The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-21
As.Is.i .aLhpHONg CoMPANT.
ommlt'ee on Or unds Recommends INC
Rsvokiup of Their Priyile es.


Tho Committee on Grounds and Build
Ings held its regular sem-monthly meet,
ing I'm room No. OF the CITY nan it-9'
evening There were present MessIs'
Carter chairman, Blake. Guhst h'ie'
t,pps MountCastle and Snead.
Colonel {. r.. McCluer superlntehueh'
of the Southern Bell Telephone company
and Major Robert stiles, counsel OF the
concern. were present, TO , Pe h teianbone
facilities OF the various cIty dep@r lIehl9'
mis- question was reached by the folloW-
ing report from the subcommittee
Your subcommittee, appointed 10 enquire
into the feasibility, or rather to make re-
uuest OF tne southern sell Ielephohe
Company to furnish tree phones 10 sQcn
places as are needed in the CITY Han
and come under the control Oh the
Grounds and Building Committee, win
power to act, beg leave 10 icPott anu
recommend as follows: ,,,o
we nave 50 far only ordered one PlOnc
to be placed in the city Sergeants once
for the accommodation OF the HustiilsS
Court, although other phones are heeueu'
We have given full list to said COM
Dany for such service as we would re-
quire "a list of which Is attached 70 thls
reporu and after three or four dliIereht
meetings. at each of which the company
was represented they finally offered the
city a reduction of % per cent, when
offer your committee dld not accept, az
this was foreign TO our request hence we
were una Die 10 Itldht any hthiiAN'
Since our last meeting they nave de-
clined to accede to the request
WEI have been quite dilgeht IN our
search for Information relauVe 10 inns
subject. and have found that other cili" -,
not only demand Tree phones, out, IN
addition require pole as Wen as otner
taxes We now come with the following
recommendations p..,,,,,o,.
First. That the Grouhds anu buiiu us !,
Committee reject any free privileges that
the said company may be WILING ~
grant or have granted.
Second That in the interest OF our
citizens. as well as the munlclpal gov
ernmeht offices, that the Grounds and
Buildings Committee recommend 10 the
City Council 10 revoke all ordinances
appertaLGg TO giving them any prlVl-
leses. and thereby allowing the iran
chises To them or other companies, as IN
their judgment they may deem proper;
and to formulate an ordinance that VIII
place the city on am equitable basis.
Your committee do not wish TO tire you
with any lengthy statement as 10 what
taxes the company are paying, as they
have gone over that matter thoroughly
and, as before stated, In addition to those
taxes. think our request a very moderate
one.
Your committee feel constrained TO say
that in their opinion franchises have been
too literally granted and that the time
has come TO call halt, for the pro-
lection OF the city's interest as well as the
Your committee are prepared TO go into
detail II required
Respectfully submitted.
MARX GUNST. Chairman;
JOHN VI. KING,
Majority OF Committee
Mr.. Blake. another member OF The sub
committee offered as a substitute that
the report be resolved, with the excep-
ton OF the provision in regard to the
repeal OF the privileges given the tele-
phone company.
The substitute was lost and the report
OF the subcommittee was adopted, Mr..
Blake alone voting against IL.
Colonel Cutshaw stated that Mr.. John
c. Ham, the city nurseryman, had COM
plied with the instructions Of the commit
tee, by moving into the city and regis
tering and voting here al the last cleo
ton. Upon motion of Mr.. Snead, his APP
pointment was confirmed by the commit
tee.
An opinion OF the City Attorney was
presented, stating that under the recent
ordinance the janitors Of the City Hall
could not be considered as laborers. 1t
was decided, however. on motion OF Mr.
Mounteastle, that all employees under the
Jurisdiction OF the committee shall here
after be paid every two weeks.
a letter was received from Captain
Frank w. Cunningham, OF Company b.
First Regiment. asking permission TO use
training room, the proceeds to be applied
TO the uniform fund. The request was
granted, on motion OF Mr.. Gunst, TO be
revoked at the pleasure OF the COM
mittee.
A special committee. consisting OF
Messrs. Blake, Mountcastle and Gunst.
was appointed TO revise the rules govern
ing the employment OF the janitors In the
City Hall as 10 the cleaning OF the va
rious rooms in the building.