Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-04
TO DUTCH GAP
4 NEW HARBOR MASTERS ORDINANCE
Work Accomplished by the Depart
ment-Street Committee Discusses
Plans for Meeting the Expense of
New Sewers.
New Sewers.

Vaughan, who retires from the Board OF
| Aldermen and resigns the chairmanship
| OF this committee at the end OF the
present term. had invited number Oh
friends to accompany the committee on
| tour to Dutch Gap
The tug looked very spick and span In
a new coat OF paint, with its summer
awnings outspread. The flag of the city,
a red border surrounding q white ground,
i in the middle of which is large letter
C, was flying at the prov, and the Stars
and Stripes at the stern.
Messrs. Mosby, Gay, and Mayo. the
subcommittee appointed to draft an or
dnance prescribing the duties OF the
harbor master, met in the cabin Of the
| boat at $3.50, and adopted a report framed
by Mr.. Mosby.
| The general committee met In the same
| place half an hour later, with the follow
| ing members present: Messrs. Vaughan,
| Allison, Christian, Ferguson, CARRIER,
| Guy, HARRISON, Mayer, Mosby, Picot,
and Ryan The report Of the sub-com-
| mittee, which is based on the harbor
| master ordinances in successful opera
ton in other cities, was adopted, ana
| will be recommended to the Council
The sum OF s25 was appropriated from
| the funds of the committee to pay for
| the circulation OF thousand copies OF
the ordinance, in event it becomes
| law.
WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT.
The report of Captain Thomas Cum
ningham as TO the amount Of work done
by the dredges during the month Of May
showed that $3.50 yards Of sand and
gravel had been removed from the bed
of the river. Captain Cunningham also
reported that he had taken the tug TO
Norfolk and had IT thoroughly over
hauled.
The bills and payroll of the depart
ment. amounting to S51.A, were APP
proved and ordered to be paid.
Clerk McDowelPs report as to the
financial condition Of the department
was as follows.
Amount OF appropriation. 90
Expended. .......... .............. 5'Zzo %
1rnexpenaed. .......... .........S,77 9 81
Mr.. Vaughan announced that there
would be a special meeting OF the COM
mittee TO close up the business for the
half year ending June 30th on the 18th
instant in the City Hall.
RECREATION AND REFRESHMENTS.
Mr.. Vaughan then welcomed his guests
who had arrived during the session of the
committee, and the tug started for Dutch
Gap Besides these gentlemen mentioned
above, there were present Chiet-of-Polce
Howard. Captain G.. Wat. Taylor. Captain
j. II. Frischkorn, Mr.. r. w. Powers, Mr..
II. Theodore Ellyson, Mr.. Charles V.
Meredith, Dr. C. p. Brock; Mr.. Alex f.
Robertson, OF Stanton; Captain John A.
Curtis, Mr. F. c. Craigie, Mr. A. ID. Lam
derkin, Mr.. w. II. Curtis Mr.. V. Hiekler
Jr., Mr.. George Ruskell, and Others
The trip was really delightful one.
The weather, OF course, was most propi-
tlous, and Mr.. Vaughan dispensed very
liberal hospitality during the voyage, en-
tertaining the committee and his friends
in the main cabin of the boat. The tug
passed through the gap before the return
journey was begun, and the party, which
had every reason to appreciate Mr.
Vaughan's delicate attention, arrived off
the Virginia Navigation Company's whaEf
about 7:3O o'clock.
street Committee and Assessments.
special meeting of the Committee on
Streets was held in the City Hall at
o'clock last night The members present
we're Messrs Allen chairman, Carter,
Foster, ]. NJ. King, j. j. King, Pollock,
and Woody.
The object of the session was to formu-
late plan of assessment for sewers
City-Attorney Meredith expressed the
opinion that the law was perfectly clear,
yet, IL its provisions were enforced, IL
would not only be a great hardship, but
would almost amount to a confscation
of property. The Court Of Appeals had
recently handed down an opinion. he said,
that the city cannot put improvements |
upon property and charge the owner with |
them, although a former opinion had
held otherwise.
THE SAFEST PLAN.
The safest plan, he thought. would be |
to map out certain territory and COM |
plete the work there, without doing |
patches of work in different places. The |
charter authorizes the construction OF |
sewers, and the city could construct them |
as health measure, and charge the pro-
for the use of them.
Mr.. Carter asked il it would be pos
sible to make a test case by constructing
sewer and then assessing the property
owner an annual rental. Mr.. Meredith
said he thought such a test could be made
with advantage, and he would like 1t to
be done.
not be applied to the present conditions
unless the Supreme Court reverses its
decision. He questioned the advantage
Or right OF making test case until
law had been framed bearing upon the
points at issue. A general law should be
passed, he thought and he was OF the
opinion that the city should proceed
slowly in carrying out its conditions. He
thought the rental system should be tried
and a test case speedily made.
EFFECT OF A NEW PLAN.
Mr.. williams, the Assessment Clerk,
argued that II the city could fix charges
n one way 1t might do so in another.
Il the present system were departed from
t would mean q general upheaval.
Mr.. Allen expressed the opinion that
he best system would be to make a
'harge for sewers just as gas and water
5 charged. The work should be done
Il a minimum cost, and a minimum
harge should be imposed.
Mr.. Pollock thought the city should
AXE charge OF the entire sewer system,
md issue bonds to pay for the construc-
ion charging a rental.
Mr.. Meredith thought this plan could
perate only in the case of new sewers
after further argument the City Attorney
vas instructed 10 enquire into the mat
er and formulate a report to be sub
nitted to the committee at its next meet
ng.
The Committee on Fire Department was
allied TO meet yesterday afternoon, but
allied to get quorum.