The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-29
CHARGES ARE MADE.
Said That One Firm Got Tagging and
Paying from Petersburg.
PLANS FOR REHABILITATION.
The Richmond Passenger cnd Power
Company Can Now Rush Its I'm
provemcnts Fifteenth Street
Track Matter is Finally
Rcjccted-Othcr Bus-
mess Transacted.

The Council Committee on Streets held
a three hours session last evening and
considered many important matters, prin-
cipal interest being centered in a PROPOSE
ton 10 bar contractors for stone curbns
and Tagging furnished the city, who en-
ploy colored mechanics. Councilman Nor
gan r. Mills brought the question before
the body in connection with the opening
of some bids, and a motion was adopted
providing that no contract for this work
be~given to a contractor employing me
chanics who are not white citizens OF
Richmond.
The subcommittee appointed to con-
slider the plan of rehabilitation of the va
rious lines of the Richmond Passenger
and Power Company submitted its re-
port, the features of which have several
times been published. 1t was stated by
City Engineer Cutshaw that tbs work OF
rehabilitation was actually going on. ana
the committee adopted the report without
debate.
The petitions of the seaboard Air Line
and the Southern Railway to construct
| spur tracks up Fifteenth Street were re-
| jected and much other business was
transacted
OPENING OF THE MEETING.
| The Street Committee met at O'Clock.
| with Chairman Otway S. Allen in the
| chair. Allegations for street and sewer
| improvements were heard. One providing
! for a sewer IN Nicholson Street and an
other for a sewer in Virginia Street, and
| another for the paving of the Sidewalks
| on First Street for distance of one
| square south of the viaduct. were favora-
bly, considered and recommended to the
| Council for adoption.
! The following petition, signed by Col.
| John Murphy, was read:
| Il herewith make an application to the
! city through your committee for the p-ivi-
| lege of erecting an iron bridge. to cross
| Eighth StIeet about siXty-five feet from
| Broad Street, for the purpose of connect
| ing my hotel building, at the SOUTHEAST
| corner of Eighth and Broad Streets, With
| hotel building and stores TO be erected al
| the southwest corner Of Eighth and Broad
| Streets.
'.The proposed bridge will be 16 or II
| feet above the road-bed of the street, the
| plans of the bridge to meet the approval
| of the City Engineer. And the building
| which 1 propose to erect VIII be SIX or
| seven stories high, fronting on Broad
| Street 81 feet. and running back 1876 feet
| on Eighth Street to an alley. l propose
| to make This one of the handsomest build
| ings on Broad Street, il L get permission
| to erect this bridge.
! Colonel Murphy explained that his arcili-
| tect had arrived at the point in the plans
| ,hat he must know what would be done
| as to the bridge. He therefore, urged
| prompt action by the committee. The
| matter was referred to the subcommittee
! from Madison Ward, which body was in
| structed to report at its earliest conve-
| nence.
AS TO NEGRO LABOR.
| The next matter considered was that
| of opening bids for tagging and curbinS
| in several parts of the city, and ihis
the city should give work TO contractors
| who employ negro labor. Mr.. Mills raised
! the point that no black man should be
| allowed to come into competition with
| white mechanics on city work He said
he had been informed that one OF the
bidders on the work at hand employed
! negro stone-cutters and he thought If this
| were true the proposal of this bidder
| should be rejected.
| Delegations from Central Trades and
| Labor Union, and also from the Rich
| rrond Stone Cutters Union, and the COM
| mittee heard from a Mr.. Connell, repre-
| senting the latter organization, made the
charge that Peter Donald & Sons, who
| have put down considerable tagging and
/ curbtng for the city. had put off their
! white mechanics and that the work was
| now being done by negroes. He added
| that this firm on one occasion got a city
! contract and had the work done by
| Petersburg firm.
| Mr.. William n Mullen. OF. Central Trade
| and Labor Union, also spoke in behalf of
| white labor. He declared that this ques-
/ ton was one that not only affected the
/ workingman, but the merchant, the lawyer
| and the banker of Richmond,as the throw
| ing of white mechanics out Of employment
meant a loss all along the line.
| On motion OF Mr.. Mills the bids We're
| rejected and new bids were asked for,
/ contingent upon the work being done by
! white mechanics. It-was also decided that
in future all tagging and curbing be done
| by such contractors as employ white cit
! liens OF Richmond.
FIFTEENTH STREET TRACK.
/! The petitions of the Seaboard Air Line
| and the Southern Railway for spur tracks
/ on Fifteenth Street came up again, and
1 the committee promptly rejected that with
j reference to the Southern Railway. and
| laid on the table for a short time the
/ qSeaboard Air Line petition
I The much-talked-of plan for the reha-
/ bilitation of he lines of the Richmond
! Passenger ard Power Company was con-
sidarsd briefly, and the report of the
/ subcommittee to which this matter was
! referred was adopted. The City Engineer
| and City Attorney stated that the plan
oSSt4 Ptoi't.,
| with the provisions Of the city ordinances
The Pleasants-Street line evoked much
| discussion. This is 4 case in which seye-
raj property-owners have extended their
fence lines beyond the street line. The
Engineer thought the street should have
its original line. but the ub-comrittse
recommended that a compromise in the
matter Of setting back the fences be ap-s
proved. The committee finally decided to
consider this question at a special meet
ing. on the ground, on Monday evening at
4 o'clock.
MUST ACT AT ONCE.
Col. Cutshaw called the attention of the
committee to the fact that the old stone