Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-06-24
DESTROYING an Asset

n ICHMOND has no more valuable asset
IN than its excellent street car system. IN
past years it has ranked with the very best
transportation systems III the entire coun-
try and Richmond has taken no little pride
III the quality and completeness OF the SER
vice it rendered. If the quality of that ser
vice has been lowered. and ii is no longer
adequate. the responsibility must not be
laid at the door OF the street car company.
For while Richmond is dependent on the
street car system for service without
which it could hardly exist, certainly it
could not exist without it and prosper, IL
is the one of its great public utilities that has
been kicked about from pillar to post, us
urgent demands for relief ignored, ana It's
property as we'll as its contribution to the
public welfare permitted To deteriorate. In
brief this greatest OF all the local utilities
has been allowed 10 drift into that stage
where an immediate change i'll the citys
policy toward it seems necessary if it is
not TO find itself face To face with stag
nation and even bankruptcy.
Under present conditions, with other
cities, by reason Of more revenue through
higher rates paying better wages, 1t is I'M
possible for the Richmond company to hold
| its men Hundreds OF them already have
| departed TO more attractive fields. scores
more are leaving each week, and so depleted
| are the ranks that each day many cars are
! left standing in tho barns for lack of cap
| able crews to handle them. Othcr cars are
| necessarily taken out by green hands which
| adds materially to the complications and
! dangers of moving the citys crowds dur
ing the rush hours of morning and evening.
| For upwards of year the company has
had before the Council its petition for re-
| lief in the rm OF permission 20 charge q
Scent far md nothing has been done. In
face OF Councils inactivity the company is
operating at an actual deficit and n wage
increase, so mandatory 10 a continuation OF
even the present limited service, seems out
of the question But the mon, those loyal
ones who are left, have reached the point
where they are unwilling to work longer foI
an inadequate wage, and they threaten :;
! strike If an increase be not forthcoming by
October !, when their present contrac
expires.
There is the embarrassing condition into
, which tho company has been forced by The
Councils failure TO grant relief, and Rich
mond, suffering now under an inadequate
service, will have greater penalty TO pa.
! if the men should be driven to the use o
the strike weapon. The company realize
that the men are justified in asking 70
more money, but in face of it's growing de
, | felt it. Is helpless. The public, too. sym
pathzcs with them and there are few VIII
would bcerudgc paying cents for thei
rides IL they knew that the increase mean
better service and Contented employee:
| Other cities have not permitted their trans
portation companies to sink into such Pre-
dicaments, and there has been little com
! plaint because fares sufficiently high
$ meet legitimate expenses were authorized
The same will be true III Richmond If III
Council acts promptly