The Caucasian., 1913-10-09
COUNCIL MEETING
REVIEW OF THE SESSION HELD
ON TUESDAY.
THE TRACTION COMPANY
Threatened With Suit to Compel
the Issue OF Free Transportation
to Detectives OF the Municipality.

The session OF the Council helt
Tuesday was llveIier than usual
Harmony for a while was up-ln-
the-air," and official brotherly ties
were suddenly abbreviated. ThG
unexpected was precIpitatcd over
the resolution of Commissioners Fui-
liloNe relative to the Traction Com
pany providing free rides on th'
electric ears for the detectives II
the employ Of the city.
Preceding the consideration of the
FullllOve resolution the session Wa>
delightfully."- serene and lovely. Tho
resolution reads:
Resolved, That the city attorney
be and he is hereby instructed to
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, Whereupor
there was an immediate interposl-
ton by, Commissioner Mccullough
who moved that the FuIIiIoVr reso-
luton be tabled, which was readily
seconded by Commissioner Eppic
and was laid on the table with the
vote of MayOr Eastman.
Having accepted philosophicaliN
this defeat of his resolution, Com
missioner Fullilove explained that
he would not have insisted on tie
resolution being forced to an issue
had he 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 The
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 disinclined iC
do any overt act" that would pre-
judice citizens against the Traction
Company elections.
At that time seemingly it was not
the dear good people nor free rides
for the detectives in the employ OF
the city that were of great concern,
but a studied effort to not "preju-
dice citizens against the Traction
Company's elections
In a further explanation Commits
sioner Fullilove stated: "Oncthat
account the resolution was held up,
otherwise it would have gone before
the Council for vote long ago.
Commissioner Fullilove wants the
courts to settle the question, ana
believes a fight is worth while, and
is reinforced in this anticipation OF
success on the view of c. w. Jack,
until recently city attorney, whose
opinion is that the intent of the law
was that employees of the police de-
partment whether uniformed or net
should be given free transportation.
Tt is not doubted nor questioned
that the intent of the law may be as
surmised, but has not the Traction
Company secured from the city
without the opposition OF the city
authorities, the Mayor and the com
missioners, grants and privileges
which are fairly estimated at hun
dreds of thousands of dollars fo'
which the city has obtained nc
equivalent. not even the privileges
of free ride for the city detectives
What would a suit avail?
AS the Traction Company IS II
possession of everything worth haV-
ing at this time within the limits
of the municipality, what more i
there left to be given away? Is II
not fact, a matter of record, that
the Traction Company is restricted
simply to the law applying directly
TO its trackage and that portion OF
the streets which is reached by the
ends of the length of its ties. Anf
as an additional explanation is th'
statement given in the Journal, th'
official organ of the City of ShreVe-
port, that:
For a time the Traction Com
pany issued pass books TO the regu-
lar detectives, but suddenly cease
the practice, and since then the cit,
has had to pay for the transpOfta-