The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-05-20
THE TRACTION COMPANY
Has Withdrawn It's Concessions" and
the Council Is Relieved of the Con-
siderations of Transfers.

and transfers.
The communication is addressed t,
the chairman of the special committe,
of the Council having under considera
ton the concessions" of the Traction
Company for the extension of all it
franchises to September 2o, 1854, wher
the Highland Park franchise will end
There will be no shedding of tears
nor expressions of regret on the part Of
the citizens of Shreveport, who stane
for the square deal,' over this actor
of the Traction Company. Instead oi
modifying it will strengthen the feeling
of resentment which is growing steadily
At this time there is not apparently
any legal means to compel the Traction
Company to yield to what is seemingly
suggested by plain business policy, in
| the improvement of its service which
should be responsive to reasonable de-
| rnands of the people. In its present. at
tit1rde it can expect no favors from the
people
This is not said in spirit of antago-
nlsm, but is a candid expression of the
situation as it is and will continue to be.
until the Traction Company shall make
the concessions which are due the city
and the people, from whom it has OBJ
tanned its franchises which are of IN
estinable value.
What is the meaning of "concession?'
1t is the act of granting Or yielding
voluntarily to a demand or request,
which is not applicable in this case to
the Traction Company Instead, the
Traction Company has been resisting
this reasonable demand of the people,
It is insisting on receiving greater
grants of privileges than it is entitled
to iegitimately.
However, the Traction Company. in
its corporate capacity, can not expect to
obtain in the future the privileges it has
in the past, simply for the asking.
It is true that when the company be-.
gan its service it was not profitable. 1t
is unquestioned that they operated at
loss, but it is today ranked with the cor
porations which are desirable, profitable,
and ranging in value approximately at
one million dollars.
It is true that not many years since
by vote of six councilmen against two
opposed, with tfe~citys attorney protest
ing, franchise grant was extended
twenty years. Had this franchise ex-
tension not been granted, the city today
could enforce without much effort the
reasonable demand for transfers. IN
deed, the city would be in the position
of exacting such compensation Or such
amount of money as would be the value
of the grant for new franchise. I'm
fortunately for the city and the present
generation, the rights and the privileges
of the city were given away to the
Traction Company for song.
We hold as principle which will
stand the most exaeting test that it is
not good policy to grant to corpora
tions privileges which exceed more than
twenty five years, and when such grants
are already enjoyed by corporation,
that there should be no further extern
sion of years.
The franchise grant should be per-
mitted to end with the term of its years.
II the Traction Company, including
its franchise privileges, is of a value
equivalent to about million dollars,
what will the rating or price of this
be in ten years when Shreve-
ports population will exceed 10000 in
1abitants?
Why should any sensible, practical
business man, and especially repre-
sentative Of the people, grant any more
concessions to the Traction Company
than they now possess?
In friendly spirit it may be said that |
if the Traction Company were wise and
were governed by broad policy of lib |
.rality in public spirit. commensurate
with conservatism, it would long since |
have conceded voluntarily and cheerfully |
the transfer privilege which, when fig
nred seriously, is much exaggerated
when measured as a value. but which |
IS concession would have operated in |
strengthening it in the popular esteem.
The Traction Company occupies today |
owards the city and the people the at
-itude of resistance if not of defiance. |
It may improve its service or it may /
not. It may give the people no greater
Of better service than now enforced 4
It may determine on no future extern
lion of its lines, for instance, Fairfield. |
It may, so to speak, not move another
beg, and the few who insist on trans
Fers may clamor and how. for trans
Ters until they are red in the face, but |
he Traction Company must not be de-
uded in the presumption that through
such a policy they will secure the ex-
.ension Of franchises they would have,
which would greatly increase the value