Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-06-23


the committee on streets, but none at
/ tended, but now they wished council 70
reject the petition.
Mr.. Burke said that as chairman OF
the committee which reported the per-
mission he had made the report TO
which no objection had been made In
committee by any one. he thought
that if the best engine in town had not
been out of service on the night OF the
fire, the fire would not have passed the
first alley.
After q controversy between MIR.
Thompson and Mr.. Burke as to the
cause of the extension of the late fire..
Mr.. Uhler said fertilizer could not be
slowed in bulk in a brick building for
the fertilizer would contract and e1-
pand until it burst the walls, as it had
done in brick building used by the
Chemical Fertilizer Company. AS to
the carrying away of engines, it would
be cheaper to appropriate 800 occa.
sionally for 6remen's frolic abroad
and let them leave the engine behind.
Mr.. Strider said that the Columbia
engine could not have gotten to the fire
if it had been in the engine house be-
cause there were no horse there. The
Hydraulion horses had to be sent after
the "Smoot" engine and of course that
occasioned delay.
Mr.. Uhler said it was strange that as
the city had seven horses in town that
night, attached to the fire department,
all the engines could not have been got
ten speedily 10 the fire.
The motion to postpone until the
consent Of adjoining property holders
should be obtained was lost, yeas g.,
nays Z.
The recommendation of the commit
tee that the permission be granted was
not agreed to, yeas 8, nays 5; not q
charter majority.
After further discussion the subject
was recommitted to the committee on
streets, and it was agreed that the
council meet next Monday night to re-
ceive the report.
The joint committee on streets and
finance submitted their report, recon-
f, mending an additional appropriation OF
5000 Isl 200 having already been ap-
propriated) for the work of extending
Prince street to the corporate line, to
| connect with the proposed new road to
be built in Alexandria county. The
report was adopted.
Mr.. Burke introduced an order that
no city fire engine shall be removed
I, from the city except for the purpose of
extinguishing fire, without consent Of
the City Council, and asked an imnedi.
ate vote, but as twelve votes we're not
obtained he moved a reconsideration,
which was agreed to, and the matter
was left open for future vote.
Mr.. Burke from the committee on
| streets reported an ordinance to i'm
I prove the grade of Columbus street
from Wolfe to Gibbon streets. He said
the plan was to raise the street way and
give much better road way than now
on Columbus street. The ordinance
was adopted.
Mr.. Snowden submitted the annual
report of the sinking fund commission
ers and said:
1t will be remembered tina. in October,
1894, less than three years ago, l made re-
port from the Commissioners OF the Sinking
Fund to the City Council "tbat $111 800 in
bonds and certificates held by the sinking
fund had been destroyed, thus eliminating
the interest charged on that amount" Start
ing with the year 1894 We had only tie
small amount received from market rents,
and careful investments were looked into. At
| the close of our account last year We carried
balance due the treasury Of S1,O23. "a.
This was caused By the purchase OF the four
notes of $1,4OO, each bearing six per cert.
interest, given by the city TO pay for tie
electric light. This purchase VAS suggested
| by sn officer Of the city (the AUDITOR Deem.
Der. 1895, when none Of the banks had our
bonds for sale and it also means saving to
the city Of $40 in interest A comparison
of The receipts from market rents for this
year with last year shows decrease Of about
$500, falling of in butchers hucksters,
country people etc but not more than might
be expected. The shed in the market court
has paid we'll, and the receipts during the
past twelve months (eyen though the farmers
wero not doing much) from renters in the
shed average we'll, for in five years the
total receipts amount to $5,517, an average
OF 81 ,104 This year the amount is but $40
less, or S1,09495. The Auditors statement
explains the business of the year, and al
though LAST yesr we owed the treasury
81 ,O32, to-day we have q cash balance Of
81, 155 81, which is included in the assets
of $11,755.97. The sinking fund has not
borrowed any money in fifteen years.
Mr.. Snowden concluded by saying
that since the new bond issue of 1879
1922, 900 of the city's indebtedness had
been retired.
No other business occasioned explain