Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-05
OVER MAYORS VETO.
COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY PASS THE
INFRINGEMENT ORDINANCES.
PETITIONS FOR The GAS-WORKS.
Two Propositions, One to Lense and
the other To Purchase Them, SUBJ
Line Extensions.

they, by q unanimous vote, passed the
various retrenchment ordinances over the
veto Of the Mayor and referred two
propositions-one looking 10 the lease Of,
and the other the purchase Of the city
Gas-Works-to the committees Oh
Finance and Light.
The first business disposed Of was the
reception Of Mayor Taylor's message
vetong the various retrenchment ordi-
uances. This message was presented 20
The body by Sergcant-at-Arms RuskelL
and was read by Clerk August, the most
careful attention being paid by the coun-
cilmen mean while
THE MESSAGE IN FULL.
The message was as follows:
Mayors Office
Richmond, Va. December p, 1855.
To the Honorable. the Council Of the City
Of Richmond:
Gentlemen.-I herewith return 10 you
with nN dlsauprOV9l - following pro-
posed ordinances adopted'by the Common
Council October :. 1896. reducing the
salary of the Engineer of the city. fixing
the salaries Of three assistant engineers,
reducing the salary Of the Superintendent
of the Gas-WOrks.
The ordinances originally passed fixing
these salaries were adopted by the re-
quired vote Of two thirds Of each branch
Of the Council. / cannot understand,
therefore. how. by a simple majority
vote. can these salaries be reduced. /
also send YOU my disapproval of these
proposed ordinances because ! believe the
citizens generally. as well as the particu-
why you have treated this mat
ter partially. and have discrimi-
mated against officers equally as efficient
and deserving as those not touched az all.
You have taken two departments only,
leaving the public In doubt as 10 what
may be proposed hereafter, and in these
twO departments you have Disseminated
mOng the officers, even among tnose
having the same salaries. with equally
as important duties The saving so TAR
proposed of about g. 800 out Of payroll
for the whole city of over &oO.OOO does not
indicate that any substantial reductions
will be made in salaries. If this in
significant reduction is intended only as
starter. 10 be followed by a wholesale
reduction hereafter % both salaries ana
wages why shouldn't II be known why
this piecemeal method? Is there any
purpose to substitute cheap negro laDof
for any of our white employees?
WANT SUBSTANTIAL RETRENCH-
MENT.
Our tax-burdencd white people want
positive proof of fair and substantial re-
trenchment IN expenses. and believe !
voice their wishes when / say that they
will not be- satisfied with anything else
You are perfectly aware that II the
authorizations 10 all the various depart
nents are reduced till within the revenues
of the city YOU will force each OF them
to- economy and retrenchment. If, now
ever We are TO discriminate in this Dy
eNtr1vagant appropriations, such as are
made for the negroes, who pay less tndh
10 per cent. of the taxes. ana get 40 per
cent OF the benefits. or FAVOR a rev ue-
uartmcnts nj the expense or others, the
reduction of salaries, either Wholly or
partially. will but meet the Nltai question:
of the city living within its income.
/ hope your honorable bodies viii recon
slider your action concerning tnese pro-
uOsad ordinances, Very respectfully,
RICHARD NJ. TAYLOR. Mayor
"REAsONs ARE WEAK"
As soon as the reading Of the message
was concluded Mr.. Wallersten took the
floor and said:
81 think. with all due respect to the
NIayor that his reasons are the weakest !
ever heard in my life. | don't think .
ner cent Of the people i'm the city would
anprove the reasons given by the Mayor
for not signing this ordinance II II is
demonstrated that certain officers are re-
ceiving too much salary, then 1t becomes
the duty of the Council to take such ac-
tion without regarding the fact that 9TH
ers who ought TO be reduced may not re-
ceive the same treatment at the hands Oh
the Council
AS TO THE MAYORS DUTIES.
Mr.. Rountree was recognized when Mr..
Wanerstein took his seat. and he spoke
as follows:
ct is indeed an unpleasant duty for me
TO perform TO criticise the Mayors veto
message. particularly so since he Is my
personal friend. As ne has seen fit TO
veto the ordinances formulated by the
Retrenchment and Reform Committee
which is composed of businessmen, / had
hoped he would have suggested something
in the line of reform so much needed.
However. it may be well that II so nap
pened. This may cause the duties of the
Mayor TO be defined. ! cannot permit
friendship to interfere with business.
whic,rI deem this TO be. 1t would not
have been fair TO have cone as the Mayor
sugeested-scale down all salaries alike
and | trust the Council may pass the or
dinance over the Mayors veto by a
unanimous vote"
ACTION WAS UNANIMOUS.
A vote was taken, as soon as Mr.. Roun-
tree concluded. on the various ordinances,
which were read scriatim, and in each
case they were passed over the Mayors
veto by a unanimous vote, the votes being
recorded as follows:
Ayes -Messrs. Allen. Blanks, Bloom
berg. Briggs. Cottrel. Ebel Foster,
Gunst HaIrelson. Hawkins, HOOs0n,
Jones, Miller MOsby, Noble. Pollock,
Rountree. Stokes Tanner Wallerstein,
Whalen, Witte, Woody, and Caskie-2L
Noes. o.
The report Of the street Committee was
submitted. and the various recommends
tions contained therein were cOncurred in.
The recommendation of the Finance
Committee. appropriaung N.5yD15 to pay
the expenses of the recent registration lh
this city, was adopted.
The sum of $500 was app oprilted 10 the
credit Of the Committee on Accounts ana
Printing.
Five hundred dollars for the purpose OF
purchasing coal for the c0lOred poor was
recommended by the Finance Committee
10 be Appropriated but Mr.. Wallerstein,
i'm view OF the millncss of the winter. ad-
vocateI reduction Of that amount 10
$500 His motion was lost. and the origi-
nal amount was appropriated.
The sum Of $1,000 was appropriated for
the purchase Of coal to be distributed by
the ladies Of the city Mission.
The reports OF the committees on Lisht'
Fire Department, and Claims and Salaries
were submitted and adopted
THE BICYCLE TAX.
The ordinance seeking TO license BIZ
cycles and tricycles and imposing a tax
OF 81 per annum each, which was adverse
lv reported from the Committee on Ordi-
nauces. was called up Mr Branch r..
Allen said that the bicyclists of the city
favored the tax. and many of them had
asked him to advocate the passage OF tne
ordinance. Mir. BloOmberg set forth that
the ordinance would simply impose a
double tax on wheel-owners. as they had
now 10 return their bicycles as taxable
property.
The ordinance was rejected by a vote OF