Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-01-14
ACTION DISAPPROVED
A Nell Known Man on the
King Street Grant.
TALKING ABOUT SEWERS
TIE Ashby Case Taken Up Yesterday. and
Postponed Till Monday. New
Trihi for f wsrds
Probable.

The King street franchise continues
to DE a fi,!itful Il pic of discussion here
and the number of those who express
q Sapptoval of the action of the town
council grows Gaily. There is a strong
Demand for a reconsideration This de-
nr2Ea is not the Result of i'd feeling to-
ward Mr.. Darling, who is given due ana
p:oper credit Cor the enteTprisinE and
Progressive spirit which he has shown
since he came to Virginia. but springs
from the conviction that the course pur-
SueI by the local law makers last week
is not only contrary ITO establ Shed pre-
cedent. but manifestly unfair. IT,, the peo-
pie of the city.
The only * use thus far advanced for
the ilf-adviSed action of the councilmen
is that Mr.. Darling's claim upon King
street is entitled 10 prior considera ton
because he ventured to eXpend his mon
ey in the construction 'f the Hampton
ana Old Point Railway and Subsequent
~ extended the line to Newpor: News
This argument is made as if Mr., Oar
ing had assumed the role of a public
benefaGtor and in doing so had COM
pletely ignored his own interests. This
IS the FIST count, SO to speak, in the
plea put up in heaalf of the councilmen.
Ihe second is that neither of the COM
ranies asking f-r charters for roads be-
tween Newport News ana Hampton is
acting lin good faith, but that they are
eoSes. This statement is emp.la s:.:,lay
denied by Colonel Garter NJ BraXtor. Of
Newport News, With whom the Daily
Press correspondent c2nvec Sai' upon the
subject. by Clerk d. 6. Smith, of The
same city: by ex-Sheriff r. NJ. Booker,
of Hampton. Representative Montague,
who is not ink rested in railway cnt=r-
pnses, but is in q position to speak nU-
thoritively with respect to the purposes
and financial standing Of one Of the
companies, ana by others.
But II. as the councilmen claim, Meth
CT lcad is iiksiy TO be built, there w6s
certainly no necessity for the tlnprHc
dented haste With which Mr. Dariiss
application was rushed through the ud-
SaerTanlc gauntlet. which, in other mat
tSrs vi less Importance to The advance-
ment of the business interests OF the
city, has been found. like the aree:sa,t
read of Jordan a hard one 10 travel
The following communication from a
Well known Hampton man is a fair "
prasslm OF public sentiment upon the
subject:
Mr.. Editor:-I want til usz OF ;, small
space in. your Hampton news Is say a
few wo!tis in regard to he l<in:, street
franchise recently granted the Newport
News, HamFtonand Old Point Railway.
1t IS not my purpose to say aught
against MI. Darling. Cor l will a unit he
is head and shoulders ah-ve any ntter
t-.h
e'tier'priss- Nor NJ L wish 10 censure
our cnun@ilmen for their haSty ac:ion IN
granting said right of way; hat # 7 can
say a word tina VIII causs them Ia re-
a!ize tlhi their action in the matter is
not for ihe best interests IF the People
M WI elected them. then have accom-
plishsd my purpose.
Ihts town Wants ep,esTacisa:: IL : frfn,st
;fsv>lst,.lS situated for the lacrtion CT
many Industries, and il the signs do
no; fail. capital is le, King in and sizing
US up right at this tine. We want an
otaS'E railroad from Old Port to New
l'oii News. such u ROAD would give us a
I'VE cert fare to Newport Naws. a very
desirable item to its pa,rors, the work
ing men especially. ..I,.s rad Mnu.d
pcrsu= entirely a different route from
the present lime and would enhanc. the
value OF adjacent properly an l.uadre,i
!phi. This property is in III. han Is Of
hundreds of our citizens who would Dc
benefited thereby. King street IS The
only profitable way a car line could en-
ter and pass thrugh the raickly popu-
lated part of Hampton. The grant to
Mr.. Darling is simply to keep out oppo-
sition. This action is NOT just to he
people. We want another road and
Judging from the expressions heard here
since the councils acton WAS tak@n, We
'think they acted decidedly unwise in
putting rival road to s.Irh lisaivant-
age. Competition is the life of bade."
Put capital at work ana make business
good. DO not let any man or company
M tnop0i.Ze any of our pu alic properties.
is my idea of tine way 20 make ii pro-
greSsive community. And above al,
things, an up-to-date people do nj /
want horse car line III THAR town; ):
of itself Is sign of decay and a relic of
the past.
Very~truly,