The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-12-07
THREE FRANCHISES GRANTED
The Common Council Disposss Of Many
Important Matters.
AMENDMENTS TO The CITY CHARTER.
A Number Of Suggestions Of the Char'er
Changes Committee Agreed To>-Ihc
Mayors Veto showed Underline
Finance Board to be Considerea-

, though Il great amount OF DuSih''0 W."
transacted. yet when the body auJouiheu
shortly before ! o'clock there were many
matters sull unattended TO, ana LOT
which a special session will have 10 oe
held
Charters were granted to three electric
companies to do business here namely
the Home. the Electric. and the oou'h-
ern. the ordinance reducing the ioIce ol
City Hall employees, vetoed by the mayor
was unanimously passed over ms He'o'
an ordinance creating a street dreaming
department was adopted ana numerous
important amendments to the cry 'hdi-
ter. proposed by the Charter Ohdhse
Committee were agreed TO. Inc oiui-
nance providing for a Finance bodIu was
deferred to "A special mseunsi W pe
held December 2lst.
The Council met at O'Clock MI.
James Caskie, president, in the chair ana
the following members present. MessiS'
Bloomberg briggs. Gunst, II. A IaW
kins, Hobson, King. CARRIER. Miller hDel'
Neale. Noble Pollock; Rountree, Ryan
O. A. Hawkins. Wallerstein; Mhaleh'
Williams; Jones; Wittc; woody, Iahher'
and HARRISON.
THE MAYORS VETO.
The first business taken up was coHl-
munication from the Mayor, vetolhs an
ordinance passed by the Council. reducing
the number Of employees in the lily
Hall.
The ordinance was once before vetoed
by the Mayor on the ground that II De
came effective during the term for when
the employees were elected. Inc orui-
nance was amended in this particular ana
again passed the Council The Mayor
gives as his reason this time that he be
ieves the safety OF the building would
be jeopardized by reducing the force IN
charge OF IL.
The Council last night unanimously
passed the ordinance over the veto oil the
Mayor.
The Council ccncurred in the following
recommendations OF the Committee on
| Streets:
Appropriaung 1896 from the Street Fund
| TO grade and pave the alley between
Firth, Sixth, Main. and Cary streets the
work to be charged TO abutting property
| owners.
Appropriating SlO76.2i TO grade and
pave the alley between First, Adams
| Broad and Marshall streets.
Appropriating $50 to lay a pipe sewer
in VI street between certain points.
Appropriating $500 to pave alley between
| Adams. jefferson. Main and Cary streets.
] Authorizing the payment OF Sl5l.S to
| T.. H. Maynard for work done.
Authorizing the Street Committee TO
pay to j. G. Weinbrunn q Bro. 500 for
loss sustained by delay caused by The
! Council in paving the roadbed Of Seventh
| street between Clay ana Leigh.
Establishing the grade OF alleys be-
tween Fifth and Sixth. Main and Frank
1 l.. M4fn 80
| Cary.
| The ordinances recommended by IN,
| Street Committee, allowing the Southern
railway to construct a spur track across
| Dock street, about ~ feet into the pro
| perty of the Old Dominion Steamship
| Company. was adopted without comment
| The ordinance granting permission tC
| Mrs 4. ID. Atkinson to construct in from
of the Lexington Hotel an awning, and tC
depend therefrom an electrically illumi
| mated sign, was adopted.
Mr.. HARRISON said that TO allow coy
| eret way 10 be put up on Main street, II
the business portion Of the city. was Z
| strs age thing. he didn't know what tn,
| Council was thinking about to grant it
| He moved TO reconsider the vote granting
such a privilege.
Mr.. Bloomberg spoke in favor Of thu
measure. saying it would be attractive
and ne could see no objection 10 il.
Mr.. Harrelsons motion TO reconsider
the vote was lost, only six voting in fayo
Of such action.
FRANCHISES CONSIDERED.
The Council then took up the ordinance
| granting a franchise to the Southern
Electric Company to erect a plant and dc
| business IN Richmond. on motion Of Mr.
Bloomberg. the rules were suspended in
order that the ordinance might come M
| for passage. and il was read by tn
| clerk, the substance Of the same having
been printed in The Times
At the conclusion Of the reading Of thu
ordinance. Mr. Jones offered an amend
| ment 10 the eleventh section, in order q
make the section apply to conduits as wei
as 10 poles and wires The amendmen
was adopted.
To the twelfth section. Mr.. Jones offere,
an amendment, providing that upon thu
failure of the company 10 complete IL
| plant within twelve months from the APP
proval of the ordinance. its bond fo
5000 shall become the property OF the
| city. The amendment was adopted.
Mr.. Wallerstein offered an amendmen
10 Section ] OF the ordinance giving th'
names of the present officers Of tina
company. lie d!d that. he said. for thu
protection Of the city i'm order to proven
promoters from securing franchises which
were only To be ia Hked around and sold
The amendment was adopted without oh
lection.
Mr.. Rountree offered an amendment T.
the second section. which requires wire
n be laid in conduits AT the rate Of no
more than two squares per year. afte
six years Mr.. Rountree's amendmen
read Eat tho rate Of not less than fou
squares per year
Mr.. Bloomberg said that under thi
amendment the company could be mad
10 put all their wires under ground in on
year, which was a hardship that the com
pany had stated it could not stand.
Mr.. Roundtree said that II there wa
any objection on that score he woul
make the amendmen. read mot less tina
four nor more than eight" He change
his amendment 10 read thus.
Mr.. Bloomberg said that this amend
ment would impose a hardship upon tn
| new companies, 10 which the old com
| panies were not subjected.
Mr. Rountree said he thought II wa
time 10 begin putting the wires under
ground, regardless OF the old companies
otherwise they wold never be put Their
in the lives Of these old companies.
Mr.. Jones said IL was obligatory on IN
company to put the wires In conduit
within certain territory, and he though
the amendment would be a hardship 4
that 1t imposed an additional burden.
Mr.. Rountree's amendment was then de
feated. and the ordinance as whole wa
adopted.
The ordinance granting franchise Il
the Home Electric Company was ther
taken up. and Mr. Jones offered simi