Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-07
=WHE[LWR|CHT ANSWERS
!. Administrative BOARD
Says Company May Withdraw Con-
ccssions II Forced to Live Up TO
s Letter OF Franchise.
MORE CARS THAN REQUIRED
Suggests Elimination OF "Owl" Cars,
Turning Back Broad and Twenty
Fifth Cars at Iombardy and West
hampton Cars al Floyd Avenue.

Presiden; Thomas :. whcclwrisht. Of
the Virginia Railway and Power Com
pany. warned the Administrative Board
that if the traction company is forced
to maintain on certain lines the SEIZED
ulcs prescribed by its franchises. It
will abide h. franchise requirements
on ali It's lines. which would seriously
impair the street railway service in
Richmond President Nhcclwrirht'S
letter was addressed 10 the board.
and will come up for ousidcrNtlon a.
its meeting tomorrow morning.
This action followed notification ry
tho board thar il would require the
company 10 maintain moro rcculSr
schedule on certain lines which the
Police Department. found were not
operating ears according 10 franchise
requirements. Tho traction company
was advised that unless the schedules
were changed within forty-eicht hours.
tho matter would hc reported 10 tho
Police Court.
President whcclwricht's letter TO tho
board is as follows:
Your letter OF April 8. Enclosing
tabulatcd sheet prepared from REPORTS
of the Police Department IN reference
to schedules maintained on the various
lines Of tho city Tor the week end
ing March .. 1915. was received AZ $40
o'clock this morning, although We were
fully advised through the daily press
OF yesterday that such letter was
being addressed TO tho company.
MORE Cars OPERATED
THAN FRANCHISE REQUIRES
This matter was fully set forth in
p letter from this company addressed
to tho Administrative Board OH Scf-
tcmbcr |, 1917, following Il full hear
ing before your honorable body, but in
order to refresh your memory as we'll
as 10 advise our patrons fully as To
the status Of the matter we again
summarize the situation briefly by
quoting from our letter of September
!, above referred 10, as follows:
The franchise requirements on all
the lines OF the company require los
cars and $40 car hours. The total
number Of cars now actually operated
aggregate 2.i01 car hours, showing the
actual number OF car hours operated
more than the franchise requirements.
AZ; the actual number of cars opc-
rated moro than franchise require
,1ncnts. iwenty-siN c.rS.
- The franchises of the company per-
init the Broad and Twcn;y-tifth stree,
'S:ars to he turned back at Broad and
J,omhardy Streets:
:. The three owl" cars running all
night are not required b. franchise;
and
The fra nch:scs OF the company
Hampton cars at Floyd Avenue and
Robinson street, instead OF coming
down Robinson TO Broad. and down
Broad 10 the loop at Seventh and Ninth
streets, and ba elk.
z, If the company is forced to main
tain schedules according 10 the strict
letter OF the old franchises which
were not worked out with any regard
to present traffic conditions, the COM
Pany WIZ - compelled I make num-
Der OF changes in the routes and sched-
OIeS as now run
1t appears from the ,abulation Of
SCHEDULES made by the Police Depart
mcnt that the Oakwood ana Broad ana
the Oakwood and Main cars are re-
ported as making the poorest schedule
TINS service is divided at Main and
Ninth Streets, half OF the cars being
routed up Ninth 10 Broad. and half
un Main TO First. the ARRANGEMENT for
service on Main Street from Ninth hay
Ing been made between the prcdcc.s
sor companies without any franchise
obligation with q View TO accommodate
ing the patrons Of thc line. We viii.
therefore, at once issue orders 10 have
TINS route changed so that all of the
oakwo6d cars Will DO routed from Main
UP Ninth 20 BROAD and back the same
way thus maintaining the nve-min-
ute schGdgfe on this line required by
INC frahth Sc and Will proceed 10 make
the Other changes above Indicated 10
conform 20 the old franchis.s as a. soon
as practicable II YOU so demand.
We Will, of course, take the neccs
SarE steps - have = clearly under
stood ny the public and our ratrons
mat these changes are being rIadc Nv
authority Of tho Administrative Board
ana inn' ne company viii not bc re-
SponSihlr Tor the resulting imuairmcn.
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