The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-22

that senate bill No. i7e7 for that pur-
pose was only introduced in the senate
Of the United States on April I6, 19l :,
and reported on April is, 1917, ana
has not yet been acted on by the sem
ate:
Now, therefore, the commission doth
adjudge. order and decree that WITHIN
two days from the service of this order
The Virginia Navigation company shall
restore tho same service. both as to
carrying passengers and freight, as
was performed by 1t prior TO April
l6. 1917, and
"It is further ordered that the said
Virginia Navigation company shall re-
port to this commission the date OF
the resumption OF such service.
"It is further ordered that copy
of this order shall be served upon the
said virginia Navigation company, and
when so served it shall operate as II
notice to said company as provided
for in clause . OF section 13l Ga, Nir-
ginia Code 1904"
Facts az Situation.
The following statement of the facts
of the case shows the far-re hing eff
feet of the taking off OF the ships on
the several steamship routes:
The Old Dominion Steamship com
pany owns and operates a lina~bf
STEAMERS II blIi 4NbI itlk " AtIt ftob-
Jack hay section. having wharves on
the East, North. Ware and Severn
rivers. as well as on the Mobjack BAY
and is the sole means OF transporta-
iton To this section. The Old Domin-
ion Steamship company is also the
owner of the Virginia Navigation COM
panY, which operates line of steam
ers daily from Norfolk to Smithfield
and return, and also operates a. day
time service between Norfolk and
Richmond and intermediate points
three times a week each way. In adj
dition. the Old Dominion Steamship
company also operates a steamer from
Richmond to Norfolk, and also an
other steamer from Norfolk to Rich
mond
NO bill has been passed for the
purpose OF requisitioning steamers eX-
cept I'll. r. 20632, approved March a.,
1917. entitled An act making appro-
priations for the naval service for the
fiscal year ending June so. 1918. and
for other purposes An examination
of that act will show that it does not
authorize the government TO reqasi-
zion any steamers except from fac
tories equipped for building or for the
production of ships. and. therefore, 1t
becomes apparent that the notice of
discontinuance on the part Of the Viz
ginia Navigation company set out
above ia without foundation in fact;
for. in the absence of congressional
authority. the government has not
requisitioned, nor can it reauisition,
either the steamer PoCahontas or the
steamer SInithfleld.
Cuts Down Other Service.
I'm addition to disseminating the
service of the steamers Pocahontas
and Smithfield. as set out above the
Old Dominion Steamship company has
cut in twain the former service rem
dered to the Mohjack bay section In
that while formerly daily service
except Sunday, was rendered to that
section, now only a tri-weekly service
is rendered
Thus this corporation which has
been serving these communities for
nearly generation. If not longer, is
now Withdrawing its service entirely
] from the James river and Smithhcld
sections, and cutting in twain Its &C
customed service to tho MobJack bay
section.
i This is such blow to these sec
I tons that nothing should he left un-
: done TO prevent the catastrophe
threatening them.
! III what has been. done by the Old
Dominion Steamship company Is {
criterion Of what may be done In the
future. the whole of Tidewater Viz,
ginia may be bercft OF public service
l connections with the exceptions o
those portions thereof which are for
{ tunate enough to he near n railroad
/ There is not county in the
peninsula between the Potomac ant
/ Rappahannock or in the peninsula
between the Rappahannock and thu
( York which has railroad transporra
ton facilities and If the corporation.
which are serving these communities
may by contract with the government
take the steamers formerly used fol