Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-08-17
ORDINANCES GALORE
Continued from First Page.)

Continued from First PaRe)
citizens. and such failure. if through
negligence, would be considered a
breach Of public confidence TO sue
cessiully cover this field. however, re-
quires the expenditure of q large
amount of capital in advance of exist
ing requirements, and it remains with
the city authorities to say whether ma
chnery and apparatus SO purchased by
us is to lie idle and rust in order to
start up new machinery for company
who have yet nothing at stake.
Our company. after investing 95 per
cent. of their earnings for eight years,
Is still s26. 00D in debt for plant and ma
chinerE improvements. and it seems
only just that we should ut least be al
lowed to get square with the world be-
fore having 10 compete With u company
not doing Il legitimate electric light
business and whose support is derived
from utfar sources.
In concluding Mr.. Hillyer asked
he council not pass the ordinance till
the people of the city had an opportu-
nifty to express an opinion.
Mr.. Samuel Register, of Richmond,
counsel for the railway company. was
next allowed to address the council He
said he had heard with interest Mr.. Hill
lyer's essay. He (Mr. HillyeD was
"
knew absolutely nothing The speaker
did not think that the council would
defeat anything that would result in
lesseninS the cost of light and power.
He was perfectly willing to agree to
amy changes suggested by the common
| wcalth's attorney. a broad statement
had been made that his company had
}acuu'rcd the plant of the Chesapeake
| Electric Light Company, of Hampton.
| hut it was not true. though he hoped
40 n IL Ii
save the trouble of building another
plant there
| There was little tilt between Messrs
iilllyer and REGISTER regarding the
statement by the former that the
| Hampton plant had been purchased by
the new railway company.
Mr.. REGISTER said if his company had
purchased the Hampton plant he had
not been apprised of> it. However, it
| might be true as he had not seen Mr..
Payne for several days.
! Mr. L. p. Stearnes. ex-collector OF
customs. asked permission to say n
Few words. He stated that not long
since Mr.. W. ]. Payne met him on the
train and made the voluntary state
nent that his company had purchased
| inc electric light plant at Hampton
AL ne conclusion of the addresses Mr.
H'lrcher moved that the ordinance be
| referred back to the ordinance com
| niitee $" that the necessary alterations
| might he made by the commemorative
attorney saying there was no reason
for undue haste
Mr. Mclaughlin objected to the mo-
ton. He wanted the ordinance adon-
ted a, once The people '', dema au9pl
competition. What redress nave in
my business he asked Il can't keen
people from opening beer shops next
door to me-
Mr. Rurchers motion was lost by a
,"'e "i TO .. those voting aye being
Messrs. Burchcr, Cory O'Donnell and
| Ford anu
<Nfser Spending some time in going
| over the ordinance Mr.. Newton return.
G" AND the changes he suggested were
n , ihS Time I" begin work on the
| plant Was liked at six months after th.
| passage of the ordinance and thu, plon1
| must b" completed at the expiration uf
| one year
Nh Hurrhcr offered rs an amendments
| mat me company be compelled to place
us plant within the city limits. 50 thar
! lhe town might get the benefit of the
| taxes
| Mf. teseser spoke against it, claim
| ing that that would be hardship. Cor
| the company would have to place the
| plant at a point from which the best re-
suits could be obtained. Notwithstan1
| ing the rumors to the contrary. he said
| me new electric railway would be built.
| MY. l'urchcrs amendment was lost
| by II vote of To s. as follows:
| ANts-MeSsrs Burcher Corey, Ford
| D'Dunncll
Nays-Nlcssrs. Buxton Cuffce. Nc
l-auGilin. Hughes. Dohertv. Powell
| fh"inas. Washington.
| The Uldinanc. was then nut upon its
| passage. and Mr.. Burcher was the fir-t
| mc!nbe9 Ia speak against it, AT the out
| set ne SAD he did not expect that what
| he might say would have any weight
| with the council. The new railway com
lanS mad not kept faith With the city.
] Not a lick of work had been done on the
electric railway. though it had been
| TOUR months since the franchise was
| granted. lie thought the company
| should begin work on the electric rail
| way before. ii was granted another
| franchise. Then. too, he held that the
| plant and principal office should be To-
| Gated in Newport News. The fact that
The company tried to railroad the ordi-
| nance through at the last meeting; made
| him suspicious
M'ssrs- Mclaughlin. Powell, Dohertv
and Hughes spoke in favor of the orlii-
nance, and Mr.. Corey spoke against it,
| The Vote was then taken and the or
dinance was passed by a vote of to
i, the members voting AS follows:
AyeS-Mtssrs. Buxton. Catfee. Pow
| ell. Hughes. Mclaughlin. Doher,y
| Thomas. Washington.
| NayS-MesSrs. Eurcher, Corey, Ford,
| p'Donnel.
| In order to seal the matter forever.
| Mr. Powell moved that The. vote be re-
| considered. The council refused to re-
| consider The ordinance by a vote of S TO
T. but MIR. Burcher ''nipped this in the
| hnd'' by giving notice that at the next
| meeting he would move to reconsider
| Ir. Powrll'S motion.
| Without transacting further business
the council adjourned at midnight.
| building Permits.