The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-04-14
SAYS LABOR TICKETS
NOTHING BUT CHARITY
Henri, w. Anderson says He Would
BE ashamed to Accept Half
Fare.
At CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Attorney for Virginia Halfway and
Power Company Tells of the Need
for Thirty-Year Blanket Fran
Chisc.

That the thirty-year blanket fran
chise which the Virginia Railway and
Power Company is seeking is abb
solutely essential If the people of
Richmond are to get a good street
railway service and that the so-called
'jltney husses" have cut into the
street railway company's earnings sew
eral hundred dollars "a day were the
salient features of what came out last
night at n meeting of the committee
of the Chamber of Commerce, v hich
is considering the franchise.
The question was discussed Mt
length, and Henry w. Anderson, gen
eral counsel for the Virginia Railway
ana Power Company. went into an ex-
planation of the financial condition
OF the company ut present, also giving
a general outline of the history Of
the rcorganiZation of several lines of
the present company.
sharply Questioned.
Mr.. Anderson was sharply questioned
in regard to the opinion expressed by
those opposing the granting OF the
franchise. thaat the company was now
paying interest on large amount OF
watered stock. and that in all of their
propositions they sought to arrange not
only fair interest on money invested.
but also on outstanding stock over
and above the face yalue Of the com
pahy's holdings.
In speaking of the Jitney, the at
torney frankly admitted that the auto
mobiles engaged In this work are hand
ling large amount of traffic. and that
the electric line is now showing II
largo decrease in their daily receipts
In arguing against the sale of fran
chises AS Il means Of raising taxes.
Mr. Anderson stated that IL had been
found through experience that the
proper way to tax the people was
through direct tax. and not through
the receipts of the corporation. In
support of this claim he brought out
that the people were merely paying
annually to the Virginia Railway and
Power Company large sum- and then
at the end of each year, they reached
out and grabbed part of ii back as
taxes
Service Rendered
Coming To the service which his
company was rendering. Mr.. Anderson
said that Richmond was getting one
of the best street railway services
in the country. and that the fares
on an average were much less
Mr.. Anderson answered the fight
being made against the granting Of
the blanket franchise 10y the laborinR
people with the statement that If
II were a laboring man l would re-
sent that two and one half cent re-
duced fare which they are now get
ting. ] would not accept 1t. I would
not accept such charity"
The hearing which was thrown open
TO the public was presided over by
l.. G.. Norris who is member OF the
committee from tlfe Chamber Of Com
merce which liz studying the best
thing for the citizens of Richmond tn
do in regards to the granting of the
street railways franchise N. w.
Rountree and VIM. Miller. two other
members OF the committee. were pres
ent.
One or two citizens entered into a
discussion OF the merits of the petit
ton for the franchise. and the attor
iuey answered several questions pur
TO him by them.