Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-07-26
work of this kind, and Council

amended the resolution by which it
was made to read that the information
sought would be furnished the city
gratis. In regard to the bill for City
Engineer, he said that if there were IL
be 10 street Improvement the office
would be supernus and he would not
vote for it.
Mr. Goodrich favored the resolution
in its amended form, but,
Mr.. Leadbeater could not see his way
clear to vote for it from the fact that
no surveyor had been elected by the
present council. He was told that the
present surveyor would hold over un-
til his successor was chosen, and that
the latter could carry out the pur-
poses of the resolution.
The resolution was finally withdrawn.
Mr.. Carlin wanted a joint session for
the purpose Of electing a Dispenser of
Medicine, but the Aldermen showed
no disposition to enter into such an
election.
A resolution increasing the salary of
the Overseer of the Outdoor Poor, re-
ferred to the committee on finance by
the Common Council, created some de-
bate when it reached the Aldermen,
Mr.. Carlin contending that it should
be referred to the committee on poor,
and Messrs. Goodrich and Sweeney in
sisting that it had been properly re-
ferred. The action of the Common
Council was finally concurred in, as
was the other business which came in
from that board.
The Aldermen about half past nine
o'clock adjourned.
COMMON COUNCIL.
The board was called to order shortly
after S o'clock and the first measure
which excited discussion was the bill
to increase the pay and number of the
police force.
Mr.. Uhler said that taking into con-
sideration the present condition of the
finances, the finance committee was
obliged to report adversely to the mea-
sure. He knew that the pay of the po-
lice was low but he thought the present
pay and force would do until the city
obtained money to pay more men. Cen
tlemen did not, perhaps, consider that
the assessment on real estate in this
city was less now than it was 20 years
ago. Alexandria has now by the reve-
nue. books S1,31O,000 assessed property
less than it had in 1871, and of course
the tax was less productive. Continu
ing, Mr.. Uhler said that many ofthe otli-
GERS, including the Mayor, had had
their salaries decreased. Once we had
only four policemen on duty during the
day, and this was when many foreign
vessels came here and each sailor had
his knife in his belt and some portions
of the town were filled with class
more disorderly than any which now
exists here. For occasions of grave
trouble we have the Alexandria Light
Infantry. which is by law part of the
State police force. He had been told
that we want more men to watch those
men that were now on the force. If that
was so the force had better be abolished.
The police had q holiday of ten days
in each year; their pay was continued
when sick, and in these straitened days
of finances the committee could not
favor the bill.
Mr.. Cation said he had not introduced
the bill for any political purpose. He
thought the times demanded the
change. No man could live on less
than $50 per month, paying rent and
buying a uniform. The police uniform
costs so per year, and when this was
paid for and rent paid, but little was
left. When they paid 500 rent only
$50 would be left to support their FAM
lilies. There was no provision for the
families of the officers disabled or kill
ed, and with the present number of the
force only two men could be supplied
for each ward, manifestly insufficient
force. He was astounded to learn that
there had been so great decrease in
the assessment and he thought that
Council should take action to ascertain
the cause.
Mr.. Uhler called attention to the fact
that the increase of the force would in
volve 81, 800 and the finance committee
did not know where the money would
come from. 1t might be possible to
give the present force S. per month ad-
ditional, as 5000 would suffice for that
purpose, but this question had not
oSCh ndtuiCiy COuSIuSICp,
A motion to adopt the finance COM
mittee's report was lost on division
by tie vote of 7 to 7. A motion for an
aye and no vote was then made, but
Mr.. Cation moved to lay the bill on the
table for the present, which motion was
agreed to.
When an ordinance to pave Alfred
street from Prince to Duke, under the
33rd section of the charter, came up,
Capt. Mushbach asked if it had been
determined that under the new dcci-
sion the city still retained the right to
compel abutting property holders to
pay two-thirds of the cost. 1t had been
said that this power is denied by
the Court of Appeals in the Chamber
lain case.
The subject was referred to the Cor
poration Attorney.
The ordinance to allow the Mt Yer
non Electric Railroad to extend its
tracks on King, Cameron, Payne and
Fairfax streets to the city limits COM
ing up,
The chair said that the turn at Frank
lin street had operated to destroy
travel by vehicles on that street, be-
tween Royal and Fairfax streets, and
he thought that that turn should be
abandoned.
Mr.. Cation said that the Electric Rail-
way Company had secured by parchasp
certain lots on south Fairfax street
with view Of extending their road
down that street, bit the change would