Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-30
COMMITTEE CONTRACT FOR $4,000
WORTH AS A TEST.
Az ORDINANCE FIXING The RATES,
Health and Poor Committees Con-
slider Measure to Change Authority
Over City Physicians-C. d o. Coast
wise Freight.

present were Messrs. Briggs (cnairman),
Stokes, Noble, CARRIER, and Tanner. There
were also on hand large number OF
representatives of meter concerns. and
each was allowed five minutes in which
to explain and demonstrate the opera
tions of his sample machine.
Bids were opened from the following
firms: H. w. Worthington, G. & A. Bar
gamin. Thompson Meter Company, of
Brooklyn, N. Y; Southern Railway Sup
ply Company, Smith-Courtney Company,
Hersey. Manufacturing Company, OF
South Boston, Mass, and Union Meter
Company, Of Worcester, Mass.
THE CONTRACTS AWARDED.
The contracts were awarded for 5-S. 3-4.
and 1-inch meters, as follows, each con-
tractor to furnish an equal number:
G. G. A. Bargamin. to furnish the
Thompson-Lambed meter.
The Southern Railway Supply Company,
to furnish the Neptune Company's "Tri-
det"
The Smith Courtney Company. to fur
nish the Nash"
Hersey Manufacturing Company,
through John III. MCGOWAN Company, TO
furnish the Heiser Disc meter.
All the bids of these firms contained the
same prices for these meters. viz: $40
for the SIS, sl2.60 for the 81, and $3.50
for the 1-nch meters.
The contracts for meter-boxes was
awarded to A. b. Cosby at sl.15 each;
for wiping solder. to G.. & A. Bargamin;
for paving and excavating pipe trenches
to w. f. Fletcher.
RATES AND IMPROVEMENTS.
The subcommittee appointed to report
an ordinance on the Introduction of water
meters and the putting in of a new tur-
bine-wheel at the Old pump-house sub
mitted its report, recommending an ordi-
nance requiring the city departments to
pay for the water they consumed at the
regular rate, and fixing a graded meter
rate at from Is cents per 100o gallons TO
cents, low rate for manufacturing pur-
poses. every family being required to pay
for at least 45O0 gallons of water a month,
thereby fixing the price for this amount
of water at exactly what Is charged now
for one hydrant and one closet-67 cents.
This ordinance contemplates that the city
shall supply the meters. The report also
recommended that the contract for fur
nishing the turbine-wheel be awarded to
Messrs. Chamblin & Scott for 45-inch
Mccormick single turbine, with necessary
gearing. shafting, gates, &c, to cost N,l40,
and instructing the Superintendent to pro-
ceed with the necessary foundations &c.
to cost about 5000 Both were adopted.
Bills and pay-rols were approved and
after some other business had been trans
acted, the committee adjourned.
Discuss Physicians to Poor.
The Committees on Relief OF the Poor
and Health convened in special session III
| Room No. IL Of the City Hall at o'clock
| last night. to take up the ordinance rela-
| tive to placing the physicians to the poor
under the Committee on Relief or the
| Poor. and combining the office of Presi-
| dent of the Board of Health and Physi-
| clan 10 the Almshouse. There were pres
| ent Chairman Cottrell and Messrs. Bur
| ton. Blanks, Brock Gunst, Hawkins, Hob
son. Miller, Snead, Jones, Wake, and
Williams.
The ordinance was read and considered
at length. DR.. w. Il. Oppenhimer Presi-
dent of the Board of Health, and Drs.
Crane and Stratton, physicians to the
| poor: DR.. Trevillian, Physician TO the
Almshouse. and Mr.. George b. Davis.
| Superintendent of the Amshouse, were
| on hand. and made statements relative 70
| the proposed change, by which the physi-
| clans TO the poor would be placed under
| the control of the Relief of Poor. There
was a general discussion as TO the eifi-
| cacy or inefficacy of the proposed mea-
| sure. much talk being indulged in as 10
| the system of having charity patients
listed in the office of the Superintendent
| of the Outdoor Poor at the City Hall.
| Dr. J. +. Crane was the first OF the
| physicians heard, and he answered scores
! OF questions propounded to him by dlt-
ferent members of the committee He
| said that 1t was difficult, under the present
| system, to tell who should be classified as
| charity patients, and who should not. He
referred TO the many difficulties that the
| doctors labor under In this respect lie
| said that he often attended a family in
| garret. who were not able to pay. and
| was subsequently called to some one on
| the first or second floor of the same house
who was able TO pay, but who expected
| treatment upon the same basis. DR.. Crane
| said he would be glad If the committee
would place the responsibility OF deter
| mining this matter somewhere else.
Mr.. Gunst read from the new ordinance
a clause, which is also In the present ordi-
| nance. authorizing the physicians to the
poor not to attend persons free VINO are,
| i'm their Judgment able TO bear the ex-
| pense of the same.
| Mr.. Hawkins: Doctor, isn't ii a fact that
within the past few months you have
| been called In to attend free a member Of
a family. the head of which is worth from
| SIS 600 to $4,000?
mo. sir. recall no such case" replied
| DR.. Crane.
II understood that you had" said Mr..
| Hawkins.
MANY NEEDY BUT PROUD.
| Mr. williams claimed that the system
requiring the charity patients 10 register
| their names with the superintendent or the
| Outdoor Poor would make them feel like
] paupers. and they would rather go with
| out medical attendance than to have their
| names placed on a pauper-list. Many or
| this class Of people were more entitled
| 10 charity attendance than any others.
| Mr.. Snead agreed with what Mr.. Williams
| said about the matter.
| DR. Crane proceeded with his statement
| by asking the committee 10 throw some
protection around the physicians TO the
poor. il possible. He declared that their
| work should be reduced. They had at all
times from seventy-fye to one hundred
| cases. and much OF their work was natu-
rally very unpleasant and risky.
DIR. sTRATTON'S EXPERIENCE.
| Dr. T. f. Stratton was called next. and
| he corroborated much of what his asso-
| ciate had said, and cited several personal
| experiences TO bear out his argument IL
| was often embarrassing and difncult 10
| tell who should be regarded as charity
| patient DIR. Stratton declared that he
| had attended many persons who would
| not be willing 10 be classed as free pa
| tients. hut who would never pay their
| Doctors bills. They would say they would
| pay, but let IL stop al that
Can Build the Spur Track.
| A special session of the Committee on
| Streets was held at the Old Dominion
| docks at o'clock yesterday afternoon 10
consider a petition from the Chesapeake
| and Ohio Railway Company. for permis-
| sion 10 construct spur tracks from the
| tracks OF the Richmond and Allegheny
| Company. from a point near what would
| be Thrty-hrst street across DOCK street
| 70 the sheds Of the Old Dominion Steam
| ship Company. The object OF the request
was 10 furnish the railway company
| facilities for shipping its coastwise freight
from here, instead OF Newport News,