Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-12-10
CITY COUNCIL.

CITY COUNCIL.
The regular meeting of the City Council
,,,s held last night, but the matters to be
d.jherated on were generally Of no special
imDortance, and as a consequence spectators
were few.
IN THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN
Ill the members save one were present,
and considerable business was transacted,
mostly, however without debate. There
,,.- quite stack Of papers on the clerk s
.l..,k which had been acted OH at the last
,ueetiug of he Common Council, in the
mix of whi:!i be Aldermen coucurred.
Toe resolution requesting the Corpora
SION Attorney, inasmuch as the Potomac
Manufacturing Company have failed to
comply with The terms Of the contract en-
Jared into between them and the city, to
draw I'D an act annulling the same, aud to
,uke steps to prevent any loss to the city
by said company removing machinery. &c,
from the Pioneer Mills, was received from
no Common Council.
Mr.. Smoot said he was not prepared to
vote for the same. There was another
resolution on the clerks desk which pro-
y;,ied that a committee Of TWO from each
hoard of the City ounci be appointed to
confer with a similar committee from the
Potomac Manufacturing Company IN order
that the intentions and prospect OF the lat
ter could he learned, and should things
appear unsatisfactory to the city, then 10
take steps toward the annulllng OF said
contract. He would vote for the last reso-
luton, but thought the one just read rather
impoitic at this time of depression in every
branch of manufactures. He therefore
10, no, h "a
on the table.
Mr.. Strauss spoke in favor OF the adop-
ton of the same, and could see nothing in
consistent in the action Council was about
to take. There was no harm in the pre-
amble and resolution it was merely an
appeal, if he understood it Alright, to the
Corporation Attorney for his opinion in the
matter. He, too, wanted to 60 right about
everything. and challenged Mr.. Smoot to
show any real objection TO the measure.
Mr. Smoot requested the clerk TO read
the preamble and resolution again, Whlch
was DONE The speaker said, if he under
stood English, they were mandatory and
provided that whereas the said company
having failed to comply with the terms of
the contract, &c., &C., therefore resolved
that the Corporation Attorney proceed TO
draw up an act annulling said covenant"
which wording was harsh and peremptory.
Now this was no time to squeeze manuiac-
turers, as any man who would look from
Maine to California would see at a glance
that the country was going through terri
bic depression in it's manufacturing indus
,ries-such q depression that any person
having money to invest would be looked
upon as verging on insanity should he IN
vest it in manufacturing enterprises OF any
Aiud. He was free to confess that IN MS
business he had not seen new dollar Tor
an old one for over two years, and were he
out of manufacturing he would take care 10
keep out. In regard to the sacklng OF 'he
Pioneer Mills Mr.. S. said he would remark
that the company now holding the same
had improved that property double i'll
amount of value to what it was when they
ACQUIRED possession Of it. 1t was true they
had taken the old engines and boilers from
the mills, but of what use were they save
for Junk? while they had glazed the struc-
ture from top TO bottom, and built hne
and substantial wharf, which improvements
had cost twice as much as the old iron
brought which they had taken from the
building. When he spoke of this company
he meant the present corporatlon-no that
formerly represented by Mr. Archer. While
nobody would undertake TO deny that the
operations of the company had not come up
simply to ask who would have taken hold of
this property if the parties now owning 1t
had not come amongst US? Or drive them
away, who were ready aud willing to start
M these works. Now in face of all the ap-
parent disappointments in the promises OF
colossal iron works here, these gentlemen,
in the few years they have been IN our
midst, have made an outlay of about Slao, :
OOO-an average of 5000 week during the
period Of their operations. They have
built two fine schooners, thereby employing
a considerable force of men, who have spent
their wages in Alexandris. The present
company has had much to contend against;
it has had to pay about $4,000 OF debts
contracted under Mr.. Archef's regime. LII
now owed nothing, and just as soon a. an
opportunity offered for Opposing of its pro
ductions operations would be resumed, and
he was authorized TO make that statement.
In fact, SAC, 900 stockholder had licensed
him to say that if during the coming year
of 1885 the company failed to commence
the manufacture of iron Council could de-
clare the existing contract null aud void
and tax the works as any other property In
the city. -
Mr.. Strauss agreed with Mr.. Smoot that
business wa. in languishing condition
The sneaker had lost money this year now
suppose he should come to Council and
claim exemption from taxation, would any
BODY vote to grant it? The company IN
question had violated its contract with the
city.
Mr.. Smoot-How violated its contract?
Mr.. Strauss-By failing to commence
manufacturing, as stipulated. Mr.. $. again
spoke of his Interpretation OF the paper De.
fore the board, and still maintained that II
was simply resolution OF inquiry, "nlcn
Mr.. Smoot controverted, saying from lts
wording it was direct movement toward
aunulling the contract altogether.
Mr.. Reid did not understand how the
preamble and resolution before the board
and that of inquiry alluded to by Mr.. Smoot
could both be on the clerks table. 1t was
explained that both had been passed at the
last meeting of the Common Council al
which time no quorum appeared in the