The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-07

i
| and best service for the city. that he
| was glad Captain McCluer had said that
/ II another company offered the service
| for $50 he would meet H.: that II ne had
| taken this position before he was forced
| into IL there would have been no neeu
| for this fight He was asked by MT.
| Caskic IT, as q representative. he ala not
| think the best interests Of the city de-
! minded the repeal Of the old ordnance,
and replied that he did. and believed mat
! every member of the committee thought
so.
THE CITY ATTORNEY.
City Attorney Meredith. when caIied on
! said he only proposed 20 discuss me main
question OF whether the city should re-
/ woke those privileges which they had
rather recklessly given the Bell Com
pany, before the matter had gotten so
| far that they could not get back that
which they had given away.
He argued the legal points presented by
/ Major stiles, and said he was sure that
Major stiles was wrong In saying that
these privileges could not be withdrawn,
and that If 10 was a threat, or even
warning, he would say that the city had
It's rights and was i'm position to look
20 its own interests.
MI Meredith said II must be understood
that the city was making no war on the
Bell Telephone Company; it was only
placing them on the same footing with
every other electric company in the city,
and that there was not one Of these com
paniea whose privileges could not be re-
voked with the twelve months limit, as
provided IN the ordinance.
Mr. Meredith further said that he was
satisfied that just as long as the Bell
Company retained these privileges the
city would never have another telephone
company, and no other service except
that Of the Bell Company.
Mr Meredith advised that every other
company be given the same privileges as
the Ben Company, and that they be al
lowed the use of the poles erected by the
Bell Company on the payment Of Il fair
rent for the privilege; that this was the
plan on which electric car lines were
worked In every city, ana what was fair
fol them was fair for telephone cOmpa-
D cs. and that the Bell Company could
not object 10 this. unless they wanted. as
they boldly proclaimed they were deter
mined. 10 control the whole telephone
business OF the city.
CoNIEoL THE PRICE
lie referred to Captain McCmer's re-
marks concerning the absorption of one
If two rival companies by the other and
the consequent raising Of the price oi
/ phones ana said that the Council could
| by ordinance control the price, and the
! effort of the Bell or any other company
! To- make excessive charges would be zen
dercd TcWerlcss.
The vote was then taken. ana the ordi-
/ nance reyoNrg all privileges heretofore
! granted the Bell Company was passed 10y
"a unanimous vote.
The most valuable privileges enjoyed
| by the Bel Company in Richmond are
those granting them the exclusive use Of
d number Of the main thoroughfares Of
the city for telephone purposes. and AT
The end Of twelve months after the ordi-
| nance becomes a law they will be placed
| on footing with other companies.
rrTHTNcHvENT AND arFoEM.
A report. accompanied by an ordinance.
was presented from the Committee on
Kcrcnchmcnt and Reform, recommending
nat interest be charged on delinquent
taxes and thai the percentage allowed
tho collector for collecting such taxes be-
reduced from 20 per cent
The committee expressed the belief that
he carrying ont Of the recommendation
as embodied i'm the ordinance would great
ly increase the promptness Of payment
and the amount of taxes paid by abouf
$1,000.
The report also says.
I'VE have also considered what Is
known as the horse ana buggy question.
D. appears that the city furnishes and
maintains horse and buggy for the use
Of such Of the following officials: Super
iuteudeut Water Works, Superintendent
Public Charities. chief Of Police. PrcSi-
dent of the Board Of Health. and CITY
Engineer The following own the horses
used by them, but the city pays the cost
Of feeding: superintendent city Gas
Works ana three assistant engineers i'm
Engineer Department. The cost TO the
city on account of said horses and bug
Gies we estimate to he 81 600 a year. Your
commit zee is OF opinion that the duties
Of all Of above officials are such that Il
is To the citys interest that they should
be furnished with horses and buggics.
SO far as your committee is informed
The complaint as to the horses and bug
giles is based not so much on the ground
that there Is no necessity for them, but
rather hat i'm some instances they are
constantly used by the family and rela-
tives of the officials
"If this charge be true the committee IN
charge Of the officials department should
notify him that such use Of his horse
and buggy is not proper. This course viii
remove he complaints now made by the
public as 10 this matter"
This, with other reports of this commit
tee. was laid on the table until the next
meeting and ordered TO he printed.
A resolution from the Board Of Al
d-rmcn in regard to an increased water
supply for the joint consideration of
the Committees on Finance ana Water,
was CONQUERED in.
DAY LABOR.
An opinion from Mr.. Meredith the
city Attorney, on the legality of the
vote of the Council at a previous meeting
ON the question Of putting the sewer and
other dirt work of the city out to day
labor instead Of by contract, was read.
The resolution to have this work done
by day labor was carried 10y a majority
vote. Mr. Meredith ruled that as no ap-
preparation was made a majority vote
was sufficient.
Several members of the Trades and
Labor Council were present TO hear the
result.
An ordinance from the Committee on
Retrenchment and Reform. recommending
the increase OF the number of JanitOrs in
the city Hall from six to seven. was laid
on the table until the next meeting and
ordered 10 be printed with other reports
from the same committee
\ resolution providing for the free
e .lf