The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-02-12
PORTSMOJ nth ~ EMS

become accustomed to using two dollars
where one will answer, may be similar
ly affected.
Finding that it was dime thrown
away tosattcmpt to get anything done
regularly or in i business like way by
this committee, we sought the assist
anceI OF the Committee on Charter
Amendments, and presented Il bill pro-
Hid:nS FOR Local Improvement Board,
and which, after amending so that
Councilmen from This ward Sannot vote
to raise revenue or eXpend the moneys
of the four old wards they did 50. and
we are glad ITO be able to report that
this amendment is a law and we now
have local board. which is elected
every two years by the people, begin
ming from next May.
This board recommends to the Coun-
Gil, and when THAR recommendations
are adopted the work in our ward Is
done as the local board direct under
Ithe supervision of the City Surveyor.
No work can BE- done and no debt CON
tracted cNceri upon The order OF this
board. and tVery bill has 40 be audited
and approved by them before 1t can
be paid
I'VE feel that the ward has just cause
ior congratulations uPJn what has been
accomplished. as our ward improve
inents have been '.akcn from the slough
value received for our money
ITO our Councilman, Nv Jones VIII
Hams, who assisted US in every way
ana all other members OF the Council
VINO assisted us in this matter, the Fifth
ward cannot he 900 thankful.
IN CGnSlus!cn we desire TO call at
IGNITION to the fact that this work cost
some money, as we have to pay for adj
Nertising, engineers and attorneys fees
I JN-h IN r,-I,S
last meeting IS requested to pay up.
and those who did not subscribe are
requested TO pay Something towards the
expense"
cur fifth Recommended ton called at
tentlon 70 the great diterenrc in the
cltES estimate ana the bids which we
haa submitted to the Council, ana silg-
Sested that the plan submitted would
be or much value IL adopted as It
would be the means of having the
work done within reason. even though
nerformed by The street inspectors
force
The street committee adopted the
lirSt three Of our recommends lions
struck oui all of the fouth. which re-
lated to obtaining bids and having the
work done at the lowest cost. and en-
t!rely eliminated the fifth suggestion.
which showed the 1850 waste on Glas-
gov .s:rcet.
our recommend tons. with the al
tcraiions and omissions as stated were
then reported to the Council. as the
rcp1tt of the stcct committee. Yaur
committee With lis attorney were pres
cnt when the repor. was made, and
i!Sn urged Up0n the Council the neces-
sity of having ne work done as chcaplv
as possible. TEia, howevcr. availcd us
nothing, AS the Council adopted the re-
port OF the street committee, which pro-
NlQod thnt III" map. specifications and
The citY'S estimate Of cost for doing the
work should be submitted 10 your com
mittce before any work had been done.
although the bill of annexation pro-
vidcd that this wacd shall have the
services Of the city surveyor and ser
tain other officers without cost. an out
side engineer was employed al the cX-
pcnSe OF our ward to do the engineer
ing wo:k necessary to give the gra les.
make the map. etc, and upon its COM
plet!on We were furnished with the
map and Il set OF specifications Upon
examination ii WAS found that the
specifications were vague, Indefinite
and incomplete in many particulars.
and your committee thercupon address
ed communication to the chairman of
the street committee. calling his at
tcntion 10 the fact that the speci-
iicationS were 80 incomplete that M per-
son, however competent. would be able
TO give an intelligent bid for doing the
work" requesting that they be amend
ed to show
81. An estimate of the cost of doing
the work by the ci,y's force az per the
order of the Council.
"2. Inform ton as to where the dir;
eNcavutcd from the streets WAS TO be
moved
80 How many cubic yards Of earth
We're to be moved.
a. Where would the surplus earth be
carried ana Al whose expense moved,
should suoh earth be taken out of the
ward?
"5. That rs it was very probable that
considerable earth would be sold. that
4 clause should he put in ;hc spcc.f-
should make suitable reduction for
earth removed without expense to
them.
I'VE urged these things upon the
street committee because we had met
with the surveyor and street inspector
and they had admitted that the spcc-
hcations in our possession. while the
same specifications they had, did not
disclose all the information in their
possession. ana which they would ll,se
IN making their estimate. and that the
data WAS not given because The stree:
committee had directed them TO give no
further information. y great deal q.
correspondence. tart and rlCy, along
this line cnsucd. hut We could get no
information. and no change in those
specifications which d.d not specify.
except 10 limit the distance of the
haul limit to 1,Go0 feet Finding that
nothing more definite than we had
could be obtained as the evident pur-
pose was TO keep US in the dark as
much as possible so that we could no;