Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-04
STREET CAR COMPANY
FINED IN POLICE COURT
Admits Failure to Maintain Schedule
on Laurel and Clay
Street Lines.
GOOD CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE
Counsel for Company Points to Diff
Guilty of Securing Labor and to
Service on Some Lines in Excess OF
Franchise.

Two fines of 500 ach-the maxi
mum penalty-were imposed upon the
Virginia Railway and Power Company
yesterday by Justice Crutchfcld i'm the
Police Court for it's failure to comply
with the provisions OF it's franchise
requiring the operation Of a sufficient
number of street cars on the Laurel
and Clay Street lines to provide a five
minute schedule. The maximum PEN
atty was imposed by the court on the
recommendation of Assistant City At
torneN George Wayne Anderson over
the objection of Captain A. b. Guigon.
ounsel for the traction
Captain GuiEon earnestly requested
the court either to dismiss the COM
plants or to impose only the mini
mum penalty Of SIS. He explained that
while the company had granted wage
advances three times during the past
Few months because of the high cost
of living. it was unable to secure the
required number of men TO operate the
cars. Great difficulty was experienced.
he aid In keeping men. with NUM-
ton factories and other plants paying
higher wages than the traction COM
pany could afford.
ON THEE LINES SERVICE
ENCEEDS Rex UIHEMENTS
While admitting that the Virginia
Railway and Power Company had
failed to maintain Il five-minute sched-
ule OH the two lines, Captain Guigon
attempted to justify this omission by
the statement that on several other
lines in the city the service was twice
that required by the franchise. He
said that the community would regis
ter a great complaint if this service
was curtailed. but that the company
has the travelling public's best interest
In mind and was doing everything pos
Siblc to meet the demands.
Policemen were assigned to keep tab
on the number of cars operated on all
the lines following the passage of a
resolution by the City Council ordering
the investigation. Councilman T. Gray
Haddon, who was responsible for the
resolution. attended the hearing OF the
charges yesterday in the Police Court.
In timing the service on the Clay Street
line from S o'clock in the morning I'M
til { o'clock in the afternoon the po-
lice found that only scventy-nine cars
passed. while the franchise required
the operation of ninety-siX to main
tain n fve-minute schedule. On the
Laurel Street line only seventy cars
were operated when ninety-SiX were
required.
CITIZENS ENTITLED
I TO TERMS OF CONTRACT
Colonel Anderson said that the law
had been clearly violated on the two
lines, and that citizens residing in these
sections we're entitled to the schedule
required by the franchise.
captain Cuigon. reading from a re-
port showing the operation of all cars,
said the company ran 1873 per cent.
more cars than the franchise required.
This. he said. was especially true on
the Main Street line, where, during the
rush hours morning and night. cars
are operated every two and one-half
instead of on the ~fve-minute
schedule called for by the franchise.
The same, he said. was the case with
the Highland Park and First Street
lines. Discussing the things the COM
pany does which il is not required to
do. the captain informed the court that
under the franchise cars on the Broad
and T~wcnty-ifth Street line could be
urned back after proceeding as far
west as Lombardy Street. AS a mat
ter of fact. they go to the end of the
line. Cars on the Westhampton line,
he stated, could be stopped. under the
franchise. at Robinson street and Floyd
Avenue. although the runs
them downtown and around a loop.
Operation of cars on the Hull Street
line beyond Fourteenth and Main
Streets also was not required. he said.
nor three owl cars. which have been
running for years.