Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-26
CAR COMPANY EXPLAINS
ITS VIEWS ON J|TNEYS
Claims Through Attorney That 1t Is
Being Subjected to Unfair
Competition.
TAX HELD TO BE INADEQUATE
Counsel f. Randolph Williams, for
Railway and Power Company, Adj
dresses Subcommittee on Proposed
Jitney Regulation.

prepared under its direction by the
city Attorney. the Council subcommit-
tee In charge of this matter laid aside
Its immediate business yesterday after
noon to give hearing to Attorney e.
Randolph Williams, counsel for the Yir-
ginia Railway and Power Company
who addressed the members for forty
five minutes on the jitncy problem as
1t is viewed by his company
1t was the first time that the COM
pany had taken an official stand before
the committee with reference to the
matter under discussion, and the sub
committee voted to hear the company's
side before giving it's approval to an
ordinance framed before the statement
was heard.
4 When Mr.. Williams finished 1t was
II Sis o'clock, and both City Attorney
Pollard and Chairman English had ap-
pointments for the evening in connec-
ton with the police Investigation. Tho
committee, for this reason, adjourned
until O'Clock this afternoon, when it
Will put the ordinance in final shape
and report 1t to the full Ordinance
committee, which meets, for the pur-
pose of receiving the report. at s
o'clock tomorrow night.
NO CERTAINTY THAT
LAW WILL. RE OBSERVED
Mr.. Williams laid emphasis on what
he regarded the failure of the pro-
posed ordinance to make certain that
the jitneys will perform the service
that the ordinance prescr!bes, and
which they will presumably undertake
to perform under the provisions OF this
measure.
While the city has described in de-
tail, In page after page of regulation,
the character Of service the street rail
way company must perform. he said,
no such thing Is attempted by the pro-
posed ordinance In the case of the
jitney, which. he said. are in genuine
sense tho street railways competitors.
Guarantee that the jitncys will con-
form to every regulation laid down
by the city, said Mr.. Williams could
be furnished only by the requirement.
that some form of surety bond be ex-
pected by these new carriers. While
tho ordinance designates certain routes,
he said, there was nothing in the
measure that would adequately pre-
vent n jitney possessing n license for
certain route to diverge and do bust
ness anywhere.
DISCUSSES MUCH-MOOTED
QUESTION OF INDEMNITY
Mr.. Williams called attention TO tho
failure of the ordinance to require an
Indemnity bond or some form OF liza
bility insurance to protect the jitncy
passenger or the pedestrian against
Injuries resulting from the negliEen &C
of the jitney driver or owner. To re-
lieve jitneys from this obligation.
argued the company's attorney, aside
!
would be imposed upon the public,
would subject the street railway com
pany to unfair competition, since the
jitney competitor would be allowed to
engage in the business of carrying pas
d senGers without being compelled to
i shoulder the risks inherent in the
j transaction of such husness--a risk he
4 said. said, which the company at all
4 times assumes.
hi The speaker was of the opinion also
that the license rates fixed by the ordi-
4 nance were not commensurate with the
\ benefits conveyed under the license. He
drew attention to the SlS5,OOO which
he said. the Virginia hallway and
Power Company paid last year for tho
use OF the streets, reducing this sum
to the base-car license paid by the
4 company to show that the tax burden
placed on the company is several times
as heavy, proportionately, as the tax
proposed to be levied on the jitney.
SAYS JITNEY ABsORBs
SHORT-HAUL PROFITS
Mr.. Williams dweit on what me- called
the unfairncss of permitting a COM
petitive transportation agent, negligi-
bly, taxed. to invade the city's con-
Gested traffic district to absorb the
cream of the profitable short haul traf-
fc. which. he said, 1t was intended.
when the present street railway fran
chises were framed, should be con-
served to the company rs part compen-
sation for Its Improbable long haul
service to the suburbs and for special
concessions in the way OF school and
labor tickets Mt PIG cents.
Reduced to its baldcst term, said Mr.
. Williams. the city is now confronted
with the question OF whether 1t is
willing to sacrifice a universal service
to all parts of the city and suburbs
: to foster limited service. performed
in a limited way in n limited section
OF the city. from which compa rativcly
few OF the city's inhabitants derive
, benefit.
Walker CottreM entered objection to
the provision OF the proposed ordinance
which makes Harrison street the con
Meeting link between Broad and several
West End Avenues in the routing ar
) rangement. The street. he pointed out,
was narrow, and is already encountered
with n double car track and heavy
vehicular traffic.