The Caucasian., 1913-10-09

Threatened With a Suit to Compel
the Issue OF Free Transportation
to Detectives Of the Municipality.

The session Of the Council held
Tuesday was ivelier than usual
Harmony for a while was up-in-
lhe-;lir," and official brothcrIy ties
were suddenly abbreviated This
unexpected was precipitatcd oyer
the resolution Of Commissioner Fui-
lloye relative to the Traction Com
pany providing free rides on the
electric cars for the detectives II
the employ Of the city.
Preceding the consideration Of the
Fullilove resolution the session WAS
delightfully."- serene and lovely. The
resolution reads:
Resolved, That the city attorney
be and he is hereby instructed io
file suit against the Shreveport
Traction Company to compel them
to furnish free transportation To the
detectives who are regular employees
Of the police department"
This resolution was favored by
Commissioner RiNes, Whereupon
there was an immediate inteIposl-
tlon by Commissioner McCuIloueil,
who moved that the FuIiovr reso-
luton be tabled, which was readily
seconded by Commissioner Epp'c
and was laid on the table with the
vote Of Mayor Eastman.
Having accepted philosophicalty
this defeat Of his resolution, Com
missioner Fullilove explained that
he would not have insisted on tie
resolution being forced to an issue
had lie not felt sure that the Mayor
would have voted for it especially
as it had been suggested that the
resolution be withheld, when it was
intended to introduce it some time
ago, for the reason that it would
probably prejudice citizens against
the Traction Company in one OF th,'
And 50 ''the cat has been let out
Of the wallet"
"And the resolution was withheld
some time ago because OF the ap-
prehension that it might prejudice
citizens against the Traction Com
pany.
From this explanation the con-
clusion which is logical is that the
commissioners were disinchned jC
do any "overt act that would pre-
judice citizens against the Traction
Company elections.
At that time seemingly it was not
the dear coed people nor free rides
for the detectives in the employ q
the city that were Of great concern
but studied effort to not ''preju-
dice citizens against the Traction
Company's elections
IN further explanation Commits
sioner Fullilove stated: "Onotha1
account the resolution was held up
otherwise it would have gone before
the Council for a vote long ago"
Commissioner Fullilove wants tho
courts to settle the question, ani
believes a fight is worth while, anc
is reinforced in this anticipation ol
success on the view of G. w. Jack
until recently city attorney, whose
opinion is that the intent OF the law
was that employees Of the police &C.
partment whether uniformed or nc
should be given free transportation
Tt is not doubted nor questlonr1
that the intent of the law may be as
surmised, but has not the Tractor
Company secured from the city
without the opposition 0Y the city
authorities, the Mayor and the com
missioners, grants and privilege
which are fairly estimated at hun
dreds of thousands of dollars ~
which the city has obtained II
equivalent, not even the privilege
OF free ride for the city detectives
What would a suit avail?
AS the Traction Company is Il
possession Of everything worth hay
ing at this time within the limit
Of the municipality, what more j
! there left to be given away? Is
not fact. a matter Of record, tha
the Traction Company is restrlcte
simply to the law applying Islirectl
to its trackage and that portion 9
the streets which is reached by tn
ends Of the length Of its ties. An
as an additional explanation is tn
statement given in the Journal, tn
official organ of the City Of ShfeVe
port, that:
For time the Traction Com
pany issued pass books to the regu
lar detectives, but suddenly cease
} the practice, and since then the ct
III has had tO nav for the TRANSPORTS