The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1912-06-30
REFERENDUM ELECTION.
Is FIXED by the Council to Be Held
on Tuesday, July "A Proposed
Extension of the Shreveport Trac-
ton COmpany's Service-Why II
Should Not Be Favored.

| ON Tuesday next, July ,, there vii
b" held special election in this city
at which the majority voting viii
determine for or against the Ordi
nance of the Council involving the
issue of granting the privilege Of
more streets TO the Shreveport Trar.
ton Company without some AIDE
quate benefit in return for the gOoC
Of all the people.
The proposition is on
The ordinance relative to grant
to the Shre> epOrt Traction Com.
pany to construct a line of street
railway from Anna street at its in
tersectiOn with Pierre avenue to the
intersection of Aston street, and
Dale street and from the intersection
OF Pierre avenue with Gary street
to a point at or near the center of
the south line of the City Park prop
erty on Hotchkiss street, and to tear
up and discontinue use of its tracks
on part of Pierre avenue, as set
forth in resolution adopted by the
City Council May 80. 1912"
Practically there are two PROPOSE
tons in one, as is made clear by the
careful reading of the ordinance. If
the ordinance is approved by the
majority voting, the Traction Com
pany will be authorized to take up
and discontinue service on part of
the Pierre avenue which in all fair
ness should not be tolerated.
If the ordinance is defeated the
proposed extension from Anna
street will be annulled.
If the proposition is adopted the
extension from Anna street will be
come effective and about seven
blocks of track on Pierre avenue
will be taken up and the service
thereon discontinued.
In this contention the citizens
whose homes are in this section of
the city are directly concerned, but
the citizens of Shreveport, as a
body, also have an interest which,
if indirect, is not less vital
1t should be borne in mind that
the valuable possessions of the
Traction Company, ranging in
conservative estimate at from
three-quarters. to a million dollars,
were obtained by degrees from the
city authorities without reciprocal
ton, and that every request for
transfers has been treated with
scorn.
The citizens of Shreveport should
not forget that every extension and
every grant of privileges and rights
to the streets of the city only adds
to the increase of the wealth and to
the power of this company. The cit
lzcns Of Shreveport should also be
mindful of the fact that the time
has come and is here when no fur
Their privileges should be granted TO
the Shreveport Traction Company
until that company shall establish a
system of general transfers as are
~ operation in all the up-tO-date !
towns and cities of the
United States.
In the consideration of this con
iition from the broad view of pro-
yression, we would advise the de-
eat of the proposed ordinance,
which, if it were carried, would
lead to legal complications t
md would result in a great
nd irreparable injury , to the 1
citizens whose homes are located on |
he tracks it is proposed shall be
AIKEN up and. the service thereon {
hall be discontinued. v
Possibly some citizen may say 9
What is that to me? Personally q v
itizen whose home is on the High t
md line, or on the Fairfield or on
he Union Depot line, will not be f
Elected, but let each individual in S
ne spirit of fairness put himself in ?
he place of the citizens whose .
ONES are on the lines of the track t
'hich is to be taken up and the ser. a
ice thereon be discontinued. il
Would any citizen on any line, if
} threatened, give his support to c
lch an ordinance? il
In order to obviate contests, legal il
tits in which the city would be- 0
,me involved, and in order to pro- V
'ct the citizens who would suffer o.
aterial damages from the removal Ii
the track as designed and a dis tt
,ntinuance Of the service they now q,
10y, the proposition should be de Il
ated. Therefore let there be re- Il
,rded an overwhelming majority
'ainst the ordinance at The cleo Ell
on on Tuesday, July 2. ri
Superintendent Harris. IL
Mansfield Enterprise: Harris, who
IL, -