Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-21
WESTENDERS WIN
FIGHT FOR J|TNEyS
City Council Repcals Ordinance
Which Drove Popular Car
riers From Streets.
WILL ACT AT ONCE
Jitney Men Promise to Resume
Rapid Transit Service This Af-
ternoon or Tonight.

By vote of to In the Board of
Aldermen and Is TO in the Common
Council. the City Council last night
repealed the ordinance approved on
'uiH II regulating the operation OF
itncy busses on the streets Of the city.
ihc preridcnts of both bodies affixed
heir signatures to the multiplying ordi-
lance. and the measure will go TO the
Mayor this morning for his approval
Mayor Ainslic. II is assumed. will
1 Ign the repeal ordinance as soon as il
3 presented TO him. and some time to-
az. unless there Ia an altogether un-
ooked-for hitch in the program. the
,itney ordinance will be expunged from
o. the municipal lawbook and the scent
/ arriers Will be free to roam the city
without lot or hindrance. subject only
| The traffic regulations that apply
o all vehicular traffic. and 70 the
erms OF the FOR hire" licenses. which
most of them have already obtained.
EArECT JITNEYS TO DE
IN OPERATION TODAY
Jitncy men said las, nigh; that IL
tho ordinance is signed by the Mayor
arlE to-day. between nifty and seventy
live ttncys will he in operation this
vering The jitney organization has
'hcse. however. have disposed Of their
:ars since allyinE themselves With the
ORGANIZATION. and may not rc-enter the
business
When the jitncy wave was at it's
3h!shest last June, about l25 TO $50
i ars operated on the streets Of the city
inring the rush hours II is regarded
: 's doubtful II the ji;ncy tide will again
each this high mark. From some time
today on. however. and continuing
until such a time in the future that the
Council may see 1T TO enact Il -egula-
| tor" ordinance. jitneys Will operate
with no regulations 10 interfere with
their movement, except those now ap-
| Iplicable 20 taN!cabs and FOR hire" au-
|;omohiles.
]COuNCILMEN now TO WISHES
OF THEIR CONSTITUENT
The proceedings leading TO the re-
7peal OF the ordinance last night were
Interesting chiefly for the enthusia sm
md wholeheartcdness- with wnIen'
tonncilmen and Aldermen scrambled
Into tho jltney band wagon. There
we're ood-naturcd speeches about be-
9rg elected 10 represent the people and
|tha duty OF every Councilman to re-
spec; the wishes OF his constituents,
out the gallery listened with indul-
.gence and waited for the dcuoucment
(which every one knew was coming
Alderman Fuller. n shade frankcr
|ihan the rest stated the situation bald
Ily. He felt. he said. that IL was n rn!s-
take TO repeal in its entirety an ordi-
snance which contained many good fea-
lures. Like every other friend OF the
1iitney. he said. he desired 10 see il sue
seed. but under reasonable regulation.
Being convinced now that the bonding
|provision was practically prohibitory.
he wanted TO see /; repealed.
SAYS CITIZENS WANT
NEW ORDINANCE DRAWN
But the citizens Of my ward want
the whole ordinance repealed and a
Inew ordinance drawn. AS represen-
ltative OF the people. | am here TO do
ltheir will. and l shall take pleasure
therefore. in voting tonight for the
|repcal OF the ordinance In its entirety.
II hope. therefore. that my colleagues
lin this body will take the same view
and vote TO repeal. Let us all unite
with the purpose of repeating the pres
lent law and urging the prompt enact
ment OF another one. l believe that
/ this body will do this. So let u join
In united love feast. Let us all get
on inc DAnu wagon r..
/ Mr.. pulier was the only member who
referred by name to the band wagon
]The Others boarded il anonymously
THE Common Council met at 7:45
O'Clock in special session, and S o'clock
carried the repeal measure. Is to l.
lCounciman Ferguson alone voted in
the negative. The affirmative votes
were cast by Councilmen Atkinson
Batkins. Cheatwood English, Haddon
Jones, Pitcher Pollock Powers Rat
|cline. Rogers, Seaton. Sullivan, Welsh
land Rogers.
OVERWHELMING SENTIMENT
FOR JITNEYS. SAYS ENGLISH
There was practically no debate.
Councilman English referred TO the
Overwhelming sentiment in the West
End for the repeal OF the ordinance.
Councilman Pollock thought that the
Ordinance Committees report was in
in recommending the
repeal of the present law it should have
reported a substitute ordinance for
adoption. Nevertheless he said, he
was prepared to vote for the repeal
Councilman Jones Joined Mr.. English
in urging the members to repeal the
present law.
The special session of the Common
Council adjourned at Sis o'clock and
the Board of Aldermen convened ten
minutes later Within twenty-five
minutes the upper branch had voted
to concur in the repeating ordinance,
Q 10 L, Alderman Christian alone vot-
ing in the negative The affirmative
votes were cast by Aldermen Gilman,
Grundy, Gunst, Melton, Mitchell Paul,
Powers, Puller and Adams.
When the repeal ordinance was re-
ported, Alderman Christian asked that
a member of the Ordinance Committee
explain to the body the necessity for
multiplying the entire ordinance two
months after its passage.
PAUL EXPLAINS WHY PEOPLE
DEMAND REPEAL OF ORDINANCE
Alderman Paul rose TO the task.
About $1,000 people. he said, rode In
the jitneya every day when they were
running. These people. he said, wanted