Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-01-29
The Proposed Extension
rs LEFT FOR THE ACTION or THE
CITY COUNCIL.

Friday night to hear citizens of town and
county on the proposition for extending
the corporate limits, was the largest and
most interested one that had been yet held
on that subject. Mr.. Reeves Gait, Vice
President OF the Chamber of Commerce
presided.
Mr.. A. 9. Gordon, chairman of the COM
mlttee appointed at the previous meeting
to prepare an address to the City Council
on the subject, reported as follows:
To the Chamber Of Commerce.
Your committee appointed at special meet
ing held 18th Jan. 1892 to formulate a plan
for the extension of the city limits, respect
fully reports:
That in the opinion of this committee it is
improper and inexpedient for this body to
formulate" such Ian, and that the man
ner OF extending the limits is the province of
the Council. That a resolution be offered and
considered by this body as follows:
"Rsso!ced, That it is the sense of the Cham
per OF Commerce of Stanton that the City
council be requested to take steps to extend
the corporate limits of .Staunton during the
present session of the legislature. That this
resolution be communicated to the City
A. c. GoRDoN,
Chairman.
In speaking to the report, Mr. Gordon
said the committee had thought best to
omit any reference to extension lines pre-
ferring to leave that to the Council. AS
for himself, Mr.. Gordon said he recognized
there were two sides to the matter and he
was as yet undetermined, but expected to
make up his mind from what he would hear
tonight. On one point he had received
some light from Hon Jacob ost who re
sided outside the limit. Mr.. Yost said
that if the city extended its limits, it would
lose the benefit of the matchmaking of roads
which the county is now preparing to do.
Ii the limits were extended say a half mile
1t would give the city just that half mile
more to macadanize itself.
MI. j. N. Mcfarland, County Treasurer,
who resides beyond the corporate limits, said
he opposed the extension generally, but as
no boundary OIL terms had been named as
yet he could not tell in what particular he
would oppose it. 1t has been claimed that
outsiders get benefits and didn't pay for
them. He thought they paid for all they
got. AS for the water supply, he had heard
that it was hardly sufficient for the present
number of citizens in the town. AS for
lights, the city had no lights to give them.
AS for the county roads, they couldn't he
worse than some of the Staunton streets
are now. He doubted if the city had q
right to extend. 1t would reduce the rev.
enue Of Beverley Manor about one-third,
say $1,000. He desired to know specifically
what the city would do for them if they
came Ill, before he could make up his mind.
MI. IL. d. Peck, residing outside the
city limits, said he thought pretty much as
MI. Mcfarland did. Ii the city limit was
proposed to he extended to take in his place,
he should he opposed to il. A street rail
way would be some inducement to outsiders
to come in. He had offered to subscribe
$500 to the street railway if it was built
from West End out 10y his place, but moth
ing had come Of it. 1t was very true that
the county did nothing for them in the
way OF roads. His road tax was $50 and
the county spent about 81 on the road at
his place.
MI. y. K. Lapham said he hardly thought
his views ought to have weight, and he also
felt dellcacy Ill the matter as he was one
OF the plant owners who would be benefit
ed it the city was extended and plants ex-
empted from taxes as was proposed. There
were certainly two sides to the question.
One is that the outsiders are getting GER
tain advantage from our churches and
schools without cost. But it they were to
be taxed When brought in, it would be un-
fair to them unless they got improvements
with their taxes.
MI. M. +. Peterfsh said he had tried
both, living outside the city and inside
Living i'll town, lie said, WAS great benefit
to poor man with children VINO owned a
little property. The advantages of the
public schools paid him four times what
his city taxes would he, While living out
side OF the city he had paid S27 year to
school his children here. A man could own
$4,000 Wortn OF property in the city with
out paying that mucn takes. AS for roads
and streets it WAS cas- ler and cheaper for
the poor man to walk in the mud Oh the
inside, than to walk i'll the mud Oh the out
side. The poor people Oh the suburbs look
to the SCHOOLS. In talking with them, he
hadn't found Il slugle poor man outside,
who had children, VINO did not want to
come in. The improvements in the Suburbs
II extended would make lhe present suburbs
the centre OF the town, and the poor man
owning property III what is now the SUI
burbs Of Staunton could sell it advantage
ously and move out into the suburbs again.
making money by the Asove. He, himself,
would do that ii che city was extended and
so would others. One idea the eXteasou
would bring, would be to extend the Street
car line. That would give everything lew
life. There is very little lanI Inside of
Staunton now that poor men can afford to
buy.
MI. w. A. Burnett, Clerk of the County
Court, residing outside, said he concurred
with Aessrs. Mcfarland and Peck He
would like to know the extent of the extern
sion. the terms offered the county people.
and SO forth. He thought if carried out it
might necessitate the redistricting of the
county.
Maj. Jed. Hotchkiss residing in the CITY.
said it was important the city limits should
be extended. 1t was question not for in
dividual benefits but for the majority. When
he vent away from the city people would
ask him the population and he would say
about 1900. Why" they would say,
''the census only gives you $4,000" A
good part of the population that be-
longs to Staunton is in Beverley Manor.
That county district is out of proportion
to the others, and should be readjusted.
They say they want street cars. Who