Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-01-14
THE CITY FATHERS.

SAVING AT THE SP1GOT AND POUhlNU
OUT AT THE BUNGHOLE-CONTRAC
FOR WATER PIPE-PRoPOsITION FOR
DOCKING THE sERGEANT's OFFICE,
&C., &C., &C.
The City Council held its meeting on
Tuesday night last, at which all the men,
bers were present, except Messrs. Hoge
and Echols. They spent about three hours
in session, at cost to the city of $4,000 an
hour, which, we take it, is high priced
enough for city legislators, even in New
York. The most costly business we give
the first place in our report, which was the
proposition to purchase the lot and water
right of Messrs. Witt Il Holt, on Main st.
THE WATER RIGHT SALE.
The proposition of Messrs. Witt & Holt,
to sell their lot and water right on Bever-
iy st., to the city, was taken up. The
history Of it is that Messrs. Witz g. Holt
proposed some time since to sell a mill
site and water right to the city in view of
the fact that the water works would rem
der both useless-in other words that the
city should compensate them for destroy
claim to compensation would rest entire
ly on their ability to make their water
right damage clear in a court. Without
allowing the case to go into court, as should
have been done, or even asking for COM
mission to ascertain and fix the damage,
the Council accepted the proposition of W.
& H., to sell at what they paid for it
SO 900. After this agreement it was found
that those gentlemen could not give a
clear title, and that matter has been post
poned from time to time, when some time
since another proposition was made by W.
& Fl. to sell, still not making the title
clear, but offering to allow the city to re-
tain $4,000 (the amount of the uncleared
title), out of the $4,000, until a good deed
was given. 1t was on this last proposition
that the Council was called on to vote,
Tuesday night. 1t came up on resolu-
ton to accept the proposition, and authorl-
zing the City Treasurer to hand over to
w. & H., $4,000 Of per cent bonds, at
once.
| Mr.. Kayser opposed the resolution.
Mr.. Evans explained that Witt Il Holt
were not willing to sell.
! Mr.. Burke preferred to buy the water
right without the lot, estimating the Wa
ter right Il. 5000. He didn' feel that as
representative OF the interests of the PEG
pie of Staunton he could not vote for buy
ing the lot.
Mr.. Bledsoe asked if the purchase hadn't
already been made.
Mr.. Burke explained that after the first
resolution of the Council to buy the prop
erty, it had been shown that W. & III.
couldn't give clear deed and that now
the matter was upon its merits and not as
a part of the former resolution to buy.
Mr.. Fultz said it seemed that the sale
had already been made. The Council had
voted to accept the first proposition of
Witt Il Holt to sell the property to the
city.
Mr.. Evans-It was understood if the
proper deed was given.
Mr.. Witt said they had had three distinct
offers from parties to purchase the property
but could not sell it because the trouble of
the Water Works was peuding over it,
They were no land spectators and had
purchased the property with the intention
to put up mill. He did not wish the city
to take it and only wished it would not.
MI. Kayser desired that commission be
appointed to assess and condemn the prop
erty. That was the right way and the
legal way.
Mr.. Evans said the experience Of the
city had been that commissions made it
pay more for property than it had paid for
similar property without a commission;
and then with strange Inconsistency went
on to ask MI. Kayser how he would like a
house which suited him and which to him
was worth $1,000 to be taken from him by
commission at So, 900.
Mr.. Burke asked the Council to recollect
that while the payment for the property
was agreed in bonds yet the city would
have finally to pay every dollar of tin
terest and priacipal in money.
Mr.. Bagby was not satisfied about the
matter and said he could not vote for the
resolution.
Mr.. Abby said that, however, he might
feel about the matter privately, and how he
might act if it was his private affair he
could not as representative of the city
vote it's money for property without a clear
deed for it.
The following vote was then taken on
the resolution:
Ayes. Noes.
/ Evans, Abby,
German, Bagby,
Funkhouser, Burke,
Fultz, Kayser.-4
Bledsoe.-5
Mr.. Evans declared the resolution
passed.
The question was raised that it was not,
as it created a debt and required 7 votes.
Mr.. Evans decided that it merely ratified
former act of the Council and did not
! create a debt.
WHO SHALL COLLECT THE TAXES.
| The recommendation of the Finance
Committee that the Council apply to the
legislature for a change of charter of the
City so that the City Treasurer may have
the same privileges in the collection of tax
es that the County Treasurers have, was
taken up.
/ Mr. Evans said that the change was
merely to give the Council the right to say
who should collect the City taxes.
Mr. Fultz said the Council would be very
foolish indeed to be misled by any such
statement as that of the Chairman after
knowing the decision of Judge Smith. Mr..
F.'vigorously opposed the object contem-
plated in the commentator which was to
take way from the City Sergeant the col
lection of the taxes and nut it in the hands