Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-08-14
CITY COUNCIL.
There was called meeting of the
City Council last uight for the purpose
of transacting some business which was

OF trarsactlng some business WHICH WAS
regarded as urgent.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
After the reading of the Mayors
message convening Council recess
was declared which lasted about an
hour. When the board was again call
ed to order the papers sent in from the
Common Council were concurred IN
without debate. No business originated
in the Aldermen.
COMMON COUNCIL.
The board gathered a quorum short
ly after s o'clock. In the absence OF
the clerk Mr.. ]. II. Strider was elected
clerk pro TEN.
The Mayors communication oonven-
ing the boards to consider ma1ters
of public interest was read.
MIR. B. B. Smith introduced q report
from the committee on streets IN FAVOR
of a sewer on Cameron from Alfred
street to Pitt, at a cost OF Sl,Soo; also
q sewer on Washington street, IRON
Duke to Wilkes at cost of 81 ,OOO, and
several matters relating to street re-
pairs. The subject was laid ASIDE LOT
q short time.
Mr.. Uhler introduced resolution
recurring the Washington, Alexandria
and Mt. Vernon Railway Company to
pave Royal street, from Duke street
south, within their rails and for two
feet outside with Belgian block IN &C
cordance with their agreement with
the City Council. He said that some
action was necessary to compel this
company to comply with its agreement:
MIR. @. N. Moore asked what would
retain the Belgian block on the out
side of the track.
Mr.. Uhler said that the City Engi'
neer had told him that if Belgian
block were put down properly 1t
would keep in place.
The resolution passed by vote OF
yeas IL, nays 0.
A resolution authorizing the Electric
Railway to remove it's track on Payne
street. north of Cameron, was passed
by unanimous vote.
Mr.. Smith then called up the report
Of the street committee and said that
twelve citizens had agreed to tap the
Cameron street sewer and had urged
the street committee to secure some &C.
ton from Council in the matter. He
hoped Council would accept the COM
mittee's report. He introduced an or
dinance that the work be done, the
sewer to be of pipe 10, II, Is and Is
inches, the work not to be commenced
till the property owners have agreed to
pay $500 of the expense.
Mr.. Green suggested that the sewer
be constructed of larger pipes.
Mr.. Uhler regretted that he could
not favor the order. He had announc-
ed at the opening of the year that no
further street work could be done this
year with the money at the command
of the city. The King street sewer
had cost $l4 900 and five taps only had
been made. On other sewers taps
had been made, but no payments
had yet been received for them.
We are carrying now, he said,
floating debt of $4,000. All
the city property which could be sold
had been sold, and paid for, and there
was no means of raising funds now but
by an increase of taxes. Some of
the twenty citizens who petitioned for
the Cameron street sewer lived OH the
line, and lateral sewers at considerable
extra cost would be required to accom-
modate them.
MIR. B. B. Smith was rs much OPP
posed as any one to running the city
into further debt. There was So 1000 of
u. S. taxes paid during the war which
would be turned over to the city on the
1st OF next January to be used for
street improvement, and this money
could be used.
The chair and Messrs. Uhler and
Greene thought that this money would
not be the property of the city, but
would be distributed to the representa-
tives of those who had paid the tax
during the war.
Mr.. Smith said that he might have
been misinformed, but his information
came direct from the deputy city treas
urer, who said that on January lst
about So, 900 would be turned over to
the city from the unclaimed direct tax.
Later in the evening the act of the
assembly turning over to the city for
street purposes all the unclaimed taxes
overpaid during the war and ordered
to be refunded, was read, and it ap-
peared that Mr.. Smith was in the right.
The discussion, however, bad proceed
ed under the impression that no such
money would be recovered by the city.
Mr.. Snowden said that he would be
glad if the whole city should be sewer
ed, but very much paving needed to be
done first.
Mr.. Greene said that after Mr.. Ub-
ler's statement and the explanation OF
the need of lateral sewers, he thought
it would be well to have the subject re-
considered by the committee on streets.
After further discussion on the sub
ject of tapping sewers,
Mr.. Birrell suggested that the best
method would be to collect 20 per cent.
Of the sewer-tapping tax each year for
five years.
Mr.. White moved to reoommit the
subject to the committee on streets,
with instructions to make more definite
statements.
Mr.. Smith suggested that Council
should fix the percentage which must
be paid by sewer tappers before the
work was begun.
Mr.. Beach suggested that the finance
committee should be joined with the
street committee in considering the
matter, but
Mr.. Uhler protested that the finance
committee had raised all the money
nocaihla and could take no mart in rais-