The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-07-01
lie ROI EST MORT!-vIvEl lie ROT!
Out Goes the Old council-In
Comes the New.
The Old Body Meets for the Last Time
and Adjourns Sine Die-several Re-
ports Submitted and Adopted-Action
on the Interest About to Fall Due.

An adjourned meeting OF the city
Council was held last night. City
Solicitor Eston Randolph submitted his
report. 1t was his opinion that the
Washington Land Company or no other
organization could institute proceedings
against the city for failure to open
streets. In regard to the Standard Oil
Conpsny's plant, it could be removed
by proceeding in the ordinary way of
removing nuisance. He made verbal
report that he had heard that an in.
junction would be asked for restraining
any further sewer work being done at
this season of the year, and that it
might result disastrously to the city.
The city might be forced, IL the injunc
ton was sustained, to make good the
amount Of money involved to the con.
tractors, but he did not think the
injunction would be granted by the
court. The report was received.
The report of the committee on
finance was to the effect that it would
be BEST as was recommended at the
last meeting, to borrow money from the
sewer bond fund to pay interest on the
city debt and that II public work be
stepped it would only be question of
time until the pressure would be re-
moved and with proper precautions
everything would 60 we'll until the
monetary affairs OF the city would i'm
prove. The report was received and the
recommendations were adopted. It Is
estimated that S12,00 will be borrowed
from the fund.
The fire and water committee recon-
mi od tha% -
be asked to extend water msins ON
West Campbell street at once. This
was adopted.
Water mains we're ordered extended on
Tenth street 8. e.
The finance committee asked for the
proper amount to be appropriated for
lights next year and the light COM
mittee recommended $4,000. The re-
port was received and recommendations
adopted as whole.
The light com mittee also sent in a re-
port in regard to the work done last
year as follows:
Your committee on lights desires to
submit an annual rapport and review Of
its work before the present Council re.
tire, and in doing so wishes to call your
attention to the improvement made in
the city's lighting during the past fiscal
year.
ut is very gratifying to know that
the present Council introduced cleo
tricty for lighting the streets OF the
city. Twelve months ago, when the
affairs of the fiscal year were wound up,
the expense for lighting by means of
gas was, for the year ending June 30,
S7.155. 10. Notwithstanding this com
paratively large expenditure the lights
were poor and so unsatisfactory to the
citizens that complaints were frequent
and continually being made. The
territory was entirely too large and the
conditions especially unfavorab.e TO
gas.
ION July 90 your committee recon.
mended to Council that the matter of
lighting the city by means of electric
lights be referred 10 the ommittee on
lights and further suggested that in the
opinion OF the committee the franchise
held by the Roanoke Gas and Water
Company was not SO very iron clad and
binding as had been supposed all along,
and that 1t would in no way interfere
with the city having. or being lighted
by, electric lights, as it was very mani.
fest and in accordance with equity and
justice that il the city did not desire to
burn gas 1T could not be forced to do so
and consequently could not be charged
for an article it did not use
"fo our com nit tee, acting under the
instructions of Council, advertised for
bids for lighting the city with fifty to
one hundred arc lights Cf two tho, sand
candle power each. Bids were opened
on October 10Th, and w. II Mackay e
Co. being the lowest bidders, at 10 cents
per arc light per night, were subse.
quently awarded the contract, but when
the contract was drawn up they failed
to come forward and sign the same,
although the Council had granted q
franchise to the said Mackay g. Co
for lighting the city according to their
bid
Considerable controversy resulted
from the award of this contract, but
not deferred from its purpose. either
by the failure of Mackay & Co to
accept the contract, or by tho strenuous
opposition to the views OF the com.
mittee, your committee still contended
that Roanoke was sufficiently large to
be lighted by electric lights. and SO
finally secured proposition from the
Roanoke Electric Light and Power Com.
pany to furnish lights for the CITY at
the rate OF "a cents per arc light per
night. This proposition was subn tilted
to Council January II, 1893, and was re-
con- mitted TO the committee on lights
with instructions to prepare an ordin-
ance making the said award to the
Roanoke Electric Light and Power Com.
pany The committee prepared an or.
dinance, in conjunction with.fthe city
solicitor, which was adopted by Council
on January &c.
The duty Of locating the electric
lights then devolved upon your com
mittee. and although the number to be
located at that time was limited cto an
average OF twenty to the ward, we
believe that every light was loo ated