Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-01
SIXTEEN LIGHTS OUT.
THIS is THE NUMBER THAT THE COM
mlTTEs ORDERS DOWN.
Tho Council Agreed on iIs street Lamps,
Bet the Chairman Failed TO
Sign tho Contract.

Ii was the regular monthly meeting
held for the purpose of approving the
bill Of tho company lighting the streets
with electricity.
Two accounts we're rendered--one for
the number of lights actually burned,
the other for 100 lights for three nights
this week. This was in consequence OF
the action Of tho committee last Satur-
day night in ordering down oil but the
original 100. On Monday and Tuesday
nights the company followed instructions,
but later on they found that the contract
with tho city called for lis lights, so the
additional lamps we're turned on We'd
nesday and Thursday nights.
Mr.. CARTER INDIGNANT.
Mr.. Carter said il was shame that
the committee had ordered down more
lights than they had n right 70 do. They
shonld have informed themselves before
hand. IL was ignorance that caused
them 30 do as they had. Churchill
peoplo were wading through mud and
Inire because tho lights had been taken
of the avenue
There had been n called meeting OF
the committee Mt an unusual hour, he
continued. Some Of the members were
in North Carolina and others unable 10
attend. 1t ought 10 have been iull
meeting.
It's all "bosh" about members OF
fbe committee having TO pay for all the
I5bts IN excess OF the appropriation.
They represented the people, and the
citv will have 10 pay whether the com
mittee is right or wrong. The commit
toe should not net in this snsp-ludgment
way. Mr.. Carter declared in concluslen.
Mr.. MANN RErLIEs.
Mr. Mann held that Mr. Carter could
have been at the meetingif he wanted to.
lie himself had been TO considerable In
convenience 10 attend. Some OF the
members did not like the trouble OF
coming to meetings The City Attorney
had said the committeeman were respon-
able for debts contracted over ana above
the amount OF appropriation. lie had
soen the chairman OF tue conmlt,
tee and had asked him TO call
the meeting, and he had seen the Ser
oeant-at-Arms 20 to Mr.. Cartor's house
with notice. He favored keeping up
All the lights the contract called for.
One hundred was all that he had heard
read. Even after the money is all spent
tho 119 Gf that is the number IN the
contract will have TO be burned.
THE CHAIRMAN EXPLAINS.
MIR. Courtney, the chairman OF tho
committee, made statement az TO the
callod meeting. Mr. Carter, he said,
had annie time 10 get there. HIS reason
for calling the meeting was that he wait
ed on the Finance Committee at It's last
meeting and they refused TO make an
apptopriation. After he left the room
thev decided to allow the committee
81 400, while $1,000 was the amount
needed TO burn al tho 13l lights for the
remainder of the year.
NO BoRMAL CONTRACT.
Mr.. Wyndam r. Meredith, counsel
for the Electric-Light Company, was
present. If the committee thought best
be- was perfectly willing to have the ac-
eonpt referred 10 the City Attorney,
though of course they would like to have
their money. He then went on to ex-
1lain that AIR. Conner, who was chair
man OF the committee when the change
in the number Of lights was made, had
failed TO sign the contract, though
authorized to do so by the Council and
committee. The additional lights had
been ordered and the city had accepted
and Paid for them. The proceeding was
informal but not Illegal.
Last Monday, continued Mr.. Mere
dith, Mr.. TnGord, superintendent OF
the company, came TO his oihce ana
showed him the resolution ordering
down all lights except one hundred. Mr..
Tranord had scarcely gone out before
MIR. Dickerson. president OF the Board
of Aldermen, came in and commented
on the fact that the lights had been cut
of from Church-iill avenue, making II
very bad place for the girls
who returned from work TO 50
M alone after dark. His at
tention was then called by Mr.. Dicker-
son TO the resolution of February "a,
1887. increasing the contract from 100
10 rs lights. They then went to the
City Attorney, and Mr.. Dickorson asked
him if the company did not have the
right to burn eighteen lights more and
make the city pay for them. The At
torney refused 10 give Mr.. Dickerson an
opinion unless be asked II as president OF
the Board Of Aldermen, but intimated
that the company could do so.
After tins statement, which Is In keep
ING with the records IN the case, the
committee ordered the payment OF the
bill for all the lights actually burned du
ring the month-Sl, ,6OS less some small
deduction for lights out temporarily.
THEY GIVE NO LIGHT.
The next problem to be solved was
which sixteen lights should DO sacrificed
on the altar of economy.
MIR. Meredith explained that when ht
found out that the company should turn
on eighteen more lights he told Mr.
Traford to restore those that in hi'
opinion were Of the greatest importance
20 the city.
Mr.. Carter wanted 10 know which OF
the eighteen lights were embraced IN the
contract as amended. Mr.. TIafforC
showed him the list
AS a matter Of torn. MIR. Mann moved
20 reconsider the former action of the
committee ia ordering down thirty-foui
lights and to substitute sixteen therefor
30 as TO comply with the contract. Thi:
was adopted.
The following are the locations Of tn
sixteen lights that will come down
Venable and Mosby. Doland's Park
Twenty-sixth between Marshall an
Broad, Eleventh between Main anC
Cary, Thuty-frst aud Clay, Twenty
sixth and Grace, Sixth and Clay, Sevent
and Byrd, Seventh and Canal, Sevent
and Cary. Seventh and Franklin, Seyent
and Grace, Howitzers Armory, FIT
and Duyal, Richmond and Alleghan
yards. Church and Rowe.
other Committees.
Two other committees were in sessio
while the above meeting was III pr