The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-05-13
TRACTION COMPANY
TRANSFER ORDINANCE REPORT
ED BY SPECIAL COMMITTEE,
CONCESSIONS OFFERED
For the Extension of Franchises Which
Should Have Greater Value Than Is
Placed Thereon by City Couneil--No
Safeguard Company Has Free Hand.

r What is the value of the transfers.
What is the value of the franchises?
How would each member of the Git
Council deal with the franchises if per
sonal property?
Would any councilman surrender o
practically give away his personal prop
erty to thriving corporation or to an.
and practical business man, require TIL
fullest remuneration, at least an equva
lent commensurate with the property a
| his disposal?
/ Why should not each member of th,
City Council apply i'll the disposal O
any of the city's valuable privileges ane
| franchises the same measurement which
would be his guide in personal trans.
action9
Why should there be an exception tc
this rule when the peoples interests are
involved in the proposed giving away OF
valuable franchises to the Shreveport
Traction Company?
If the Caucasian had a greater interest
i'll the Shreveport Traction Company
than in the people, it would stand by and
plead~for the Traction Company without
reservation or apology, but it is on the
side Of the people. It is now, as it al
Ways has been, an advocate of the
square deal.
The Caucasian has never swerved
from its recognition and its ennnciation
of the principle and the fact that a corr
poration IS entitled to and should re-
ceive the same fair treatment as an indi-
yidual, and ii is in that spirit that the
Shreveport Traction Company has been
and will be considered IN public sense.
To state it rather bluntly, perhaps, the
expectations of the Traction Company
as incorporated in an ordinance s,ib-
nitted in the City Council Tuesday
night. are unfair Practically the Trac-
ton Company, in its connection with
Shreveport, is in possession Of the earth
but is not satisfied II would have "the
fullness thereof It is noted with re-
gret that majority of the Council is
inclined to an approval of this ordi-
nance on the plea Of transfers,
No sensible mar should be misled by
this pretext of transfers.
Unfortunately for the city and the
people. the Traction Company has al
ways secured. at least in past years,
whatever il has desired from the Coun-
eli. The extension of the. term of the
franchise OF this corporation, several
years since, at a meeting of the Coun-
Gil at which six members were present
and two voted No. gave the COM
.pany an advantage which can ont be
fairly computed IN dollars and cents.
And today the Council is meditating
seriously on the extension of all the
franchises of this corporation to Septem-
Der 2o 1854, when the Highland Park
Line franchise will be at an end, pro-.
vided other councils of the city do not
grant a perpetual and never lending ex-
tension of all the. charters of this COM
pary
What is offered?
sTransfers
How many of the people would be
benefited by the transfers?
Having fixed the stations for trans
fers, it is provided in the fifth section
of the ordinance:
The said Traction Company shall op-
crate its Union Depot and Parkview
belts so as to have the last car on each
of these lines leave its downtown ter
nninal at IL o'clock midnight. On the
West Line to leave at II.I5 pm. except
during the State Fair or other amuse-
ments at the State Fair grounds, when
cars will be operated until midnight,
The Highland Park Line TO be operated
so that the last car shall leave the down
town terminal at II:Is pm, or later, as
the travel to and from places of amuse
ment may Justify
aSixth--Tfais ordinance shall take ef-
feet from and after is passage accord
ing to law, and its acceptance by the
Shreveport Traction Company
AS submitted on the face of the ordi-
nance, all the benefits which are to be
derived from the extension Of the sew
eral franchises are transfers which will
be advantageous only 70 a limited num-
Der and service at night, which should
be provided as ia other towns and cities
where the street railway system IS up
to-aate
Assuming that tl1e ordinance as pend
iiig IS passed, i viii utanest stionably ut