bearing upon the whole subject:
The statement. to which reference has
been so frequently made. presented by the
Richmond Traction Company for the
consideration of the Council OF the city
of Richmond through the medium Of the
Finance Committee, first states the fact
that the question of taxing the street
, railways Of the city is before the COM
mittce for consideration aud report. \
more correct statement would be that
the roads were already taxed. but that
the period during Which the tax was to
remain as fixed had expired, and that it
was within the power of the Council 10
increase the percentage which, the city
had been collecting from the roads. The
| petition was presented i'll order to pre-
Vent an increase of lne percentage al
ready assessed, but the final resul: of the
petition was the reduction OF the percent
age from five TO three and one-haif.
The petition declares that in dealing
with the street car enterprises the COM
pany should be so treated as to encourage
it, and that the road should not be viewed
merely in the light Of how much tax it
paid, and the statement to this point is
fair enough
But the next plea OF the petition is
that the road should be looked upon as
means by which those forced to live in
distant parts of the city are brought in
easy reach of the central business por-
ton, meaning 10 say that the patriotic
object in view in the minds of the pro-
moters is the comfort, happiness and
convenience OF the residents in the sub
urbs as though there We're noSseltish pur-
! pose or end in view.
| The next statement is TO the effect that
/ the road should be looked at as means
1 by which the poorer citizens are enabled
I to acquire cheaper homes than could be
| found in tho more central portions of the
/ city. This, in the cold light of a critical
examination, is an assertion of pure char
! ity, where the purpose is simply business
| It continues by asserting that it should
! be looked at as ono of the greatest ne
4 cessities OF modern life, as though this
/ necessity of modern life should contribute
nothing to the support of the city gov
eminent and towards the payment Of its
! enormous expenses. while other absolute
necessities, such as grocery stores. dry
/ goods stores. drug stores. shoe stores,
workshops--all unquestionahiy absolute
necessties-should continue TO bear in
| the future, as they have in the past, the
| entire burden OF the expense of the city
| government; It is a cold assertion OF the
! fact that this recently discovered neces-
sity should exist without burden. while
! all the old familiar necessities. which
! have borne the burdens for century.
1 should continue To bear them and also
] contribute literally to the support of TINS
| untra1nm eled untaxed. new necessity.
A FREE GIFT
The next assertion is that this new en-
| terprise ought to bear a fair share of
the public burdens. but that TO over
/ burden it is not only to injure the own
/ ers of It. but to destroy its usefulness to
/ the general public. This pathetic plea
| Is what is presented by a corporation
| which has received as d free gift from
this community franchise which it val
/ ues. in its own statement OF assets and
! liabilities. at six hundred thousand dol
! lars. on which amount. as an asset land
/ without which their. own statement would
prove them bankrupt, they pay no taxes
/ whatever. but use it for business with
/ the people who gave them, this value;
end, to all intents and purposes. having