Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-06-18
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
ON TOPICS OF TIVE DAY
or Peninsula Solved Their Prob
lem Of Transportation.

To tho Editor of The Tim -piepa,cn:
Sir.-NOw that tho ciiy Council
N Richmond has untcr consideration
a petition t,om tn. Virginia rail-
way and Power Company prayiu.
for The privilege uf raising lis rate
u street car fares II NAV 10 of IN
'creat to r'cnll the cNpe' Z ,c Of
st"et raIlwhE operation IN th5 damp
ton TOAD. communi'y. embracing tho
territory between rld Point Comfort
and Ncwpor, News, tnciusiv"
In IN" carly lifc OF Newport News
2 I'm" OF electric railway was bun,
"o'Wr"n Tho points named. and IN"
company holding Tho franchise aisn
held the f-anrhis. for supplying m"
community With gas and el"ctriv
fights aud electric power THAT COM
"ary had prosperity tn the hcuiuuin.,
M In dn" CpurS" tn" in"EItahl" "up-
position linz" was built As thor.
"nH not traffic sufficient to support
'wn lines. competition instead Of be-
ing the If" pf trade proved - hc IN"
heath uf prosperity Tor both lines. and
VIZ" NOT long hcfur. both wcr.
'n financial difficulties. rho r"sul;
w"s % merger, as i usually the case
hut tn" merger involved the sad
d!iu& % ARG hond,d deb, upur
Ia" corporation. and TIA" consolidated
COMPANY hrnk" down under tn" bur
N''I- ltS revenues wfT" np' Slil'Itl'Nt
go pay operating expenses ana tho
interest Oh the bonded debit In CON
scGu'nr" ~" company lost its cr"li;
and VAS not able To engage Now CAP
ithl sufficient 10 keep the machinery
IN running order, not To speak Of
hct'"rm,nts and extensions
Nnd that is the poin, in tho story
Tho machinery literally wor" ont
ana s"rvic" VAS wrecked norwi,h-
standing tn" honest and ingenious
"nurts "f tho management Tho sit
nation was dcplorablc. not for rh,
""mnaaN alone. but for tho territory
served by IL. Tho car s"rNic" WAS
"n"r"i"d at venture. ana ma man
Nn'W, when h" boarded "a car. wh",h-
~ or not h" would got to his jour.
ncNs "ud. Tho pro ability was thar
hr would not. Th. p"'"cr piant va
'iit"r'% inadequate. and wi'h"uf a mo-
m,nt's nuticc. the cars Wuu'd com.
!" stop ~ Ia" midst az run. AMI
ihc n"i"rman and Tho couductur
would tax" ih"ir seats and wait f"r
he current :" be turned on i'as-
aenS - wpa!t as. when ~. rtrs
you'll 80 again. ana tho invarinnl"
"pl% wag "Wc don't know" Ard
hes I'D mt 40 on" could tell. TIL"
lclay might ho nvc minutes u Nigh,
be nm hour
Tho Same mshars incurred on the
'ntrrurhan linos Sometimes at night,
car between Hampton and Newport
News would come 10 u halt. the lights
would hc cStin-uishcd and there tn
passengers would sit aud wait IN
p"rNlcXiiE. NOT I" say in alarm. And
80 on aud :" on to tn. end Of the
chapter outsiders were actually
warned :" keep away from Ncwpor,
| News, ANA in many instances the
waning was needed. aud Tho rcpu
i"t!"n Of N" city suffered accord
inSlv.
The electro !irht service was quite
as bad. II was no; unusual for tho
iEhts 70 go of while citizens were
assembled in the churches. in the
thCat"rs ara u. Other public places.
and Their. would have hrcn panic. no
DOUBT, hut f"i tn, fact tina, tho pco-
~" had become accustomed to tho
h"f"ctir" a"rvlr", and took .he sit
uai'"n st"icnlly. ! recall that tho
lights In on" Of the city churches
went off one night while visiting
clergyman. here by invitation. was II,
tho midst Of his discourse. and tn"
church building was in darkness um-
| Ill members Of the congregation went
out aud procured candles.
The same was truc of electric pow
or. many small concerns being de-
pendent upon i, for operation. Fro
| lH'hllE IN" FOCAL newspapers, which
used electric power to operate their
| typ"Sctting machines, were subject
Cd I" great Inconvenience aud delay.
The worst of il. perhaps. waa :hn
depressing; effect upon the people. |.
was like pail II is no cxaggcration
4" say that it was like "a scourcc:
| ana many had the disposition To pull
NJ and move away ont Of the de-
| pressing atmosphere.
! AS | have said, the fault was not
With tn" management. but with worn
out machinery, which the company
was financially unable TO replace: aud
~ was unable Ia purchase new "qI;.,-
r"nt hccaus" its credit was exhaust
cd. and its credit was exhausted be-
cause it's revenues were insufficient.
| o course. that sort Of thing could
not 90 on indefinitely. and in the
course of time the property was pur-
chased by company with financial
backing, which set about at once tn
restore the power pinnt. Blu, tina;
was work of destruction as well as
] of construction. The old plant was