Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-30
CAUGHT BYC0AL Clark.
INEVITABLE PRED1cAMENr OF
FIRM or LOCAL DEALERS.
UNDER CONTRACT FOR YEAR.
legally Hound to Furnish City with
Unlimited Quantity of conI Mt
Prices Prevailing Under Normal
Conditions.
UNDER CONTRACT FOR. YEAR.
Conditions.

Mr.. s. Cottre,,. OF Cottrell & Son, coal
dealers. appeared before the Committee
on Streets last night, in advocacy of the
deTcd by him for coal furnished the city
at various prices. ranging from s4.75 to
sI25 per ton. Mr.. Cottrell claimed that
he had undertaken to furnish the Commit
tee on Grounds and Buildings with coal
for certain purposes at the rate of 81
per ton. The coal strike had interviewed,
and he had continued to carry out his
contract TO his loss Of several thousa nd
dollars, but not content with this, the
city seemed bent on making him furnish
coal TO public institutions not included Ir
his contract az the contract rate, which
was ruiDous to him.
MADE SAME WAY EVERY YEAR.
Acting City Engineer Bolton said that
the coal contracts were made the same
way every year, and this contract was
similar TO the one that Cottrell & Son
had carried out with the city last year.
Mr.. Minor here pulled the signed con-
tract of CotTell & Son with the city, on
Mr.. Cottrell. and read its terms, specify
Ing that the company would deliver for
one year coal OF the kind named .at such
places and in such quantities as the city
engineer may designate Mr.. Minor said.
Cottrell & Son. in the unexpected extrem-
fly brought on them by the coal famine,
the terms Of the contract he thought clear
and unmistabable. and it would be ille-
gal for the committee to authorize the
payment of prices unwarranted by the
contract.
PULLS THE GOLDEN RULE.
Mr.. Mann was strongly in favor of pay
Ing the firm fair and just prices for the
coal. and not forcing them to live up
TO the contract on a technicality when
they had been caught in the coal squeeze,
which no one could forsee.
Let US put ourselves in their place and
do 70 them as we would have them do to
US if the conditions were reversed
On the motion of Mr.. Minor, the matter
was referred to the city attorney for his
legal opinion as to whether or not the
coal that had been furnished was includ-
I'd in the contract.
TELEPHONE PETITION
The petition of the Richmond Telephone
Company for permission to dispose Of its
plant to the Bell Telephone Company.
referred to the committee by dashboard OF
Aldermen. was taken up.
a number OF motions were offered, that
of Mr. AVhittet being finally adopted. that
Il special committee of five be appointed
by the chairman to take the petition uli 4
der advisement and report to the street
committee as speedily as possible. Sub
Chairman r. L. Peters who was presid-
ing. appointed the committee as follows:
Messrs AWhittet, Minor, Phillips. Bur
ton, Huber.
II is understood the committee will con-
suit with the city attorney and city en-
gineer.
URGED PROMPT ACTION.
President Maupin, of the Richmond
Telephone Company, was allowed the
privilege of the floor by courtesy. All he
wished to say was to urge the committee
to take the matter up and report on 1t as
soon as possible. as prompt action would
save his company several thousand dollars
unnecessary outlay.
Mr.. r. E. Glover. Of Davenport, Nor
ris & Co, appeared before the committee
in behalf of the ordinance TO relieve the
Southern railway for concreung its track
on a part of Dock street, which
had been torn up by the city i'll making
certain changes in the street he asked
the concession, not III the interest OF the
railroad but in the interest OF the pro-
perty owners on this street, whose values
would be destroyed if the. railroad re-
moved its track. The committee recon-
mended the relief asked for.