The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-17

ilTIl0 l..lNll1io -.lJlo[.AISiI1s
a fac. which Is known to the commits
zion. pre- sumo. for ] discussed 1t with
them.
To tIsc Power Here.
Subsequent to that date, Mr.. Whit
.nnr, who was connected with the Fred.
erlcksburg Power Company an its
president. and Mr.. Elnbrey aud Others.
suggested the extension of the Ricli-
nord and Contemporaries Bay Line -
fredericksburg. THIS appeared to be a
desirable thing to do. because the
fredericksburg Power Company can
develop In the Rpppahannock River a
power In excess OF that of both tile
james and the Appornattox Rivers
combined. or In the neigl,borhood OF
3o,O00-horse power all the year round,
w1,icl, cannot all be consumed in FRED
ericksb,irg. and II is necessary. In or
der to make the venture profitable. that
industries should be established there.
and also some Of that power cain be
brought into the Richmond market, to
the advantage of this community, and
the properties which Mr.. Gould cor.
trolls here. Therefore. within the last
year, when we took up the question
OF the development OF the water power
at Frederick sburg the matter OF the
extension of the line Of the Ricllmoni
and Chesapeake Bay Railway 70 the
city has been seriously considered, and
1T being desired by the Fredericksburg
people, we suggested to them that they
make application and obtain charter
for a road.
~ have not desired before that the
control OF the fredericksburg Power
Company be known. because we had 10
acquire lands along the Rappahnnnock
River needed for the development: but
now having acquired some 1000 acres
of land for that purpose. ] do not know
OF any. reason why our control OF that
property should not be stated.
Charges UnYoundcd.
THAT Is the full extent of the in
terests of the parties behind the Rich
mand and Chesapeake Bay Railway
Company i,. the development Of North
ern Virginia, except that they do hope.
and hope. that II this line Is built
to fredericksburg under the charter
applied for. some way may be found
to extend the line to Manassas. and In
connection with the opening up Of the
territory of Northeast Virginia. open
up to Richmond also the territory Of
I2the lower valley. The two. In my
Judgment. would be the most beneficial
enterprises accomplished for the de-
yelopinent of Richmond and the state
since the Civil War. Whether that
Will come remains to be seen. hope
and believe that It will.
II might add that the application for
this charter now before the commission
daes not IN any way affect the existing
charter ~ the Richmond and Chesa :
pealse Bay Railway COMPANY to build
it's road into the northea stern part of
t1,e4 tint n II lie
application means. In any sense that
the proposed construction Of that road
is abandoned. a surveying force was
organized To begin work on the 1oca-
lion Of the line beyond Ashland on
November 1st. but that work was nee
essarily suspended for the present by
the conditions prevailing in the inan-
clal world. The present charter looks
To developments along other lines. in
no way In conflict with. but auxiliary
to. the Richmond and Chesapeake Ba:.
Railway. and this application is
brought about by conditions which
have arisen subsequent to the fncor-
poration OF tic Richmond and Chesa-
peake Bay Railway. Company: and cs-
peclally the purchase by the same in
terests of the Fredericksburg water
power property.
81 think now have made full and
clients in connection with this matter.
wanted to make 1t In any event and
I thought 1t necessary to do go in an
swer to the attacks made upon the
good faith of the Richmond and Chesa
peake Bay Railway Company in the
application forsits charter. which at
tacks are without any Justification
whatever"
Continuing his argument as to the
legal anest!ons involved AIR. Anderson
spoke at length. taking the position
that the commission has. no option but
to grant a charter to those WHO came,
provided they meet all the require
ments prescribed by law. and that
the power to grant or deny did not
FAY with the commission. whose au-
thority In the matter Is purely minis
trerial. Mr.. Anderson argued that since
n charter had been granted for a road
from Richmond to Ashland and since
such charter had been upheld by the
state Supreme Court in the Wheel
wright case. no further precedent was
needed. You cannot. under the law
of Virginia as 1t Is to-day. parallel
the Richmond, Frederick sburg and po-
tomac as whole. he declared "bu.
you can parallel part OF the develop
ment of that territory.
ITO deny sucl, right would forbid
the running street car line in the
| town of Fredericksburg. or the oper-
ating OF a line from fredericksburg to
Spotsylvania Courthouse, twelve miles
away. construction that was never
intended by the State"
Attacks Courts Opinion.
Mr. Frank w. Christian. Of the State
proxies. spoke in reply to Mr.. Anderson,
severely criticizing the State Supreme
| Court for its action in the Wheelwright
case, which he denominated as eX parte
and Ill advised
What could be easier than to secure
a charter from Richmond to Tappahan-
mock. via Ashland?' he asked. "since a
iline between the terminals would not
necessarily parallel, they. got thei1.
/ line to- Ashland. The commission
Ought to be Very careful about using
! as precedent the action OF the SUI
tpreme Court in unfolding its charter.
since no contest was made. The Rich
mond. Fredericksburg and Potomac
was opposed to granting the charter.
but did not think it good policy to an