The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-21
new FRANCHISE
Up FOR DEBATE
Street Committee to Hear In
terested Parties on Wednes-
day Night.
MAY INVITE NEW PROPOSALS
Failure to Cover Entire City
Held to Be Serious
Defect.

ne auNISaDIllsy OF accepting eiLhSi
of the bids recently submitted or re.
lection of all propositions for a compel.
ing electric light and power franchise
will be considered by the Council Com
mittee on Streets at special meeting
on Wednesday night. when all Of the
parties at interest will be heard. The
first question for the committee to de-
termine Is whether IL is for the best
interests of the city to grant any fran
chise at this time. when company
largely backed by Richmond capital is
already in the field and has been shown
TO be giving adequate service at rea-
sonable rates. II the committee favors
the granting of competing FRANCHISE
a, this time, il must then determine
which of the two bids already submit
ted will be recommended. Members OF
the committee have announced tnat
they will insist on an examination o.
the form of franchise recently adYer-
tised for sale. to see that 1t guarah-
tees the actual construction of = plant
and bona fide use of the rights to be
granted.
May Invite New Bids.
If amended in any way. the form
must he readyertised and new bids in
vited II granted on the present form
as advertised, the bidding is limited
to the two proposals now before the
committee-that OF the Richmond and
Henrico Railway Company, OF this city,
offering $40, and that OF Arthur Lip
per & Co, of New York. offering s3,ooo.
The first bid is from a company al
ready owning a street railway line III
this city and it was stated that II
proposed the enlargement of its power
house and the sale Of current as sort
of by-product to its present enterprise
The New York firm is a newcomer
into this city. 1t has been directly
stated by Henry W. Anderson, vice
president and general counsel OF the
Virginia Railway and Power Compah!'
that Arthur Upper & Co. are not au-
thorized to bid on behalf Of his COM
pany or of the Gould interest In fact
Mr.. Anderson holds the proposed form
of franchise to be defective. and has
stated that if granted his company VIII
attack it in the courts. Judge George
T. Christian. who represents Arthur
Inner & Co. has stated to the commit
tee that his clients bid IN good faith
for a right they desire t. secure ano
propose to exercise.
Bid Only Nominal Sums.
The bid Of the Henrico Company was
for a purely nominal sum. making no
effort to reimburse the city FOR the
great value Of the proposed grant, the
company holding that the city Will
sscure a sufficient return from fhe
taxes m gross earnings to be Imposed
Nor can the offer Of Arthur Upper q
Co be held t. be a fair return 20 the
CITY for the rights to be granted, thae
company having offered to pay rem
tai of $685. per year for fifteen years
for the right TO use all the streets ano
alleys in the city
should the committee deem u Wise
n recommend competing FRANCHISE
the matter IF routes will prove bone
os contention. members holding tha'
m. entire city should have the beheh1
II benefit there is, from such corlpe-
,,-ion As advertised, the franch.<
Tre-elv requires the company to whic-
i, il granted to file an initial route
for aooroyaL Thereafter the FRANCHISE
-,-ovid4s that the Committee on StFeets
r under certain conditions. oroei
extensions of this route Tine CITY Az
-o-nev has advised that such o.des
~ he made the basis OF continue 81
IRRIGATION SO that as matter Oh Aaes
-. franchise does not guarantee vi
r,rontse competing service TO those
sections Of the city which nave ose"
mos, active in demanding II