The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-17
CAR COMPANY is
Hailed TO COURT
Soutllside Police Act on Com
plant That Service Is Slow
and Inadequate.
GOT RECORD FROM CHECKERS
Councilman Jones Informed by
City Attorney That Police
Could Issue Summons.
GOT RECORD FROM CHECKERS

Acting on complaints OF citizens
verified by personal observation. Cap
tain Alexander S. Wright. of tho Third
against tho Virginia Railway and Pow
er Company for failure to maintain n
ten-minute schedule on the Hull Street
line. Company officials have been no
titled to appear before Justice II. A
Maurice, In Police Court, Part H., OH
Tuesday morning.
The charges against the company are
the outcome of several weeks of slow
service on the Southsidc lines. Com
plant after complaint was made to the
police. and to satisfy himself that the
schedule was not being kept Captain
Wright had markers stationed at n
prominent point for several days. and
tho record of every car passing that
point was carefully noted. In addi-
ton to this data, more than a dozen
witnesses, regular patrons of the cars,
have been summoned to testify In re-
gard to the alleged poor service rem
dercd by the company.
Must Hun Ten Minutes Apart.
Under franchise granted by tho
city of Manchester, still operative tho
Virginia Hallway and Power Company
Is charged with tho duty OF running
cars in each direction ten minutes
apart unless conditions warrant a fast
er schedule. BY actual timing il Was
discovered by the police that In some
instances there We're intervals as high
as thirty-onc minutes between cars
while In other instances two cars would
be run less than Il car length apart
The police say that the trouble is not
temporary, but is OF long standing For
nearly six months committees from the
South Richmond and Chesterfield Bust
ness Mems Clubs and the South Rich
7 Al
ed to get relief. The organization
charges that 1t could secure no i'm
Drovcment.
Complaints were not only made to
the police. but Southside represcn-
been appealed to recently. Councii
man Carter c. Jones, of Madison Ward.
took the matter up and was advised
wayne Anderson that the matter was
under the police jurisdiction. and that
IT was up ,,,i to that department to take
10 Captain Wright, and after n con-
ference with Chief Werner the cars
were timed
Democratic Club Takes Action.
Following close on the heels OF po-
lice action, the South Richmond Demo
cratic club. at meeting last night
Werner to continue It's check on the
company ana 10 summon it each
the police markers, the club Will also
get individuals to check cars at va
rious points during rush hours.
There Is penalty of S25 day at
tached to the failure of the company
10 maintain its schedule. The ten
minute schedule, while not equal 10
the demands OF South Richmond which
Is growing rapidly, would be satisfac-
lory In the middle of the day. with
extra cars during the rush hours. The
extras are now run morning and night
out II Is common sight TO see three
ana TOUR cars on the same block-a
banana line II was charactcriXc,t last
night at the club meeting, with cars
coming In lunches.
The residents Of Swansboro. which
rs beyond the police Jurisdiction, also
nave grievance against the company.
ana mass meeting VIII be held next
week TO decide on some action. IL is
expected that counsel will be employed
TO examine the franchise granted by
chesterfield County and see ii there
is some way to enforce its provisions.
Remedies HIVE Been Suggested.
numerous remedies have been sug-
gcstcd. but none has been tried. Tie
street car employees. both motormen
and conductors, insist that il is I'M
possible TO maintain Il schedule OF ten
minutes with the present number Of
cars on the line. There are now five
IN operation regularly, with a fifty
minute allowance for round trip.
with the round trip allowance in
creased to sixty minutes, would be
satisfactory. and would give an oppor-
tunity to maintain the schedule.
mat the present prosecution would
not be the only one. but that he would
see that the company in the future
lived up to It's obligations. He will
the law be imposed for each violation.