The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-29
IT'S BRAzEM OUTRAGE
SAYS |. 0. WEMOtMBURG
Addresses WorkingInen's Protective
Association In Opposition to Rail-
way Franchise.
EVASION OF THE STATE LAWS
Declares Joker In Proposed Ordinance
Prevents All Others From Bidding
for Franchisc-Extenled Vote of
Thanks.

Louis O. Wendenburg, counsel for
the Workingmen's Protective AS
ISOLATION, addressed that body at a
meeting held in its hall at Fifth and
Marshall Streets yesterday afternoon
on the subject of the petition of the
Virginia Railway and Power Com
pany for q thirty-year blanket fran
chise. He characterized the petition
as a bold, brazen outrage. sand the
proposed city ordinance now before
the Council as a huge joke.
Mr.. Wendenburg went into a dis
cussion OF the merits of the PROPOSE
ton. He declared that the traction
company, realizing that its present
franchise would expire within the next
eleven years, was preparing to fight
TO a finish for a franchise which would
give them the right of way through
the streets of Richmond for the next
thirty years. and for this privilege
proposed TO pay nothing.
The Only Concession
The only concession for such a
privilege s an agreement to give the
city two vaducts. which had been
pronounced as unfit for heavy traffic,
and would have to undergo repairs,
costing more than new modern via
ducts. in order to put them in shape
to handle heavy traffic
He said that in order to evade the
State law requiring cities to sell their
franchises to the highest bidder, the
Virginia Railway and Power Company
had proposed that the city pass an
ordinance that the new thtrty-year
blanket franchise could be sold only
to the parties that could deliver, in re-
turn for the new franchise. all fran
chises now owned by the Virginia
Railway and Power Company. He de-
clared that to put such a proposition
before the City Council. the traction
company must have either looked up
on that body as a set OF scoundrels or
as a set OF fools.
Such a provision would. OF course,
mean, he said, that the Virginia Rail
way and Power Company would be
the only corporation that could bid
for the new franchise. as that com
pany and that company alone, could
deliver to the city such franchises.
Mr.. Wendenburg tod the Working
Mems Protective Association that this
blanket franchise which the traction
company was now asking for was
worth millions to the city. and that
upon the expiration of the present
franchises the city would be able TO
obtain millions for the proposed
blanket franchise which the traction
company was now asking for was
worth millions TO the city, and that
upon the expiration of the present
franchises the city would be able 10
obtain millions for the proposed blan-
ket franchise which the traction COM
pany Is now trying to secure.
No Right to Give Franchise.
The speaker also declared that the
@tt 30 tUh 10 Ia hcy Ia
with a franchise running for 80 years
He charged the Virginia Railway and
Power Company with attempting 10
get the petition through in order TO
mead off any move tor government
ownership of the traction lines Of the
city. He said that 1t was presump-
tious in the extreme for this genera
ton to give away a franchise which
would he worth millions within the
near future. and that whether or not
the Virginia Railway and Power Com
pany was to have the rights they now
seek thirty years hence is a guest on
for the coming generation TO settle.
He brought out the fact that Rich
mond in thirty years may be n city OF
half a million people or more. and
that the city might wish to take over
the traction lines. but would he un-
able to do so because the generation
preceding had given away gratis a
privilege worth millions to them.
Tho workingmen's Protective AS
socistion appiauded the speaker sew.
eral times during the course OF his
address and a rising vote of thanks
for the intelligent manner in which
he had discussed the subject was eX-
tended him by the association. which
was organized for the Y Csc OF
fighting the granting OF the blanket
franchise TO the Virginia Railway and
Power Company.