The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-11
SAYS RICHMOND MAKES
OTHER CITIES GOAT
Street Hallway OniciaIs Declare Pc
:, tersburg and Norfolk Carry
This Gty's Burdens.
CONSIDER r1vE-CENr FARE.
Street Committee 10 Go Fully Into
Proposition at special Meeting Next
Tuesday Night.

After hearing from officials OF the,
Virginia Railway and Power company.
and several representatives of the
Trades and Labor council. on the ques-
ton of increased price for street car
tickets. the street committee of coun-
Gil adjourned last night to Tuesday.
Decem Der Is, at o'clock. when further
hearings will be held.
President Wheeiwright and E. Ran
dolph Williams, counsel for the Nir-'
ginia Hallway and Power company pre-
sented the compsny's side of the case.
They stated that the company is los
ing money and losing more and more
as time goes on All due, as explained
by Mr. Williams. 70 the abnormal and
extraordinary times, incidental to the
war. The high cost of everything In
connection with the production of trait
nc facilities. and the decreased number
OF passengers combe to bring the
former profits Of the company to n,
point below running expenses.
While no direct proposition was
made by the officials, nor was any
plan presented, the intimation was
that with the cutting out of labor and
school tickets and the six-for-a quar-
ter tickets the company could. with
a straight hye-cept fare, get by with
out being compelled to submit to a
loss.
Ii was shown by MIR. Williams that
il cost S46 cents to haul each pas
serRer, and that the companyfl count
nag everything, received AZ cents per
passenger. out of this small profit
tho overhead expenses and other eS-
penses as well had to be met. The
officials could not see how this could
be done, unless council comes to the
rescue and permits the adoption of
a straight fve-cent fare.
Petersburg and Norfolk, with the
straight fare said Mr.. NheeIw,ight.
are practically carrying Richmond's
burden. They are more than meeting
.heir own. and but for the revenues
derived from. that course we would
flEd ourselves in a deeper hole than
that in which we find ourselves.
MIR, Williams showed hy figures
that the expenses since 1918. the year
prior to the war, had been increased
about $255,9S5 per annum.
Every passenger is receiving much
greater service than he is paying for,
under the prevailing conditions" said
, Mr Williams.
Chairman Fuller asked President
Wheelwrisht IL a 5-cent fare would
place The company on the same foot
ing upon which 1t stood prior 10 the
war. and the reply was that It would.
/ So far As the operating expenses were
concerned.
! DO You not think the company
/ should bear part Of the burdens Of
/ high war prices = asked Mr. Fuller.
| we do" replied Mr.. WheelwriEht.
] FxfGh no Tai ~,
the matter"
+ ". " Savage j E Rennolds and
/ Mr. Koch. representing the Trades and
| Labor council. urged the committee to
! go slow in acting upon the proposition,
| as everything had gone up In cost, and
+ the Increase in cost OF labor tickets
/ would add 100 per cent TO that now
paid by the working man. MIR. Savage
! asked that the labor committee be
I prepare a statement and reply TO the
/ remarks OF the officials OF the COM
/ pauy.
Captain Richard N Osterloh. said
I that he and his mother had invested In
stock OF the company. and as he was
about to so over there" 10 do his bib
he hoped the council. would give the
company an opportunity of making a.
i%@s, Z small lNrodt. az he hoped that
ON motion of Alderman j. E.
Powers the committee directed the
company TO furnish additional data
concerning earnings and expenses for
the yeers OF 1918 to, 1917, together
with annual reports Of the company,
and This was agreed to- Whereupon
the, committee adjourned on motion
Of AIR Moore to meet again next Tees
day night
Before the stra light fare question
was taken up the committee heard
from Interested persons on the ques-
ton OF re-routing the Oekwood and
Man street cars, az suggested by coun
Gilman Letter. This question vas also
laid over 10 the next meeting. as /;
was shown that there was consider
able opposition 70 taking the cars al
Main street and the west end PEG
pie desired 70 be heard from,
Members present were chairman
Pullor, Gunst, Butler. Atkinson
Moore and Powers,
uItYE NDRTHIsIIN NECK MTTITTT a.