The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-28

to know exactly wha would be the value
at five cents a ride of the total ulStriou-
ton of 'dead-head" fares made by TINS
company since it was chartered Stich
a statement as this might thrown some
light on the ability of this hurdened ana
over-burdened company to be liberal And
it would be further interesting to know
whether these free passes We're granted
strictly in the interests of the pubic Wei
fare. or whether there were not some
considerations of possible peneHcidi re-
suits to the company.
The last appeal in this paper is in the
following words: We ask, in fairness
to the men who have put their money
into this enterprise, that the amount OF
taxation WILL NOT BE INCREASED.
If the company is allowed far cnance
to LIVE, it will undoubtedly continue
to give the present satisfactory service
| quote the above in order TO mention
cnce more that the burden of the petit
ton is that the tax may not be ~
CREASED" and to state again that the
result was a DECREASE from f'Ne 10
three ard one-half per cent
WORKED TOGETHER
I wish to close this communication by
giving notice that the petition discussed
above is Il typewriter petition addressed
to the Committee on Finance ana Eye
scented to that body and also to the COM
mittee on Streets by Mr.. Meredith, VINO
vas at the time counsel for the Traction
! Company; and that 1t is signed Rleh-
| rCond Traction Company. by T. L. Be
| miss President" l also have in my pos
ession a printed petition addressed 10
I! the Committee on Streets, and signed
! ..RicI,mond Passenger and Power COM
| pany, Richmond Traction Company
mention these two separate petitions 10
| illustrate and call attention to the TACT
/ that during the progress OF the contest lor
+ supremacy between the city ana the rttii-
| way interests, the city was opposed nrsl
/ by the Traction Company and then by
/ the Passenger and Power Company, al
| ternately; but that, when the crisis ar
| rived and the battle ragged at its fercest.
/ the Traction Company lovingly joined
! hands with the Passenger and Power Com
| pany; the two companies united their
| forces-legal financial and Seneral--and
! fought the fight against the city hercelI,
/ vigorously, and, as it proved III the end,
| success fully--to the cost of the people OF
| the city and the government of the city,
! both OF which interests had been faith
/ fully represented by the officials whose
| duty itwa in that fight 10 represent the
| interests of the people and of the city
| government.
Mr.. Bemiss' Side.
When shown proof of the Traction
! Company's letter to the Finance Commit
| tee, Mr. Benliss made the following state
ment last night:
The paper you hand me is, as we'll as
4 I can recall. the paper filed 10y this com
/ pany with the Finance Committee through
! Mr. c. V Meredith its counsel on that
| occasion
i This paper shows that the Trracsion
| Compzny, for the year 1859 made Sill
| 1876; less taxes and interest, S35, 500;
surplus, s333, 703 So This is clear and IN
/ cquivocal-
/ Captain Mccarthy said that he had
a statement filed by the Traction Com
pany showing that in one year It hao
earned only Slice denied the truth oil
! this and challenged the production of any
! such statement. II Captain Mccarthy
offers this to sustain his charge. I am
entirely willing to leave the matter to
/ any intelligent man on the evidence the
/ paper carries.
1.-The raper goes on to show what oblt-
/ cations that surplus must meet In the
/ future, and the statement is made: 'Such
is the probable future for stockholders
without any increase OF taXation, unless
the receipts shall increase to some extent
in the future. These receipts have in
creased, and for the following year. end
/ ing Septsmber 80, 1906 were In round
/ numbers s203 UG6, and last year sis,cco
ar have absolutely nothing TO change
in the letters I have addressed to Captain
/ Mccarthy, and am ready to submit the
/ question OF the truth OF MS seVeraI cat
esorical statements to any intelligent
body Of Eve men. Offering the paper he
holds in evidence.
:r. Bemiss' Open Lette7.
In his open letter to Captain Mccarthy
Mr. Beniss says:
You say that thu paper alluded to as
some paper submitted by the Richmond
Traction Company. showed that this
Company had earned but si.f00 in a
year T say that tbs statemens Is un-
/ true. And challenge YOU to Prove your
assertion. II you fail to prove it. yo,,
may use your own judgment as to re-
firing from the contest for the mayor
atty. as you offer to do. IL your state
nents are ccntroye.ted. am not inter-