Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-16
Council and the Franchise

Tr ought to be remembered while the City
Council is being scolded for the delay in
acting on the thirty-year blanket franchise
demanded by the Virginia Railway and Power
Company, that most OF this delay is due TO
the company itself. which on several occa-
sions has pleaded for more time
1t is true that when the application for
the blanket franchise was first made the
company was anxious for prompt action, but
that anxiety became considerably mitigated
When 1t was perceived how widespread was
opposition TO some OF the terms of the pro-
posed grant. Since then, it is fair to say. he
cause it has been obvious the company has
been well content to make haste slowly.
The 1imes-Dispatch believes the blanket
franchise should be granted and for the
thirty-year period. but ii is utterly opposed to
the theory that so valuable a municipal asset
should be handed over TO the company as
gift, nor does it believe that the considera-
tions expressed in the company's offer are
fair or adequate.
The reasons why the various franchises
under which the street car lines are now
operated should be consolidated are apparent
and thirty years is not too long for the fran
chise 10 continue. A shorter term means diff
hculty in financing enterprise of this char
acter--a difficulty reflected in higher interest
rates and larger bond discounts. and paid for
ultimately by the people of the city
There should be some relief allowed the
company from the present burden of dupG-
Gated service. When two lines run on
parallel streets a block apart, there is usually
10 real need for one OF them. 1t is supplied
at the expense Of some other section of the
city or suburbs, where transportation facili-
ties are required 10 meet the public conve-
nience and provide for Richmond's expansion
1t is hard on this very account for the
ordinary City Council 10 handle franchise
proposition. Councilmen generally represent
hnfn
as whole. and every man wants all he can
get in the way of street car TRANSFORMATION
for his ward. The necessary consequence is
that when every ambition Of this sort has
been satisfied. the company is so weighted
with unnecessary handicaps that it is diff
iicult. if not impossible, TO give the sort of
service the public interest requires
Despite all this and the existence of a fair
share of water i'll its stock, the Virginia Rail-
way and Power Company is financially sue
cessful. Il does very we'll, indeed. so far a
mere layman derive meaning from its
annual statements. The franchise for which
it asks is valuable franchise-valuab BILE both
TO prospective buyer and to prospective seller
and should bring a fair price. American
municipalities abandoned some years ago the
practice of presenting these articles to attrac-
tive gentlemen, either as little tokens of adj
miration and esteem or for some other and
less manifest reason.
Furthermore the city should hold on in
the franchise to its right TO regulate the com
pany's service, see to il that this power
OF regulation is contded to the State Corpora
ton Commission. There should be like
reservation the subject OF fares, as TO
which the city certainly does not propose to
lose the advantages il now enjoys.
Consideration o. all these matters means
the expenditure of time. and Council should
not even think OF permitting itself TO be
hurried There is no sense nor reason, SO
far as the city is concerned, III any such