The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-08-18

her with eighteen members present, Mr..
Bachmen and Mr.. Murray being absent
President Terry was in the chair aud
the body soon got down to business after
being called to order.
The report of the finance committee
was received and read The recommen.
dation of the mayor that fund of $500
be set apart to employ n secret detective
service was deemed not feasible, but the
committee recommended that the mayor
he author lied Ito employ detectives for
the purpose of ferretting out crime at a
cost not to exceed 500 aud to render his
kills therefor to the committee on &C.
counts for report.
The committee reported adversely on
the recommendation that the street force
lie paid semi-monthly, as such plan
would be in conflict with the existing
laws.
Concerning the recommendation of the
fire board that James McFalI. chief of
the fire department, be allowed the sum
of 500 to dcfray his expenses to the
chiefs convention at New Haven, no &C
ton was taken on the recomme ndation,
and it will be left open until Mr.. Nc
Fall's return.
In the matter of the one. year bonds due
March 1, 1898. the committee reported
that said bonds ought to be paid Off, as
funds for this purpose are now in the
treasury. and by so doing the city would
save the sum of 1912 in interest. The
committee also directed the city treasurer
to pay off said bonds on the first of Sep
tcmher. The committee submitted bonds
as follows, which wcre..approved: j. II.
Wingate, city engineer, 1000. Fidelity
and Deposit Company, of Maryland rs
surety; w. NJ. Miles. poundmaster and
blacksmith, $500, With JAS. n. Leslie and
j. a. Hoover rs sureties: Jas. Abbitt,
sanitary inspector, 500, r. X. Rice and
Il. II. Vaughan as suretes.
Concerning the communication of the
Stone Printing Company protesting
against the payment of graduated H.
cense tax upon the capital stock of their
company, upon referring the matter to
tie city solicitor he stated that under the
charter the city had no right to levy IL
cense tax upon the amount of apital In
vested by this company in it's business.
No legislation was recommended on the
subject.
The committee did not deem it cXpe-
Client to make any recommendation look
ing to an Increase of the compensation of
the commissioner of revenue.
The committee reported that tho report
OF Expert Accountant Callahan, who has
been checking the city books. has beeu
finished, ,but:ow Gg to its.volume and the
subject being one that will require a
great deal of careful study on the part of
the committee, it would be impossible to
report upon it before the next meeting.
An interesting discussion arose over
the question of the city feeding the horse
of City Engineer ,,Wingate The discus
sion was at times lively and was engaged
in by Messrs. Terry, Buckner, Col
bourne, Casey and Page. The report of
the committee on accounts recomm ended
that no horses he maintained at the ex-
pense of the city. The recommendation
OF the committee was lost by "a vote of 8
to and the matter will be submitted to
the city solicitor for his opinion rs to the
legality of the city keeping the horse
under the ordinance.
The committee or accounts reported
that in their opinion supplies for the city
stock could be purchased at wholesale
cheaper than they are Mt present. OBJ
tanned, and recommended that bids be
advertised for from month to month and
the matter let to contract. The recon-
mendntion was adopted.
The Joint report of the committees on
finance and ordinance submitted an or
dinance as follows on the question of
prohibiting nickel in. the-slot machines:
BE 1t ordained by the Common Coun-
CT Tor the city of Roanoke, That section
10 OF. an ordinance approved April 16,
1877, entitled an ordinance imposing
taxes on persons, real estate and personal
property, and on license for the year
1877. etc: also nm ordinance approved
Apri! y, 1897, entitled an ordinance as to
gaming tables and to prohibit gaming
Herewith. be and the same is hereby sub.
sttuted:
"Be it ordained by the Common Coun-
Gil for the city OF Roanoke, That If any
person keep or exhibit gaming table,
commonly called A. b. c. or T.. .. table,
or Wheel of fortune, nickel in the slot
machine, faro bank keno table, race hores
table, or race course table, or any table
OF like kind, or any. table, apparatus or
machine used in playing any game of
chance at which money::rnay be won or
lost, whether the same be played with
cards, dice. money or otherwise; or be II
partner, or concerned or interested in,
either as owner, operator or employee, in
the keeping, exhibiting, using or operat
ing such table, machine or bank, he shall
be fined not exceeding fifty dollars; and
each day such machine, apparatus or
table is 40 used shall constitute n sepa-
rate otfense
'Be it further ordained That the
auditor for the city of Roanoke be and is
hereby directed to draw warrant or
warrants to any person who has hereto
fore operated in the city of Roanoke any
nick el-in-the-slot machine, upon which
the license TAX for the license year com
mencing May l. 1897, and ending May /.
1898 or INV pnrt tharaof hoo haaD >n;d