The Caucasian., 1911-07-16
THERE is A REASON.

Why should the people add to the
wealth and the power of the Trac-
tion Company, when, as corpora
tion, it has contributed, nominally
little to the general welfare OF
Shreveport?
1t has in its possession today fran
chises and special privileges which
in actual value aggregate over hall
a million dollars.
What has this corporation con-
tributed in return for these valuable
concessions?
Instead of being generous, it has
with remarkable and extraordinary
persistence withheld from the peo-
pie the privilege of general trans
fers, as is applied and in force in
progressive cities in the United
States.
But it is scarcely necessary to
again arraign this company at the
bar of public opinion for its short
comings. Had this corporation been
fair and liberal towards the people
and appreciative of the valuable
concessions it has obtained for the
asking, it could have obtained al
most anything in reason in the de-
velopment of its property.
The Traction Company is again
soliciting the votes of the people for
two extensions of their lines, one
from Southern avenue to Kings
highway, and the other is to extend
the West End Line to the corporate
limit on the Greenwood read.
This company, over its Fairfield
line, has a terminus at Waverly,
which, until recently, was, as under
stood, designed to be extended to
Cedar Grove, the factory site, but
this programme has been changed,
as it would appear, and instead of
extending the line from Waverly to
the factory site it is proposed to ex-
tend a line from Southern avenue
and Boulevard street to Kings high
way, which is to be reached by a
circuitous route through several
streets and highways where the
opening of several subdivisions are
contemplated.
Instead of the extension being
from Waverly where the Fairfield
line is now being operated, the ex-
tension as proposed is to be from OF
1T or about Kings highway.
Whatever be the purpose or the
design to reach the factory site via
Kings highway has not been devel-
oped. However, when it is intimat-
ed that the defeat of the proposed
extension from Southern avenue and
Boulevard to Kings highway will
operate against the factory site, such
statement is not only unfounded but
is nonsensieal.
The second proposition is to .ex-
tend the West End line up the
Greenwood road to the Fair grounds
gate and the corporate line.
If this proposition should prevail
it would lead to the abandonment of
The trackage of the company from
the Texas or Greenwood road, now
operative to the Fair grounds
the loop, and such change
would affect seriously the interests
Of hundreds of citizens who have in
vested in good faith in lots in the
adjacent to this track
Or loop.
This move could not be commend |
ed, and no fair minded citizen
should approve such action, partic-
iiarly when the operation of a track |
over the Greenwood road would be
/ general detriment without some |
compensation for the people.
And there is this view of the is
sue: If the Traction Company's
were endorsed at the
election next Tuesday, it would be
to connect outside the cor
porate limits the Greenwood road
.erminus with the terminus on the
Fairfield or Southern avenue line,
md with such betting the Traction
company would become independent
If the city and would practically be
n full control of the street railway j
situation in Shreveport.
In the face of the fact that the
Traction Company has acquired Il
rom the city its valuable possess |;
ons for a song, and has resisted ev-
'ry fair and reasonable demand for |,
GENERAL transfers, and as it is evi- II
lent that the proposed grant of its |;
would strengthen it and |,
'ut the people at disadvantage, it
ollows that the reasonable and the
ogical course is to defeat the Trac-
ion Company's demands. Il
Possibly there are citizens who {
would favor the Southern avenue h
nd Boulevard extension to Kings If