The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-07-01
CITY COUNCIL
Last Meeting For Fiscal Year lS9S-99

The last meeting Of the City OOun-
ell for the fiscal year 1898 80 was held
in Council Chamber Thursday night
for the purpose Of receiving reports OF
committees and determining upon levy
for 90-l90O.
Present Mayor Rowe, presiding.
Oouncilmen Willis, Wroten, Bradley,
Embrey. Rowe. Cole, Hurkamp,
Gouldman, Lane, Knight, Chancellor
and McOracken.
Mr. Wroten, Of Pablo Property. re-
ported expenditure for year, 81, 545- TO-
an excess of appropriation OF $780, 20.
which amount, on motion IF Mr..
Willis was ordered to credit Of commit
tee
Mr. Ii b. Lane, Of Ordinances. re-
ported amount expended sl26. 10. lie
also reported that the city ordinances
and history Of fredericksburg were
ready for printing and binding, and
that the work could not be completed
before August, and asked that the time
Of the new ordinances going into
effect be extended from July 1, to Sept.
/. which. on motion II Mr. Knight,
was 50 ordered.
MIR. McCracken, Of Light, reported
gross receipts from Gas, -. 53S,0l, ex.
penditures :; 4O5 80. which includes
interest on bonds, showing net revenue
Of g., 1872 d. Amount paid Rappahan'
mock Electric Light Company for
electric light, - Az %.
When Chairman McOr8cken had finish
ed reading his report Mr. Cole said :;
Capt McCracken there has been mu h
complaint among our coal dealers that
the bids for coal used by the gas works
the past year were not advertised and
that they did not have chance TO COM
pete for furnishing coal to the Corpora
ton and that you bought the coal from
Richmond parties Is that SO - "Who IL
your informant. Mr., Cole, said Capt.
McOracken Mr. J Il Leitch. answer
ed Mr.. Cole Capt MoCracken-"A
part Of this is true and portion I'M
true This matter has been brought TO
nv attention before by lay friend, Mr.
Bradley who informed me that GER
tain reports were being circulated
as TO this coal contract and !
will not say In as emphatic terms.
as then asked him 10 convey my re-
ply 10 his inf rmant hut | viii say that
in the whole transaction l have had the
hearty cooperation Of my committee -
Messrs Rowe ard Kuight--and that the
city # Fredericksburg IN, saved over
40 cents per ron by on buying The al
from ihs O * O Il r at the prices
named when the contract was made. !
Will state the transaction and let the
Council judge now tine committee has
acted for the interests Il Fredericksburg
tax payers
Last year | received letter from the
Pennsylvania Coal Company asking
me, as chairman. why tLey, whose coal
we had been using, could not furnish
US coal direct instead Of through a third
party. replied that the committee
would be pleased to have proposition
from them. understood that j.
r. Leitch Il o. were the agents Of the
concern A few days after |, laughing
ly, asked Mr Leitch why he had given
up the agency for the coal, and told him
| had received a proposition from the
company. Mr.. Leitch shortly after
went North to see the parties, and in a
short time received q notice from the
company that any tranaction' for their
coal must be made through J. h Leitch
81 Co. This made no material difference
70 the committee. as we knew thai
there was equally as good coal sold from
other mines.
We then notified the coal dealers, Of
the city, who deal in the coal we want
cd. Messrs Wallace & Bro, Jas
r Leitch & Co. and b j Marshall,
that we would receive bids for coal for
the works, and would list the quality
Of each. Mr.. Marshall declined tC
bid Messrs Wallace & 90. furnished
us several cars of Allegheny coal and
Leitch & Co. several cars Of Pennsyl-
vania coal for which we paid them
81 70 per ton
In the meantime we had received a
letter from the O. & o. Il. r 90. thai
they would furnish us coal delivered
here for s.. co per ton which cost us al
the Gas Works g. &c. We bought sew.
eral cars Of this and test was made
of all these kinds of coal and a record
kept We found equally as good results
we're obtained from the o. & o. Goa
and we made a contract with them
We did not advertise for bids for coal,
bat bought from the parties named cal
loads as above and supposed that wai
their price This is statement OF the
facts aud leave it to the Council Il
the committee has not acted in the in
terest of the taxpayers -
lis it true Mr. McOracken that Wal
lace & Bro made you less bid thar
you are paying, said Mr. Cole. Eyes,
said Mr.. McCracken, that is true, bu
it was after the contract was made
and | would sooner resign my seat il
} the Council than l would go back on
contract when ] make it. | wish t
say further that it was reported tina
the party with whom made the con
tract was a relative Of mine. | merely
desire to state that this is untrue. Since
| have been a member Of this body
have carefully RETAINED from selling
anything to the city for the use OF the
oo,,,rn ;tteec IN which I belong | re