The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-19
NEWS FROM ALEXANDRIA.

| five Alexandria business men met in the
! rooms of the Business Mems League to-
night in response tesaA circular letter re-
Gently issued by some members of that
| league, for the purpose of suggesting
plans and methods whereby a new city
! council. composed of business men alone,
might be elected at the coming sp-ing
election. NJ r. Harlow was elected chair.
! man of the meeting. He stated that the
object of the meeting was to get into the
/ city council business men who were in
/ terested in improvements and had the well
| fare of the city at heart Mr.. James
| Bayne then read a voluminous document
concerning street improvements and mod
( ern sewerage. He favored the issue Of
! 10000 in bonds to carry out his ideas on
( the subject. He reviewed the present svs-
/ tenn of assessment, and made comparisons
between the city assessment and the State
assessment. The speaker was of the
opinion that about $1,000 or $4,000 could
De derived in the shape of revenue, per
annum, by proper assessment. His idea of
proper assessment was thai property
should be assessed by the square foot and
according to its location. The speaker
thoroughly discussed the street and sewer
question. He concluded by saving that
t''C ~Stoioiituit iitih ubIt us part. ana 1t
was now time to elect a new and repre-
sentative city council. Mr.. George r. Hi,
was of the opinion that it would be well to
publish Mr.. Bayne's document and he was
informed. by the president, that it would
be done.
MIR James r. Cation said there had been
too much talking and ii was now time to
take some action. He said that when he
was a member of the city council he was
chairman of the committee on streets
and, at the time, he authorized bill for
issuing bonds for 10000 for street i'm
provements, al per cent. He said that
al the time, the bill met with much oppo-
siion. but was finally passed. The sum
of $1,000 was spent annually on streets
Mr. Cation said that at the time many of
the members of that body thought that
! II was a rash move The speaker thought
that the first thing We need was a city
council who were interested in the perma-
nent welfare of the city Many people. he
said, fear increase of taxation. He con-
sidered 1t the duty of those present to Sc
/ lect for the city council and board of al
dermen men who are progressive and in
terested In the Improvement of streets
Politics. he said, should be eliminated.
The speaker said there was no harmony
among the present members of the city
council He thought that as long as the
streets are in the present condition there
will be no prosperity. Mr.. Downham then
TOOK the floor and stated that during his
inaugurate system of sewerage improve.
ments. He recommended the employing
OF competent engineer, and that the
work should be done one square at time
The speaker said that he had commune
Gated with the mayors of many of our
large cities and had their views on the
subject and presented the matter to the
city council. He said that the best plans
came from the city of Buffalo. n. Y. In
that city the city council had supervision
of the work, and bonds were issued
known as street Improvement bonds. and
were issued in blocks of $4,000 at 6 per
cent. They were optional at the city re-
demption, and were finally reduced down
to per cent. Finally the bonds were
called in and the ones bearing a smaller
rate of interest were issued. The speaker
said something should be done to improve
the streets, smaller cities were doing
The grocery trade OF Alexandria, he said.
was equal to that of any other city, of its
size, in the country. The speaker de-
clared that the committee on streets was
responsible for the, present bad condition
of the sidewalks. The present state of af-
fairs, he said, was caused by petty malice.
The city council were trying to get even
with the mayor and the mayor was trying
to get even with the city council and as a
result nothing was accomplished. Isaac
Eichberg thought that a committee of one
hundred should be appointed. consisting of
representative citizens, who would pledge
themselves to advocate street improve.
ments. The speaker said King Street was
in a shameful condition. He said II was
impossible to get anything from the pres
ent city council as they were wrangling
with one another and no harmony existed
among them. NJ. b. Harlow said that il
was evident that 1t was necessary for the
citizens to do something toward the i'm
provements of streets and to induce in
dustries to locate here. Mr.. Harlow sue,
gested that a committee of eight or ten
be appointed to decide on plan of action.
The present city government, he said, was
doing nothing to increase the value of
prODPrty Mr. Ia r Cation Saf Id that
the unseemingly Indifference of the city
council and the mayor was not beneficial
to the city. Wrangling. he declared. en-
sued over things of a trifiing nature. Mr..
Cation then suggested that committee
Of sufficient number be appointed 10 in
terview and ascertain who will be candi-
dates In the coming election. and to re-
port the names OF the available candidates
at the next meeting. He thought that one !
or two citizens on each block. in every |
ward. should be selected to use their in |
fiuence toward securing the election of the |
business mems candidates. who will favor |
improvements.
Mr.. A. d. Brockett then took the floor |
and stated that II the business men wish /!
ed to win out they should have money to |
run their campaign. and suggested that a ]
committee of ten be appointed, who would |.
each give 80. and that this committee get |
ninety more, each of whom would give $40. |
After some little debate among different |
members the following were appointed to |
constitute committee: James r. Cation, |
a. II. BlOcheII, I. LthuDedltI,
Downham. George r. Hill. William B.
Smoot James Bayne. Isaac Eichberg,
Henry F. Robertson. George B. Carlin.
J: r: Zmmerman jr:. John Griily ;,I John
r. Tackett, r. F. Tucker. G: William
Ramsay and NJ. b. Harlow. This com
mittee will elect a chairman at the next
meeting and devise their plans for the |
coming campaign. AS the spring election
approaches much interest is being mani
tested and II is now evident that there
will be two factions
number of local druggists and drug
clerks We're this morning arralgned IN the
police court before Mayor Simpson. on
complaint of J. w. Parker, an agent for
the State Board of Pharmacy. VINO were
charged with violating the rules OF That |
hoard. Among those against whom
charges were brought were the following:
Claude NJ. Lennon, charged with illlng a
prescription in the absence of his regis
tered drug clerk: hIessrs. Diemeit * Wal
ker. charged with allowing an unregis-
tered drug clerk to fill q prescription our
ing the absence of the proprietors; Charles
G. Lennon and William Entwtsle. charged |
with falling to pay the State board Zee Tor
renewal of certificate OF registrations
Frederick II. RittenOur, charged with
compounding a prescription at the drug
store of Messrs. Dienelt * walker, IN the /
absence of the registered proprietors;
can't A s Guigon of the Board of Phar-
macy. conducted the prosecution, ana |
Messrs. s. G. Brent and c. c. Carln rep
resented the defendants. {. g. Lennon
and William EntWisleh were discharged |
upon promising to pay the assessment or
the board; the case against MessIs DE
melt &, Walker was dismissed; f. II. Rit-
tenour was fined So the minimum pen