The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-01
HEARS ARGUMENT ON
FRANCHISE REQUEST
Richmond & Renrico Asks Council for Right to
Sell Light and Power, Which Is Resisted by
Virginia Railway and Power COMPANY.

they were not themselves Interested
and had nothing to lose. 1t was Cheap
or to sign than to make an enemy by
refusing. AS to the applying company.
nc described II as one which had held
street railway franchise over the
heads OF the existing company for
eight years, and finally, under pressure.
hau built railway mo more needed
than u dog needs TWO tails, since it
parallels existing lines. and on the
statement OF its own counsel. cannot
| I'VE alone"
| Loopholc In franchise
Mr.. Anderson protested apains, n,
".nenuHieht IN the new draft OF the
oluihahce which provided that the com
p ,mn,, should begin work within SIX
| ,iiohths AFTER the plans and routes had
oeeh approved, instead OF within siI
hohths alter the franchise was grant
Gu, n0lalng that il offered a loophoi,.
iof the luchmond and Henrico ,'n,,,
rnS 70 repeat its former pertormanc.
iof eisht or ten years, sInc, ihnrs
s,,Hc, io.ninS TO require II 10 con-
IN. 'It eonauits or erect poles alter
ne franchise was granted
They are merely tryine Ia ,o,,
pi.,,' said MIR. Anderson, IAN oh
NO, 'y ION which they here ADMIT was
+, He went a nn IS now unprohtable."
sung company is the result az 80
| .essiNc consultations OF as man, ~ :,
compei,t, WE'VE We companies, to which
| ~ 'tioh mad in effect proven f,I
co. 60, and that all past efforts To- sacnra
In pcliiVh mad IN effect proved IN
competition Ii War, Says A,dcr.,,
boidiy asserting that SO far a.. 80
~ service corporations werc ,,,,
o of ,r. competition was not the life
onIv nut IT'S death. since IL tended
Hma TO duplication and waste, and n
. puruen on the public. He eypIained
.ne difference between public enter.
p,iises ana private business. when NAV
Iutt the ne!d Whenever business con-
uiuons make further operntio,s -
pfohtabie. The public service corpoI.,-
non. whether 1t IS profitable or mn,
"'ua' render an efficient service at rea-
! soi!aole rates. under public control
competition under these circumstances
ne described as war applied TO bust
ness mss; resulting inevitably In de;erior
ation OF service and increase Of
idteS an inevitable consolidation
ana me public paying interest
on increased capitalization made ncros
saEE BY duplicate lines and cqu!p,ncn:
without considering the inevitable dig
J Slns in the streets for dupllcntr ljn.s
OF cohduits and connections. lie cited
many authorities In support OF his
contention that the granting OF the
peiition would merely be TO rep.a; a
iruitiess and expensive experiment
Which has failed in the leading cities
OF tH!S country and Europe. admitting
Company was capitalized to-day al
more than IL would nave been .ld /,
peeh punt from the start on economic.
PRINCIPLES, without periods Of disas-
trouS competition leading to consoIt
cation. only TO have the foint comnan,
carry the burden of duplicate e,uIjn.
heht ana investment where one wolId
serve.
Rates Lower Now.
Rates in Richmond were Io,ro-
day than during the last period y,
competition. BE claimed Since re-
-, ~ l SaA.Ia'lon MS company had spent
Richmond. and had just authorized a
new 100000 power house to Keen
u ,.ad or the demands of the comintr
ns, ana TO produce current at the low.
c!alineo, was now giving the best
street railway service OF any citv of
! Hichrnond's size in the world
In eiectric current and power 1t was
| ewing service as good as in any CITY
| and at rates as low as In am citt.
summary situated statement which
/ ne invited the committee to verify by
| correspondence or by visiting ct,ics ~
Richmonds general characteristics as
10 location and population Reading
| from pubic service commission reports
! IN New York. he broadly intima ted
| that many companies were formed not
10 sell current at profit. hut to sell
| Such franchises to the company first
In the field. The city was not called
| ~, ne Ga iined, 10 help the promoters
Of the Richmond and Henrico Railway
company make profitable an unwise
| periment at the expense OF the larg-
| est taxpayer In the city, more than
s2.ooOO0O of the securities of which
are held by Richmond people such
| floating franchise. even II never
| used. he claimed. would seriously ham
per mis- company In it's efforts to raise
money for betterments.
Some principle should be adopted
| ov the city. and the matter settled for
all time" said Mr. Anderson. Other
/ advanced communities do not encour-
! age competition in public service utili-
| ties until II has been demonstrated
! That the rates are unreasonable or the
service inadequate. The failure to
protect invested capital has already
| proved a serious drawback to the de-
veloDment of the Industrial South"
| Kelley Asks Equal Rights.
! Mr.. Kelley replied that Mr. Andcr-
ment as the attorney for corpora
ton with a monopoly would make.
| We own street ralwny--so do
they" he went on. I'VE merely ask
as do they. We have the power Eoing
to waste at present Our company
| will live. even IL there are no profits.
! for tho men who hold our bonds can
afford to keep them. The application
is from a company already in the field.
! equal terms with a great rival. We
| ask no special fayors A city whore
streets are not torn ND is dead one.
Progressive cities which are expand
they must make way for improve
ments. We don't object 10 their liv-
| ine-but let us live also"
| The committee adjourned 10 We'd
nesday Of mex. week, copies of the
proposed franchise to be meanwhile
d q rihntad n a MANNERS.