The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-19
ELEMENTS APPLAUD
DELEGATION OF AMERICAN RAIL-
WAY ASSOCIATION SPENDS DAY
IN RICHMOND AND ARE
MUCH IMPRESSED.

expressed by the spokesman Of the
| party was not only applauded by the
city officials and body OF representa-
! tive Richmond citizens gathered in
the roof garden of the Westmore-
land Club. but the sentiment was
also applauded by the mysterious
clements which the members OF the
delegation have done so much to
harness.. Just at the conclusion OF
the initial speech. outlining the pur-
poses OF the tour. made by Thomas
~ Carter. who heads the delegation,
shower of hail was hurled upon the
/ tin roof of the garden. beating
noisy tattoo TO the accompaniment
of the general lhandciapping inside.
The party arrived in Richmond
this morning at 1850 on special
train which started from the Penn
sylNania station In New York City
wednesday night and which Is to
/ transport the delegation on a 1900
mile journey. The morning was
| spent In tour of inspection of the
| lines and equipment OF the Virginia
Railway and Power Company A
special car was provided for this pur-
pose and the greater part of the
system with the power houses and
other places of interest on the sys-
t tenn were visited
| A<NaNAVVh 0t "tNNurbTVduu AAuU.
At noon, the delegation was en-
tertained at luncheon at the West
moreland Club. The city officials.
including the members of the Coun-
Gil and Board of Aldermen; the off,
| GERS OF the Chamber of Commerce,
the Advertisers Club and n few 9TH
er prominent business men were
guest at the luncheon william
Northrup. the president of the vir-
1 WI
presided as POSTMASTER.
Mayor Richa rdson.
The first speaker introduced was
Mayor Richardson, who turned over
to the visitors, the keys of the city
Twenty-fonr years ago. said
| Mayor Richardson. Il was unfortu-
nate enough to be a city official as
am today. and ] had the pleasure of
riding on the first street car that was
ever operated in the world We
rode around the city for several
blocks and each corner the car ran
off the track We finally reached
the starting point after much tribu-
lation. and the street railway busi-
ness was born. From this modest
beginning. i am told that there has
developed more than 1900 street
car companies in different parts OF
the world operating tolal of $4,000
miles of street, car line and employ
Ing more th&n a quarter of million
| men.
We who have lived In Richmond.
realize what a potent factor the
street car companies have been in
the development of the city. We
believe that no other City in the
country has a better street car sys-
tenn. Richmond people and especial
" the municipal officials believe thor
oughly in the spirit of cooperation
between the public and the public
service corporation
Unit OF Fare Must BE Increased.
The next speaker introduced. was
Mr.. Thomas \. -McCarter. president
Of the American Railway Associa-
ton. Mr.. McCarter declared that
the five cent fare unit must be in
creased as the trolley development
OF the cities is extended.
Il am glad to know that n party
or northern men such as ours can
come TO the South today without
anybody's even thinking of the old
sectional feeling that was once SO
rife. said Mr.. McCarter. The
wonderful Industrial development OF
the South which is now attra citing
the attenting Of the whole country
IL bound to make her people more
ana more conservative and to change
their attitude toward large corpora
tons.
"One object that We had in view in
coming South was TO get In closer
touch with the officials of the street
railways But we also desired to be
OF some help as We go along. do
net pretend to claim that body OF
men can drop into a large city like
Richmond and stay one day and set
> tie all problems that may arise, But
there are many general problems
, which can be discussed at a meeting
) like this and better understanding
reached
1.-THE one point which I desire te
, impress upon you today. Is that the
! operation OF public service cor.
poration Is an economic proposition
and that the corporations are en-
titled to a fair return on the capita
invested. A street railway corpora.
| ton IL no Eat-rich- quick. enterprise
Nor Is it huncp game. Every sys.
tenn that il put into operation must
go through period OF grinding pow
erty. and there are very few that are
paying their stockholders more thar
or per cent on the investment
The public should not expect toe
much OF street railway companies
TIVE time Il going TO eorre, when
the development Of the cities will
make 1t necessary to charge more
than Ave cents fare. This low unit
fare is one Of the gravest problems
that faces the operators. OF street
railways today What the solution OF
this problem will be am unable to
saw. 1t will probably be the estab-
lfshment OF zone around each OF
the cities outside of which the unit
of fare viii be increased"
Virginia Desires Cooperation.
Judge r. r. Prentis spoke for the
members OF tf}e State Corporation
Commission He declared that It al
ways had been the policy OF the Com
monwealth Of Virginia to promote
the best interest OF the public service
corporations which are nothing but
. the children OF the State.
Should Take Public into Confidence
G.. Loomis Allen. a DISTINGUISHED
capitalist of Syracuse. n. r.. who has
~e~r~.,v ces.t hte s~-.i,~ae J., v-t--s,ta.
taking over the electric railways lines
around Newport News. declared tina,
the officials Of public service corpora
lions had made mistake in not TAX
Ing the public fully into the conf.
''The public judges u. bv the SER
1 vice which We reRdAr. Little does the
public realize wha4 II costs to render
this service, The American public Is
trt~Yiae.s,.t a. - spA>~wn,,lN ~ n Nnr-