The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-03

Consideration of the Richmond Pow
or Corporations application for fran
chise to operate n system OF electric
distribution III the city streets was
brought sudden halt in the Street
Committee last night when Attorney
Henry w. Anderson, who appeared for
the Virginia Railway and Power Com
pany, called the committees attention
to a provision of the city code which
requires corporations Of this character
to deposit $4,000 with the City Treasur-
er as an evidence of good faith before
such applications can DC heard bctore
u committee, and twice that amount
before tho franchise comes UP on the
floor of the Council. He understood,
he said, that such deposits had not
been made by the applicants, and
thought, therefore, that tho COMMITTEES
might be acting without Its jurisdic-
ton. city Attorney Pollard was asked
for an opinion, and the sections to
which Mr.. Anderson referred were
read. Mr.. Pollard preferred not to
render an opinion until he had looked
further into the matter, so the COM
mittee was adjourned awaiting his
written opinion.
Comes nv Surprise.
MIR. Andersons statement In regard
to the deposit came as great surprise
to members of the committee and
others who filled the room and listened
with interest to the arguments for and
against the proposed franchise.
The speaker did not reach this point
until he had got well into his arSu-
ment. He paused for short while as
the statement was made, apparently to
let 1t sink In. Councilman Lynch was
the first to call for advice from the
City Attorney, but Mr.. Pollard was
not ready to reply offhand to SO im-
portant question. He made the same
reply to Attorney Miles NJ. Martin, for
the new company. and the committed,
at the suggestion of Mr.. Lynch, stood
adjourned. The City Attorney stated
that he had brought UP this very point
In the case OF the application OF tho
Citizens Rapid Transit Company, but
that the commit.ee had taken a diff
ferent vie wof it. Mr.. Anderson added
| that when employed for the Richmond
and Chesapeake Bay Railroad he had
been required to make a deposit. and
| incidentally tha. he had lost money
| by 1t.
What Code Requires.
AS read by Mr. Pollard last night.
the code provides that corporations
making applications for franchises be-
fore committees must present cer-
tificate from the Rlty treasurer siio"'
ing that deposit has been made with
him of $4,000 in Richfrond city or
United States bonds, and 10000 in
similar securities, when the matter
comes before the Council. Mr.. Martin
asked If this did not refer to a par
ticular person and not to a corporation
such as he represented. The City At
torney could not answer positively at
that time.
! When he brought out the point that
closed the meeting Mr.. Anderson had
by no means completed his argument
as to why the new company should
mot be allowed to enter the city. In
the case of the two companies repre-
scented, he showed how in this par
ticslar case competition would not BIO
the life of trade. Light and power
corporations. he said, were unlike any
other enterprises In that they could
not move or ship their product from
place to place: the poles, wires and
conduits once useless in Richmond
| would be dead loss. Then, too, two
such companies in the same line of
business, he said, would necessitate
duplication OF equipment and plants.
He went into the history Of the last